BILL NUMBER: AB 2555	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Feuer and Nielsen

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

   An act relating to aging, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2555, as introduced, Feuer. Ombudsman programs: appropriation.
   Existing law establishes the State Health Facilities Citation
Penalties Account into which moneys derived from civil penalties for
violations of state law are deposited. Moneys in this account may be
used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the protection of
health or property of residents of long-term health care facilities,
as specified.
   Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act,
establishes the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the
California Department of Aging. Existing law requires the department
to allocate all federal and state funds for local ombudsman programs
according to a specified schedule.
   This bill would appropriate the sum of $1,600,000 from the State
Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account to the department to
fund local ombudsman programs in accordance with the distribution
schedule during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The sum of one million six hundred thousand dollars
($1,600,000) is hereby appropriated from the State Health Facilities
Citation Penalties Account, established pursuant to Section 1417.2 of
the Health and Safety Code, to the California Department of Aging to
fund local ombudsman programs in accordance with the distribution
schedule in Section 9719.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
These funds may be used for this purpose through the end of the
2010-11 fiscal year, at which time the remaining unencumbered funds
shall revert to the State Health Facilities Citation Penalties
Account.