Amended in Assembly April 25, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 13, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2301


Introduced by Assembly Member Chu

February 18, 2016


An act to add and repeal Section 15656.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to residential care facilities for the elderly.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2301, as amended, Chu. Residential care facilities for the elderly: elder abuse.

Existing law, the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act, provides for the licensure of residential care facilities for the elderly by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law establishes rights for residents of residential care facilities for the elderly, including the right to contact the department or the long-term care ombudsman, or both, regarding grievances. Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, establishes various procedures for the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of elder and dependent adult abuse.

This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency, on or before January 1, 2020, to file a report to the Legislature regardingbegin delete the manner in whichend deletebegin insert howend insert each county in the state invests in andbegin delete conducts services that train and equipend deletebegin insert trains and equipsend insert law enforcement officers to identify and investigate instances of elder abuse in long-term care and assisted living facilities within their jurisdiction, as specified.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

Section 15656.5 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code
, to read:

3

15656.5.  

(a) On or before January 1, 2020, the California
4Health and Human Services Agency shall file a report to the
5Legislature regardingbegin delete the manner in whichend deletebegin insert howend insert each county in the
6state invests in andbegin delete conducts services that train and equipend deletebegin insert trains
7and equipsend insert
law enforcement officers to identify and investigate
8instances of elder abuse in long-term care and assisted living
9facilities within their jurisdictions.

10(b) The report filed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include,
11but not be limited to, the following information for each county:

12(1) The size and scope of the county’s long-term care
13ombudsman program.

14(2) Whether or not the county sheriff’s department maintains
15an elder abuse task force or a resource officer trained and equipped
16to investigate elder abuse cases or coordinates with the county
17long-term care ombudsman on elder abuse investigations and the
18way in which these programs are funded.

19(3) Howbegin delete proactive the county’send deletebegin insert frequently and which countyend insert
20 programs arebegin delete at engagingend deletebegin insert able to engageend insert with long-term care
21begin delete facilities and conducting services,end deletebegin insert facilities,end insert including, but not
22limited to,begin delete routine check-ins with facility managers and residents.end delete
23
begin insert periodic visits to facilities.end insert

24(4) Whether or not the county’s elder abuse task force or
25designated resource officer, if any,begin delete hasend deletebegin insert makesend insert contact information
26available to long-term care facilities and their residents.

27(c) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a)
28shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
29Government Code.

30(2) Pursuant to Sectionbegin delete 9795end deletebegin insert 10231.5end insert of the Government Code,
31this section is repealed on January 1, 2024.



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