BILL ANALYSIS Ó
ACR 49
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Date of Hearing: April 21, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGING AND LONG-TERM CARE
Cheryl Brown, Chair
ACR 49
(Weber) - As Introduced March 19, 2015
SUBJECT: California Senior Bill of Rights
SUMMARY: Resolves that the Legislature should support of older
Californians by continuing the state's commitment to them in
specified ways. Specifically, this resolution:
Establishes or resolves that older Californians:
1)Have worked all their lives to provide for their families,
build our state, and defend our nation, and thus deserve a
dignified, secure and independent retirement for their
contributions.
2)The number of Californians aged 60 and older is anticipated to
reach 12 million by 2030.
3)Many older Californians are living longer and working longer
than in past generations.
4)Older Californians rely heavily on local, state and federal
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services such as Social Security, Medicare, Medi-Cal, and
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), to meet their financial,
health and social need to be independent, safe, and to
maintain a dignified life.
5)The programs and services upon which they rely today will
become even more important as the population expands in future
years.
6)Older Californians have more to lose in times of economic
downturn and are subject to greater instances of poverty
hunger and homelessness.
7)Older Californians are increasingly subjected to fraud, scams,
exploitation and abuse which deprives them of dignity,
financial security, and access to quality health care.
8)The Legislature recognizes the contributions and sacrifices
older people have made to the state and also recognizes the
threats that older people confront.
9)The Legislature and the people of the state should today and
into the future, unwaveringly uphold and protect the dignity
and independence of older Californians by continuing the
state's commitment to:
a. Financial security;
b. Quality and affordable health care and
long-term care;
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c. Protection from exploitation;
d. A strong economy; and,
e. Independence through safe, livable communities
with adequate housing and transportation.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the Older Americans Act (OCA) in 1965, and amended
most recently in 2006, in response to concern by policymakers
about a lack of community social services for older persons.
The original legislation established authority for 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 (AoA) to administer the newly created grant programs and
to serve as the Federal focal point on matters concerning
older persons.
2)Establishes the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, that
reflects the policy mandates and directives of the Older
Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and sets forth the state's
commitment to its older population and other populations
served by the programs administered by the California
Department of Aging.
FISCAL EFFECT: ACR 49 does not carry the force of law, and
therefore does not carry a fiscal impact.
Author's Statement: "I generally work on issues at the beginning
of life - childcare, early education, K-12. But, as a young
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graduate student, I acted as a social worker in Los Angeles,
providing assistance low-income seniors. This is where I became
sensitized to what older Californians face. We as policy makers
need to recommit to finding solutions to challenges, needs and
imperatives of California's increasingly aging population.
Older Californians have worked hard all their lives to provide
for their families, build our state and defend our nation.
Accordingly, for their years of service and contribution, they
deserve a dignified, secure, and independent retirement. ACR 49
acts as a reminder of what we owe to older Americans and, as
their representatives, what are obliged to work for on their
behalf."
Background on the Older Americans Act: Older individuals
receive services under many other Federal programs, though the
OAA is considered to be the major vehicle for the organization
and delivery of social and nutrition services to this group -
and their caregivers. It authorizes a wide array of service
programs through a national network of 56 state agencies on
aging, 629 area agencies on aging, nearly 20,000 service
providers, 244 Tribal organizations, and 2 Native Hawaiian
organizations representing 400 Tribes. The OAA also includes
community service employment for low-income older Americans;
training, research, and demonstration activities in the field of
aging; and vulnerable elder rights protection activities. The
stated purpose of the OAA is to ensure equal opportunity to the
fair and free enjoyment of: adequate income in retirement; the
best possible physical and mental health services without regard
to economic status; suitable housing; restorative and long term
care; opportunity for employment; retirement in health, honor,
and dignity; civic, cultural, educational and recreational
participation and contribution; efficient community services;
immediate benefit from proven research knowledge; freedom,
independence, and the exercise of self-determination; and
protection against abuse neglect and exploitation.
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Background on the Older Californians Act (OCA): Also so known
as the "Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act," the "OCA"
declares that older individuals constitute a fundamental
resource of the state that previously has been undervalued and
poorly utilized, and that ways must be found to enable older
individuals to apply their competence, wisdom, and experience
for the benefit of all Californians. The act continues by
declaring that there is a continuing increase in the number of
older individuals in proportion to the total population; that
the social and health problems of older individuals are further
compounded by inaccessibility to existing services and by the
unavailability of a complete range of services. The Act further
states that services to older individuals are administered by
many different agencies and departments at both the state and
local level, the planning and delivery of these services is not
carried out with any degree of coordination among those
agencies, and that enhanced coordination reduces duplication,
eliminates inefficiencies, and enhances service delivery for the
consumer. The indictment of California's incomplete continuum
of services by declaring that the ability of the constantly
increasing number of aged in the state to maintain
self-sufficiency and personal well-being with the dignity to
which their years of labor entitle them and to realize their
maximum potential as creative and productive individuals are
matters of profound importance and concern for all of the people
of this state.
COMMENTS: ACR 49 speaks to an unavoidable, robust and
increasingly vocal cohort of the population - the elderly (many
referred to as "Baby-boomers," those born between 1946 and 1964
and "Greatest Generation" those born before 1946), and the
values our society has, and continues to develop with regard to
them. The human aging process is synonymous with life itself,
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though our perceptions of the elderly are often clouded by
ageism, and thus, generally, we fear growing older, and often
refer to those who are still "sharp" to be fortunate exceptions
to the "rule."
California last addressed the needs of an aging population in a
strategic way in 2003 when the Health and Human Services Agency
produced "Strategic Plan for an Aging California Population:
Getting California Ready for the 'Baby Boomers.'" At the time,
it was observed that programs and services geared toward the
aged have developed over time on an incremental basis, with
little strategic planning. Demographic projections at the time
indicated that California's older population will explode during
the next three decades. Indeed, in 2011, Baby Boomers began
turning 65, (two every three minutes in the state-about 1,000
per day), a pace that will continue for another 14 years. This
highly educated segment of the population, with strong earning
power, is consequently being replaced by a population struggling
in an economy that offers less earning power. Between 2003 and
2020, the over 65 population will have increased 74 percent
while the under 65 population will have grown by only 24
percent. Just as the "Baby Boom" generation had an impact on
the educational system and the labor market, this large cohort
of 21st century elders will strain services and programs
designed for a 20th century elderly population.
The aging of the population will bring about a nationwide wave
of lifestyle changes, opening of new markets, and conclusions of
others, shifts in real estate prices, potential increases in the
cost of health, custodial, and long-term care, while placing
heavy caregiving demands on a smaller number of younger family
members and others available to provide support. The enormous
burden of paying for services that are not planned for
individually will be borne by a decreasing number of workers,
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which underscores the prudent objectives of legislators engaged
in reforming today's systems of care. In a state where every
5th person is "silver-haired" as opposed to the one we are
accustomed to today where every 9th or 10th person is
silver-haired, every aspect of life is likely to be transformed.
Housing demands may be turned upside down as elders rush to
smaller, more compact living quarters. Transportation systems
may be transformed, driverless cars being only one aspect of the
transformation, as more drivers with eye-sight deficiencies
flock to roads and highways. A larger cohort of vulnerable
people will create opportunities for unscrupulous endeavors as
well, and this will impact our justice system.
ACR 49 is a message to Legislative colleagues that the recent
economic downturn had a disproportionate impact upon services
relied upon by older people, and that their sacrifices are
acknowledged and honored, as the state moves forward into a new
era.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California State Council of the Service Employees International
Union (SEIU) - Co-Sponsor
United Long-Term Care Workers Union (SEIU-ULTCW) - Co-Sponsor
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American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
California Association of Public Authorities (CAPA)
United Domestic Workers of America UDW/AFSCME Local 3930
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Robert MacLaughlin / AGING & L.T.C. / (916)
319-3990