(Sacramento, CA. November 9, 2017) The California Senior Legislature (CSL) adjourned its 37th Annual Legislative Session and announced the Top Ten State Legislative Proposals and Top Federal proposals earlier this week. Members will advocate diligently during the 2018 legislative session to have state lawmakers carry and support these priorities.
The following were listed as the top ten State Legislative proposals:
AP 13: Prescription Drug Labeling
This measure requires physicians and surgeons to include the purpose for which the medication is prescribed on all prescriptions, so that the information would be included on the prescription label, unless the patient or the prescribing physician and surgeon requests that this information be
omitted.
SP 3: Medi-Cal Personal Needs Allowance Increase
This measure would increase the personal needs allowance from $35 to $81.12 per month and annually adjust the personal needs allowance by the same percentage as the Consumer Price Index.
AP 12: Adult Day Care Resources for Alzheimer’s Patients
This measure would restore annual funding for Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Centers.
AP 2: Long-Term Care System Improvement
This measure would create the Office of Policy and Program Integration (OPPO) within the California Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), authorize the OPPI to, among other things, establish procedures within, between, and among HHSA Departments to enable program consumers to gain access to multiple programs in a coordinated effort and to reinvent and redefine the defunct CalCareNet information system as a consumer-friendly, interactive internet web site for long-term care services, and require the OPPO to submit a biennial progress report, as specified, to the Legislature no later than February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
AP 9: Tax: Voluntary Contribution
This measure would modify the existing Voluntary Contribution Fund Process by establishing the California Voluntary Contributions Program and would authorize the Office of California Volunteers to administer the program. The measure would also memorialize the Legislature and the Governor to enact legislation that would require the Franchise Tax Board to revise the tax return process and any corresponding informational material, and to allow for the designation of contributions to qualified applicants.
AP 7: Affordable Living Options for Seniors
This measure would for the purpose of meeting housing element goals under the Planning and Zoning Law, classify housing units participating in a home-sharing arrangement in which at least one of the occupants is an elderly person who qualifies as a person of low or moderate income, as defined, as very low income households. This measure also would memorialize the Legislature and the Governor to enact legislation that would incentivize local authorities to meet affordable housing goals and that would hold local authorities accountable when they fail to do so.
AP 3: Rural Senior and Disabled Transportation Services
This measure would authorize the use of moneys in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, moneys funding the Air Quality Improvement Program, Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program, or other similar programs, or moneys from other appropriate sources, to fund grant programs in counties to provide transportation to nonemergency medical services for the senior and disabled populations located in rural, desert, and mountain areas through the use of clean vehicles.
AP 8: Senior Hunger
This measure would provide additional funding for congregate nutrition services and home delivered nutrition services.
SP 7: Elder Financial Abuse: Wire Services as Mandated Reporters
This measure amends the definition of “mandatory reporters of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult” to include the officers and
employees of businesses licensed under the Money Transmission Act for wire or money transfers, and that would increase penalties, including providing for full reimbursement of losses, for officers or employees of these businesses who fail to report as required.
AP 16: Toilet Heights & Grab Bars in Public Restrooms
This measure requires by January 1, 2021, all publicly accessible restrooms to install side wall hand rails in all toilet stalls, and that would immediately require renovations and new construction of publicly accessible restrooms with more than one toilet stall to incorporate at least one toilet of the maximum height allowed under Federal Law.
The following were identified as the Top Federal Legislative proposals:
AFP 1: Limit on Federal Payroll Taxes for Seniors
This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President to enact legislation that would eliminate Social Security and Medicare Payroll Taxes after the age of 65 on the first $50,000 of earned income and eliminate income taxes on Social Security Benefits.
AFP 2 :Fall Prevention: Grab Bars
This measure would memorialize the Federal Government to adopt appropriate regulations for the Medicare program, or to enact appropriate legislation, that would add grab bars to the list of covered durable medical equipment under the Medicare Program, upon an evaluation by the Medicare Program to demonstrate that grab bars meet the requirements of durable medical equipment.
AFP 3: CA Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day (S&C)
This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President to enact legislation that would recognize May 10 as a Federal Day of Remembrance to honor the Chinese Railroad Workers who labored from 1865 to 1869.
CSL is an entirely volunteer organization and is funded primarily by donations. Voluntary tax contributions maintain operations and support critical staff. Supporters can donate via the State Income Tax Form to the California Senior Citizen Advocacy Voluntary Contribution Tax Fund.
Without these contributions, our state’s vulnerable elderly population could lose their strongest advocate.
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MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
For more information contact Janice Bailey, CSL Staff Services Manager, at (916) 552- 8056 or jbailey@seniorleg.ca.gov.