BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SJR 4
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Date of Hearing: May 7, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGING AND LONG-TERM CARE
Mariko Yamada, Chair
SJR 4 (Monning) - As Introduced: February 21, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 32-0
SUBJECT : Reauthorization of the federal Older Americans Act of
1965.
SUMMARY : Memorializes the President of the United States and
the United States Congress to enact appropriate legislation
reauthorizing the federal Older American's Act of 1965 (OAA)
Among others, this resolution makes the following findings that:
1)Congress re-authorized the OAA in 2006, effective through
2011.
2)Besides an update in 2009, the OAA has not been reauthorized
since 2006, and is currently operating under temporary funding
resolutions.
3)A substantial number of Californians will be at risk if there
are significant reductions in state allocations for OAA
programs and services.
4)Continuing delay in the reauthorization of the act will erode
the capacity of the act's various structures to deliver
services to meet the needs of Older Californians.
5)The reauthorization of the OAA is necessary in order to
preserve the aging network's role in home- and community-based
services, maintain advocacy and consumer directed focus, and
give area agencies on aging increased flexibility in planning
and delivering services to vulnerable older Americans.
6)The OAA should be funded in the same manner that is has been
funded for 48 years.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the federal OAA of 1965, as amended, that provides
states money and guidelines to perform community planning for
services and supports, research and development projects, and
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personnel training, in the field of aging.
2)Establishes the Older Californians Act (OCA) to represent the
policy mandates and directives of the Older Americans Act, and
set forth the state's commitment to the older population.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
AUTHORS STATEMENT: It is vital that Congress and the President
reauthorize the OAA. Without it, our senior population would
not have access to programs such as home-delivered nutrition
services, family caregiver support, community service
employment, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services
to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Reauthorization of
the Act is important to ensure that programs and services
continue for our senior population.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The California Senior Legislature, sponsor
of SJR 4, indicates that reauthorization of the OAA will help
preserve the aging network's role in home- and community-based
services, maintain the advocacy and consumer focus of the act,
and give area agencies on aging increased flexibility in
planning and delivering services to vulnerable older
Californians.
The AARP believes that the OAA should be reauthorized as soon as
possible. According to the AARP, the OAA provides essential
programs, information, services and guidance to a growing older
population, and that only minor adjustments are recommended to
improve efficiency.
The California Commission on Aging writes in support to stress
that California's population of older adults is the largest in
the nation. The continuation of critical programs like
Meals-on-Wheels, Family Caregiver Support, and other programs
are all dependent upon funding provided through the OAA.
COMMENTS : Congress passed the OAA in 1965 as a response to a
lack of community and social services for older people. The OAA
establishes grants to states for community planning and social
services, research and development projects, and personnel
training, in the field of aging. The law also established the
Administration on Aging to administer the newly created programs
and to serve as the federal focal point on matters concerning
older persons.
Older people may receive services under a range of other federal
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programs (i.e.: Medicare, Social Security, etc.) The OAA
authorizes funding for critical services that keep older adults
healthy and independent, and is considered the impetus for the
coordination of social and nutrition services to beneficiaries,
their caregivers and their communities. It authorizes a wide
array of programs through a national network of state agencies
on aging, California Department of Aging (CDA), area agencies on
aging (AAA), and native populations' agencies. Well known for
home delivered meals and the Ombudsman program, the OAA is also
responsible for community service employment opportunities for
low-income older Californians; training, research, and
demonstration activities in the field of aging; as well as the
development of a state plan, and a community level "area plan"
to support the needs of local and state planners, service
providers and policy makers.
The CDA is the designated state agency on aging in California,
and partners with 33 AAA to coordinate and deliver OAA
programmatic resources. The 33 AAAs cover the entire state and
follow county or multi-county boundaries, with a single
exception for the City of Los Angeles AAA, which is separated
out of the County of Los Angeles AAA. CDA administers funds
allocated under the federal OAA, the OCA, and through the
Medi-Cal program. AAAs directly manage the array of federal and
state-funded services that help elders live as independently as
possible in their communities, promote healthy aging, and assist
family care givers. CDA also contracts directly with agencies
that operate the Multipurpose Senior Services Program through
the Medi-Cal home and community-based waiver for the elderly,
and certifies Adult Day Health Centers for participation in
Medi-Cal program for purposes of the Community-Based Adult
Services.
Over the decades, the OAA has been adapted to meet the changing
needs of the aged population, the changing role of family
supports, and expanding research and technological advances. On
September 19th, 2012, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a
comprehensive Older Americans Act reauthorization bill, along
with fourteen other Senators as original co-sponsors. This
legislation was not considered by Congress during the 112th
Congress, and no further action has been taken in the current
113th Congress to reauthorize this crucial law.
Under sequestration, the OAA will authorize approximately
$126,614,000 of funding for home- and community-based supportive
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services, home delivered and congregate nutrition programs,
preventative health and wellness activities, the Long-Term Care
Ombudsman program, and the Family Caregiver Support Services
program in FFY 2013. This represents the 5% sequester cut for
non-defense discretionary programs and 5.1% for non-defense
mandatory programs at spending levels established in 2006 when
the OAA was last re-authorized.
RELATRED LEGISLATION:
S. 2037, S 3562 by US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in 2012.
These bills would have reauthorized the OAA with improvements
that would have included a homecare consumer's bill of rights,
the expansion of Aging and Disability Resource Centers, better
coordination of dental care to low-income older Americans, a
focus upon diversity, and special assistance to veterans. The
legislation also includes increased support for family
caregivers and would have made gerontologists and geriatricians
eligible for the National Health Services Corps.
SJR 10 (Dunn) (State Resolution Chapter 57, 1999) urged the
President and Congress to enact legislation reauthorizing the
Older Americans Act of 1965.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Senior Legislature (CSL) - Sponsor
AARP
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME)
Area 4 Agency on Aging (A4AA)
California Commission on Aging (CCoA)
California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Robert MacLaughlin / AGING & L.T.C. /
(916) 319-3990
SJR 4
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