BILL NUMBER: SB 345	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wolk

                        FEBRUARY 15, 2011

   An act to amend Section 9720 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 345, as introduced, Wolk. Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
   Existing law, as part of the Mello-Granlund Older Californians
Act, establishes the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in
the California Department of Aging. Existing law provides for the
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under which funds are allocated to
local ombudsman programs to assist elderly persons in long-term
health care facilities and residential care facilities by, among
other things, investigating and seeking to resolve complaints against
these facilities.
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 9720 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   9720.  (a) The office shall investigate and seek to resolve
complaints and concerns communicated by, or on behalf of, patients,
residents, or clients of any long-term care facility. This
requirement shall not preclude the referral of other individuals'
complaints and concerns that a representative becomes aware are
occurring in the facility to the appropriate governmental agency.
 Complaint investigation   Investigations of
complaints  shall be done in an objective manner to ascertain
the pertinent facts.
   (b) At the conclusion of any investigation of a complaint, the
findings shall be reported to the complainant. If the office does not
investigate a complaint, the complainant shall be notified in
writing of the decision not to investigate and the reasons for the
decision.