SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 3
INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER BORENSTEIN
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AP 3: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: SAFE EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS.
UNDER EXISTING LAW, VARIOUS STATE ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, THE CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, AND THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL WITHIN THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY, HAVE VARYING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PLANNING FOR, AND REACTING TO, EMERGENCIES.
THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION SO THAT (1) THE SAFE AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES BRANCH OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH INCORPORATE INTO ITS MISSION AND GOALS THE SAFETY OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY OF PUBLIC ASSEMBLAGES TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PURPOSES, (2) THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS BY CREATING REGULATIONS AND BUILDING STANDARDS FOR A UNIFORM EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN AND A STANDARD REPORTING FORM, AND CREATE A VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SAFETY RATING SYSTEM TO BE POSTED FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC ASSEMBLAGE SITES, AND (3) ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING INCORPORATE EGRESS DESIGN THAT PROMOTES THE WELL-BEING OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS.
VOTE: MAJORITY.
AP 3: RELATING TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
WHEREAS, AN AGING FRIENDLY COMMUNITY (1) VALUES THE ELDERLY, (2) KEEPS THE ELDERLY INVOLVED AND PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY, (3) SUPPORTS THE NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY, AND (4) ALLOWS SENIORS TO “AGE IN PLACE” WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE; AND
WHEREAS, APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT OF SENIORS SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIFE IN THE PLACE WHERE THEY CELEBRATED THEIR 65TH BIRTHDAY. MORE THAN 89 PERCENT OF THOSE OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE WANT TO REMAIN IN THEIR OWN HOMES AS THEY AGE, AS DO 95 PERCENT OF ALL PERSONS OVER THE AGE OF 80; AND
WHEREAS, FROM 2007 TO 2030, INCLUSIVE, THE POPULATION OF ADULTS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY 89 PERCENT, MORE THAN FOUR TIMES FASTER THAN THE UNITED STATES POPULATION AS A WHOLE; AND
WHEREAS, SENIORS WHO MAINTAIN ACTIVE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY MAY DECREASE THEIR RISK OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION BY ALMOST ONE-HALF; AND
WHEREAS, EVERY 18 SECONDS, SOMEONE 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER FALLS. EACH YEAR, MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF ADULTS 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER EXPERIENCE A FALL SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURY-RELATED DEATHS AMONG SENIORS, ACCOUNTING FOR MORE THAN 2,100,000 EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS AND OVER 500,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS IN 2008. THE TOTAL DIRECT MEDICAL COST OF SENIOR FALLS IS CURRENTLY $19,000,000,000 AND BY 2020, THE ANNUAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COST IS EXPECTED TO REACH $54,900,000,000; AND
WHEREAS, INJURIES RELATED TO WALKING CANES AND WALKERS ARE SENDING 47,000 SENIORS A YEAR TO EMERGENCY ROOMS. SIXTY PERCENT OF WALKER INJURIES AND 56 PERCENT OF CANE INJURIES OCCUR IN THE HOME. THE COROLLARY IS THAT IN EXCESS OF 40 PERCENT OF THE INJURIES TAKE PLACE OUT OF THE HOME; AND
WHEREAS, IN 1999, AS MANY AS ONE-HALF OF THE SENIOR POPULATION SUFFERED FROM SOME FORM OF MOBILITY DISABILITY; AND
WHEREAS, ONE IN FOUR OLDER ADULTS HAS A SIGNIFICANT MENTAL DISORDER. AMONG THE MOST COMMON ARE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY DISORDERS, AND DEMENTIA. OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS, THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE FROM AN ESTIMATED 7,000,000 TO 15,000,000 INDIVIDUALS; AND
WHEREAS, BY 2030, THE NUMBER OF ADULTS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER IS PROJECTED TO BE 72,000,000, OR 19.7 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL UNITED STATES POPULATION, A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE ABOVE THE CURRENT FIGURE OF 12.9 PERCENT; AND
WHEREAS, EXISTING EVACUATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES BY THE STATE HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC OF FRAIL AND VULNERABLE SENIORS AND HAVE NOT RESULTED IN A COORDINATED AND INTEGRATED APPROACH ON A STATEWIDE BASIS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2011 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE SAFE AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES BRANCH OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH INCORPORATE INTO ITS MISSION AND GOALS THE SAFETY OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY OF PUBLIC ASSEMBLAGES IN ORDER TO FACILITATE A UNIFORM EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN WITH THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL AND OTHER INTERESTED STATE ENTITIES, TO HAVE OVERSIGHT AND TRACK THE DATA FOR THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN ENFORCED BY AUTHORITIES HAVING JURISDICTION RELATING TO FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS, AND TO PROMOTE AND COORDINATE SAFETY, PREVENTION, AND TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS FOR FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THAT THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS BY ADOPTING REGULATIONS AND BUILDING STANDARDS FOR A UNIFORM EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN AND A STANDARD REPORTING FORM AND CREATE A VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SAFETY RATING SYSTEM TO BE POSTED FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC ASSEMBLAGE SITES, SUCH AS THEATERS, ENFORCED THROUGH THE AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION, SIMILAR TO THOSE USED FOR HOTEL AND MOTEL FIRE SAFETY; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING INCORPORATE EGRESS DESIGN THAT PROMOTES THE WELL-BEING OF FRAIL VULNERABLE SENIORS; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
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RN 11 17630