BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AJR 8
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Date of Hearing: May 5, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGING AND LONG-TERM CARE
Cheryl Brown, Chair
AJR 8
(Brown) - As Amended April 15, 2015
SUBJECT: Older Americans Act of 1965.
SUMMARY: Recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Older Americans
Act of 1965, affirms support thereof, and encourages the
reauthorization of the Act with adequate funding to reflect the
growing population that benefits from its services.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Finds that the State Legislature acknowledges the 50th
anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA);
2)Acknowledges the OAA's influence upon the improved economic,
well-being and improved quality of life for elders in the
state;
3)Highlights the establishment of the "aging network," which
consists of local area agencies on aging and their partner
community-based organizations and lead by the Administration
on Aging (AoA) in Washington D.C.;
4)Acknowledges the OAA's focus upon elders in greatest economic
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and/or social need by targeting their needs and services that
keep them independent longer, offer employment opportunities
to low income older adults, as well as targeted research,
education and training;
5)Acknowledges the special attention to Native Populations,
while paying tribute to the generation of new beneficiaries,
also known as "baby-boomers," and the influences they will
create;
6)Resolves that the Legislature memorialize the 50th anniversary
of the implementation of the OAA, commends the many
contributions of it, supports the reauthorization of the OAA
with adequate funding; and,
7)Directs the Chief Clerk to distribute copies of AJR 8 to the
President and Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and
the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to every member of the
California Legislative Delegation to Washington D.C.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the Older Americans Act of 1965 (as amended in
2006, Public Law 109-365) in order to preserve the inherent
dignity of older individuals and assure equal opportunity to
the full and free enjoyment of, among other things:
a. adequate income in retirement;
b. the best possible physical and mental health which
science can make available and without regard to economic
status;
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c. obtaining and maintaining suitable housing at costs
which older citizens can afford;
d. full restorative services for those who require
institutional care;
e. a comprehensive array of community-based, long-term
care services adequate to appropriately sustain older
people in their communities and in their homes,
including:
i. support to family members and other
persons providing voluntary care to older
individuals needing long-term care services;
f. retirement in health, honor, and dignity, after
years of contribution to the economy;
g. participation in and contribution to meaningful
activity within the widest range of civic, cultural,
educational and training, and recreational opportunities;
h. freedom, independence, and the free exercise of
individual initiative in planning and managing their own
lives;
i. full participation in the planning and operation of
community-based services and programs provided for their
benefit; and,
j. protection against abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
2)Existing state law establishes the Mello-Granlund Older
Californians Act (OCA) that sets forth the state's commitment
to its older population and other populations served by the
programs administered by the California Department of Aging
(CDA), and that older individuals constitute a fundamental
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resource of the state that previously has been undervalued and
poorly utilized, and encourages that ways must be found to
enable older individuals to apply their competence, wisdom,
and experience for the benefit of all Californians. The Act
acknowledges that there is a continuing increase in the number
of older individuals in proportion to the total population,
that:
a. By the year 2010, the first influx of baby boomers
will constitute 29.2 percent of California's total
population over 60 years of age. By the year 2020, baby
boomers will constitute 70.2 percent of California's
total population over 60 years of age, that;
b. By the year 2020, older individuals will represent
21 percent of California's total population, that;
c. While the number of persons over 60 years of age is
increasing rapidly, the number of older women, minorities
and persons over the age of 75 are increasing at an even
greater rate, that;
d. Among persons over 75 years of age, there is a
higher incidence of functional disabilities, that;
e. The social and health problems of the older
individual are further compounded by inaccessibility to
existing services and by the unavailability of a complete
range of services, that;
f. Services to older individuals are administered by
many different agencies and departments at both the state
and local level, that;
g. The planning and delivery of these services is not
carried out with any degree of coordination among those
agencies, that;
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h. Enhanced coordination reduces duplication,
eliminates inefficiencies, and enhances service delivery
for the consumer, that;
i. 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., and that;
j. The OCA specifies that CDA shall ensure that
programs and services provided through the Older
Americans Act and the Older Californians Act in each
planning and service area are available to all older
adults regardless of physical or mental disabilities,
language barriers, cultural or social isolation,
including that caused by actual or perceived racial and
ethnic status, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex,
gender, identity, marital status, familial status, sexual
orientation, or by any other basis set forth in Section
12921 of the Government Code, or by association with a
person or persons with one or more of these actual or
perceived characteristics, that restrict an individual's
ability to perform normal daily tasks or that threaten
his or her capacity to live independently.
3)By Presidential Proclamation, designates May as Older
American's Month, and establishes a theme for 2015; "Get into
the Act" to assure the benefits of community living become a
reality for more "senior" Americans, and to promote healthy
aging, increased community involvement, and to tackle
important issues like the prevention of elder abuse.
FISCAL EFFECT: This measure has not yet been analyzed by a
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fiscal committee.
COMMENTS:
Author's Statement: "The 50th anniversary of the Older
Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 warrants formal recognition by the
legislative body of California. AJR 8 would affirm the
important role the OAA has played in the lives of older
Americans throughout our nation and in our state. It will also
memorialize Congress to reauthorize the Act.
"Congress passed the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965 in
response to concerns 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.
"During the past 50 years, the OAA has been instrumental in
contributing to the well-being of millions of older Americans.
More importantly, the Act has improved the quality of life for
some 4.5 million older Californians and has helped the neediest
of our seniors; however, over the past ten years state funding
for senior programs within the OAA has been slashed.
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"Since 2004, approximately $25 million has been cut, resulting
in the elimination or dramatic reduction of critical
community-based programs and services provided through the
state's Area Agencies on Aging, including the Alzheimer's Day
Care Resource Centers, Senior Companion, Linkages, Respite Care,
Brown Bag, Caregiver Resource Centers, and the Long-term Care
Ombudsman.
"The state's older population is on the rise. The AoA projects
that, in 2030, there will be approximately 72.1 million older
persons in the United States; which is more than twice the
number of seniors that were counted in 2000. People aged 65 or
older represented 12.4% of the population in the year 2000 but
are expected to be 19% of the population by 2030. The Older
Americans Act is needed more than ever in order to bring
attention to senior issues and prepare for the 'silver
tsunami'."
Background: The author underscores the current demographic
realities for the state of California which indicates that for
about the next 14 years, roughly 1,000 people in the state will
turn 65 each day. Life-spans continue to be extended, and
health care advances continue to reduce risk of conditions that
once contributed to shorter life-spans. The 65+ cohort is
currently growing at a rate about three-times that of those
under age 65. This phenomenon will continue until the 65+
population reaches about 24% of the total population around
2050. Today, the 65+ population represents about 12.5% of the
population, and stands at about 5.1 million people. Within 10
years, those over the age of 65 will represent about 18% of the
population. Supporting the needs of elders during the next
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several decades remains a concern. Nonetheless, numerous
reports, hearings, and legislative proposals have pointed out
the inadequacies of California's patchwork of long-term care
(LTC) programs, services, and policies to support a growing
cohort of older people. The combination of fragmented
jurisdictions which places the programs that seniors need under
the direction of multiple administrators all of whom operate
under separate authorities and mandates, coupled with resource
constraints, and programmatic overlap, diffused accountability,
creates the impression that a great deal of work is being
performed, but the degree to which the same amount of work could
be done with focused leadership, coordination and accountability
remains untested. Absent substantial reform of the state's
aging and long-term care system, the costs of
over-institutionalization, lost productivity, and degraded
quality of life will remain the hallmark of California's efforts
to serve older people.
The state's economic recovery offers an opportunity to address
an unanswered call to action to build an LTC infrastructure that
meets the needs of aging and disabled adults, as well as those
who care for them. The data are clear that a crisis is
potentially eminent: adults age 65 and older currently comprise
12.5% of California's population, with projections showing that
almost 20% of the population will be over age 65 in 2030.
Previous Legislation:
SCR 84 (Alquist/Resolution Chapter 54, Statutes of 2006). This
resolution recognized the month of May 2006 as Older Americans
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Month.
ACR 36 (Wayne, et.al./Resolution Chapter 17, Statutes of 1999).
This resolution declared the month of May 1999 as Older
Californians Month.
ACR 192 (Zettle, et. al./Resolution Chapter 75, Statutes of
2002) Declared the month of
May 2002 as Elder Abuse Prevention Month in California.
ACR 94 (Berg, et.al./Resolution Chapter 47, Statutes of 2003).
This resolution declared the month of May 2003 as Older
Americans Month.
ACR 226 (Berg/Resolution Chapter 86, Statutes of 2004). This
resolution declared the month of May 2004 as Older Americans
Month.
ACR 111 (Huffman, Berg/Resolution Chapter 34, Statutes of 2008)
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Recognized the month of May 2008 as Senior Volunteer Month to
honor the contributions of California senior volunteers.
ACR 78 (Galgiani/Resolution Chapter 116, Statutes of 2011).
This resolution declared the month of November 2011 as
California Senior Center Month
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A) -
Co-Sponsor
California Association of Public Authorities for IHSS (CAPA) -
Co-Sponsor
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
California Assisted Living Association (CALA)
California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association (CLTCOA)
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California PACE Association (CalPACE)
California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Robert MacLaughlin / AGING & L.T.C. / (916)
319-3990