BILL NUMBER: AB 324	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 24, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 1, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 28, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Beall
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Yamada)
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Liu)
   (  Coauthor:   Assembly Member 
 Bonnie Lowenthal   Coauthors:  
Assembly Members   Bonnie Lowenthal,   Ma, 
 and Salas  )
   (Coauthors: Senators Hancock, Wiggins,  and Wolk 
 Wolk,   and Yee  )

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2009

   An act to amend  Sections 9002, 9014, 9100, 9102, 9400,
and 9545   , repeal, and add Sections 9100 and 9400
 of, and to add  Section 9009 to,   and
repeal Sections 9009 and 9400.5 of,  the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to aging  , and making an
appropriation therefor  .



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 324, as amended, Beall. Aging: Elder Economic Security Standard
Index.
   Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, creates
the California Department of Aging, with prescribed duties  ,
including the development of the state plan on aging  .
   This bill would require the department  , beginning in
2010, to annually update the Elder Economic Security Standard Index
(Elder Index), as defined, for each county. This bill would require
the department to use the Elder Index to make prescribed calculations
and analyses relating to elders living below the Elder Index's
poverty threshold. This bill would permit the department to contract
with the office of the President of the University of California to
carry out these requirements. This bill would also require the
department  to report  Elder Index  data
 to   from the Elder Economic Security Standard
Index (Elder Index), as defined, for  each service area included
in the state plan.
   Existing law requires each area agency on aging to create a plan
 for its planning and service area  that considers available
data and population trends, assesses the need for services,
identifies sources of funding for services, and develops and
implements a plan for the delivery of services based on the need.
   This bill would also require that the plan utilize the Elder
Index, specify the cost of meeting basic needs for elders in each
planning and service area, and identify which elders are living at or
below the Elder Index  , as prescribed  . 
   This bill would request that the University of California take the
necessary actions to update the Elder Index and provide it to area
agencies on aging for purposes of developing the area plans. This
bill would establish the California Elder Economic Security Standard
Index Fund, to be composed of private donations, which would be
continuously appropriated to the department for its administrative
costs and for allocation to the University of California for purposes
of updating the Elder Index, as specified. The bill would require
the Director of Finance to determine, in writing, whether sufficient
funds are available for the costs of updating the Elder Index, as
specified. The area agencies on aging would not be required to
develop the specified plan requirements if the University of
California declines to update the Elder Index.  
   This bill would repeal the provisions of this bill on the date
that the Director of Finance determines that sufficient moneys from
private donations are not available in the fund for expenditure for
purposes of updating the Elder Index.  
   Under existing law, the department allocates funds to area
agencies on aging to implement various programs, with allocations to
be made in accordance with a prescribed funding formula. Under
existing law, the Linkages Program, a community-based services
program, provides care and case management services to frail elderly
and functionally impaired adults to help prevent or delay placement
in nursing facilities.  
   This bill would also require area agencies on aging to annually
update the intake form for the Linkages Program to include the most
current Elder Index, in order to identify elders in economic need and
refer these elders to other appropriate resources and programs.

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


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
   
  SECTION 1.    This act shall be known, and may be
cited, as the Elder Economic Dignity Act of 2009.  
  SEC. 2.    Section 9002 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9002.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) Programs shall be initiated, promoted, and developed through
all of the following:
   (1) Volunteers and volunteer groups.
   (2) Partnership with local governmental agencies.
   (3) Coordinated efforts of state agencies.
   (4) Coordination and cooperation with federal programs.
   (5) Partnership with private health and social service agencies.
   (6) Participation by older individuals in the planning and
operation of all programs and services that may affect them.
   (b) It shall be the policy of this state to give attention to the
unique concerns of our most frail and vulnerable older individuals.
   (c) Recognizing the diversity in geography, economy, culture, and
lifestyles in California and the diversity of local senior citizen
networks, it shall be the policy of this state to encourage and
emphasize local control to achieve the most effective blend of state
and local authority.
   (d) In recognition of the many governmental programs serving
seniors, and as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of
Section 9102, the California Department of Aging should coordinate,
as existing resources permit, with other state departments in doing
all of the following:
   (1) Promote clear and simplified access to information assistance
and services arrangements.
   (2) Ensure that older individuals retain the right of free choice
in planning and managing their lives.
   (3) Ensure that health and social services are available that do
all of the following:
   (A) Allow older individuals to live independently at home or with
others.
   (B) Provide for advocacy for expansion of existing programs that
prevent or minimize illness or social isolation, and allow
individuals to maximize their dignity and choice of living.
   (C) Provide for protection of older individuals from physical and
mental abuse, neglect, and fraudulent practices.
   (4) Foster both preventive and primary health care, including
mental and physical health care, to keep older individuals active and
contributing members of society.
   (5) Encourage public and private development of suitable housing.
   (6) Develop and seek support for plans to ensure access to
information, counseling, and screening.
   (7) Encourage public and private development of suitable housing
and recreational opportunities to meet the needs of older
individuals.
   (8) Encourage development of efficient community services
including access to low-cost transportation services, that provide a
choice in supported living arrangements and social assistance in a
coordinated manner and that are readily available when needed.
   (9) Encourage and develop meaningful employment opportunities for
older individuals.
   (10) Encourage the development of barrier-free construction and
the removal of architectural barriers, so that more facilities are
accessible to older individuals.
   (11) Promote development of programs to educate persons who work
with older individuals in gerontology and geriatrics.
   (12) Encourage and support intergenerational programming and
participation by community organizations and institutions to promote
better understanding among the generations.
   (e) The California Department of Aging shall ensure that, to the
extent possible, the services provided for in accordance with this
division shall be coordinated and integrated with services provided
to older individuals by other entities of the state. That integration
may include, but not be limited to, the reconfiguration of state
departments into a coordinated unit that can provide for multiple
services to the same consumers. Services provided under this division
shall be managed, directly or through contract, by local area
agencies on aging or other local systems. 
   SEC. 3.   SECTION 1.   Section 9009 is
added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
   9009.   (a)    "Elder Economic Security Standard
Index" means an index that quantifies the costs that elders face in
meeting their basic needs, including, but not limited to, food,
shelter, health care, transportation, utilities, and essential
household items, in the private market. It is derived by applying the
existing publicly available methodology, developed by  the
 Wider Opportunities for Women and  Gerontology
Institute   the Gerontology Institute at the University
of   Massachusetts, Boston  , to publicly available
data sources on the costs to live in each county of the state. 
   (b) This section shall remain in effect only until the date that
Section 9400.5 is repealed, and as of that date is repealed. 

  SEC. 4.    Section 9014 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9014.  "Greatest economic need" means the need resulting from an
income level at or below the thresholds established by the Elder
Economic Security Standard Index. 
   SEC. 5.   SEC. 2.   Section 9100 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9100.  (a) There is in the Health and Welfare Agency the
California Department of Aging.
   (b) The department's mission shall be to provide leadership to the
area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and
community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes
or least restrictive homelike environments.
   (c) In fulfilling its mission, the department shall develop
minimum standards for service delivery to ensure that its programs
meet consumer needs, operate in a cost-effective manner, and preserve
the independence and dignity of aging Californians. In accomplishing
its mission, the department shall consider available data and
population trends in developing programs and policies, collaborate
with area agencies on aging, the commission, and other state and
local agencies, and consider the views of advocates, consumers and
their families, and service providers. The department shall also
report the Elder Economic Security Standard Index data for each
service area in its state plan.
   (d) The minimum standards for its programs shall ensure that the
system meets all of the following requirements:
   (1) Have the flexibility to respond to the needs of individuals,
their families and caregivers.
   (2) Provide for consumer choice and self-determination.
   (3) Enable consumers to be involved in designing and monitoring
the system.
   (4) Be equally accessible to diverse populations regardless of
income, consistent with existing state and federal law.
   (5) Have consistent statewide policy, with local control and
implementation.
   (6) Include preventive services and home- and community-based
support.
   (7) Have cost containment and fiscal incentives consistent with
the delivery of appropriate services at the appropriate level. 
   (e) This section shall remain in effect only until the date that
Section 9400.5 is repealed, and as of that date is repealed. 
   SEC. 3.    Section 9100 is added to the  
Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:  
   9100.  (a) There is in the Health and Welfare Agency the
California Department of Aging.
   (b) The department's mission shall be to provide leadership to the
area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and
community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes
or least restrictive homelike environments.
   (c) In fulfilling its mission, the department shall develop
minimum standards for service delivery to ensure that its programs
meet consumer needs, operate in a cost-effective manner, and preserve
the independence and dignity of aging Californians. In accomplishing
its mission, the department shall consider available data and
population trends in developing programs and policies, collaborate
with area agencies on aging, the commission, and other state and
local agencies, and consider the views of advocates, consumers and
their families, and service providers.
   (d) The minimum standards for its programs shall ensure that the
system meets all of the following requirements:
   (1) Have the flexibility to respond to the needs of individuals,
their families and caregivers.
   (2) Provide for consumer choice and self-determination.
   (3) Enable consumers to be involved in designing and monitoring
the system.
   (4) Be equally accessible to diverse populations regardless of
income, consistent with existing state and federal law.
   (5) Have consistent statewide policy, with local control and
implementation.
   (6) Include preventive services and home- and community-based
support.
   (7) Have cost containment and fiscal incentives consistent with
the delivery of appropriate services at the appropriate level.
   (e) This section shall become operative on the date that Section
9400.5 is repealed.  
  SEC. 6.    Section 9102 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9102.  The duties and powers of the department shall be:
   (a) To administer all programs under the Older Americans Act of
1965, as amended, and this division, including providing ongoing
oversight, monitoring, and service quality evaluation to ensure that
service providers are meeting standards of service performance
established by the department. This shall include, but is not limited
to, all of the following:
   (1) Setting program standards and providing standard materials for
training.
   (2) Providing technical assistance to area agencies on aging,
program managers, staff, and volunteers providing services.
   (3) Development of the state plan on aging according to federal
law.
   (4) Maintain a clearinghouse of information related to the
interests and needs of older individuals and provide referral
services, if appropriate.
   (5) Maintain a management information and reporting system;
including a database on service utilization patterns and demographic
characteristics of the older population to be cross-classified by
age, sex, race, and other information required for the planning
process, and eliminate redundant and unnecessary reporting
requirements.
   (6) Encourage and support the involvement of volunteers in
services to older individuals.
   (7) Seek ways to utilize the private sector to assume greater
responsibility in meeting the needs of older individuals.
   (8) Encourage internships to be coordinated with schools of
gerontology or related disciplines, including internships for older
individuals.
   (b) The department shall have primary responsibility for
information received and dispersed to the area agencies on aging.
   (c) The department shall be responsible for activities that
promote the development, coordination, and utilization of resources
to meet the long-term care needs of older individuals, consistent
with its mission. The responsibilities shall include, but not be
limited to, all of the following:
   (1) Conduct research in the areas of alternative social and health
care systems for older individuals.
   (2) As specified in Section 9002, coordinate with agencies and
departments that administer health, social, and related services for
the purposes of policy development, development of care standards,
consistency in application of policy, evaluation of alternative uses
of available resources toward greater effectiveness in service
delivery, including seeking additional federal and private dollars to
support achievement of program goals, and ensure ongoing response to
the identified special needs of the chronically impaired to provide
support that maximizes their level of functioning.
   (3) Monitor and evaluate programs and services administered by the
department, utilizing standardized methodology.
   (4) Develop and implement training and technical assistance
programs designed to achieve program goals.
   (5) Establish criteria for the designation, sanctioning, and
defunding of area agencies on aging.
   (d) In conjunction with the management information and reporting
system required under paragraph (5) of subdivision (a), beginning in
the 2006 calendar year, the department shall annually submit by
January 10 of each year, to the budget, fiscal, and policy committees
of the Legislature, and the Legislative Analyst, all of the
following information:
   (1) The number of persons served statewide in each of the prior
and current fiscal years for each state or federally funded program
or service administered by the department. This information shall
also be provided for each area agency on aging service area.
   (2) To the extent feasible, the number of unduplicated persons
served statewide in the prior and current fiscal years for all state
or federally funded programs and services administered by the
department. To the extent feasible, this information shall also be
provided for each area agency on aging service area.
   (3) Total estimated statewide expenditures in the prior, current,
and budget fiscal years for each state or federally funded program or
service administered by the department. This information shall also
be provided for each area agency on aging service area.
   (e) The report required by subdivision (d) shall be suspended
until the 2010-11 fiscal year. In lieu of that information, the
department shall submit to the budget, fiscal, and policy committees
of the Legislature, and the Legislative Analyst, by March 1 of each
year, copies of the program factsheets for each state and federal
program administered by the department. The department shall update
the information included in the program factsheets annually, before
submitting them as required by this subdivision.
   (f) The department shall annually, beginning in the 2010 calendar
year, update the Elder Economic Security Standard Index for each
county in the state, using the methodology developed for the 2008
Elder Economic Security Standard Index. The department shall
annually, beginning in the 2010 calendar year, calculate the number,
percentage, and demographic profile of elders living below the
updated Elder Economic Security Standard Index for that year by
utilizing the most recent demographic data available. The department
shall analyze the number and percentage of elders living below the
updated Elder Economic Security Standard Index for that year by
county, race, ethnicity, gender, age, housing situation, and other
relevant demographic factors. The department may contract with the
office of the President of the University of California for purposes
of carrying out the requirements of this subdivision. 
   SEC. 7.   SEC. 4.   Section 9400 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9400.  (a) The Legislature hereby declares and recognizes the area
agencies on aging to be the local units on aging in California that
are supported from an array of sources, including federal funding
largely through the federal Older Americans Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3001,
et seq.), state and local government assistance, the private sector,
and individual contributions for services.
   (b) Area agencies on aging shall operate in compliance with the
Older Americans Act and applicable regulations.
   (c) Each area agency on aging shall maintain a professional staff
that is supplemented by volunteers, governed by a board of directors
or elected officials, and whose activities are reviewed by an
advisory council consisting primarily of older individuals from the
community.
   (d)  (1)    Each area agency on aging shall
create a plan that considers available data and population trends,
 utilizes the Elder Economic Security Standard Index,
specifies the costs of meeting basic needs for elders in each
planning and service area, identifies which elders are living at or
below the Elder Economic Security Standard Index,  assesses
the needs for services provided under this division reflective of the
community needs, identifies sources for funding those services, and
develops and implements a plan for delivery of those services based
on those needs. Each plan shall include developing area home- and
community-based systems of care that maintain individuals in their
own homes or least restrictive environment, providing better access
to these services through information and referral, outreach, and
transportation, and advocating for the elderly on local, state, and
national levels. 
   (2) Each plan shall utilize the Elder Economic Security Standard
Index, specify the costs of meeting basic needs for elders in each
planning and service area, and identify which elders are living at or
below the Elder Economic Security Standard Index. The requirements
of this paragraph shall be implemented only upon receipt by the area
agencies on aging of the updated Elder Economic Security Standard
Index pursuant to Section 9400.5. 
   (e) Area agencies on aging shall function as the community link at
the local level for development of home- and community-based
services provided under the department's programs.
   (f) The area agencies on aging shall implement subdivision (b) of
Section 9100 at the local level, with particular emphasis on
coordinating with the local systems to enable individuals to live out
their lives with maximum independence and dignity in their own homes
and communities through the development of comprehensive and
coordinated systems of home- and community-based care. Nothing in
this division shall preclude local determination and designation of
service coordinators other than area agencies on aging, for
development and implementation of the long-term care integration
pilot projects set forth in Article 4.05 (commencing with Section
14139.05) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9.
   (g) In fulfilling their mission, area agencies on aging shall
build upon the resources and the commitment unique to each community
and shall be guided by a 10-point description of a community-based
system that shall do all of the following:
   (1) Have a visible focal point of contact where anyone can go or
call for help, information, or referral on any aging issue.
   (2) Provide a range of service options.
   (3) Ensure that these options are readily accessible to all older
individuals, whether independent, semi-independent, or totally
dependent, no matter what their income.
   (4) Include a commitment of public, private, and voluntary
resources committed to supporting the system.
   (5) Involve collaborative decisionmaking among public, private,
voluntary, religious, and fraternal organizations, as well as older
individuals and consumers in the community.
   (6) Offer special help or targeted resources for the most
vulnerable older individuals, those in danger of losing their
independence.
   (7) Provide effective referral from agency to agency to ensure
that information or assistance is received, no matter how or where
contact is made in the community.
   (8) Evidence sufficient flexibility to respond with appropriate
individualized assistance, especially for the vulnerable older
individuals.
   (9) Have a unique character that is tailored to the specific
nature of the community.
   (10) Be directed by leaders in the community who have the respect,
capacity, and authority necessary to convene all interested persons
to assess needs, design solutions, track overall success, stimulate
change, and plan community responses for the present and for the
future. 
   (h) This section shall remain in effect only until the date that
Section 9400.5 is repealed, and as of that date is repealed. 
   SEC. 5.    Section 9400 is added to the  
Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:  
   9400.  (a) The Legislature hereby declares and recognizes the area
agencies on aging to be the local units on aging in California that
are supported from an array of sources, including federal funding
largely through the federal Older Americans Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3001,
et seq.), state and local government assistance, the private sector,
and individual contributions for services.
   (b) Area agencies on aging shall operate in compliance with the
Older Americans Act and applicable regulations.
   (c) Each area agency on aging shall maintain a professional staff
that is supplemented by volunteers, governed by a board of directors
or elected officials, and whose activities are reviewed by an
advisory council consisting primarily of older individuals from the
community.
   (d) Each area agency on aging shall create a plan that considers
available data and population trends, assesses the needs for services
provided under this division reflective of the community needs,
identifies sources for funding those services, and develops and
implements a plan for delivery of those services based on those
needs. Each plan shall include developing area home- and
community-based systems of care that maintain individuals in their
own homes or least restrictive environment, providing better access
to these services through information and referral, outreach, and
transportation, and advocating for the elderly on local, state, and
national levels.
   (e) Area agencies on aging shall function as the community link at
the local level for development of home- and community-based
services provided under the department's programs.
   (f) The area agencies on aging shall implement subdivision (b) of
Section 9100 at the local level, with particular emphasis on
coordinating with the local systems to enable individuals to live out
their lives with maximum independence and dignity in their own homes
and communities through the development of comprehensive and
coordinated systems of home- and community-based care. Nothing in
this division shall preclude local determination and designation of
service coordinators other than area agencies on aging, for
development and implementation of the long-term care integration
pilot projects set forth in Article 4.05 (commencing with Section
14139.05) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9.
   (g) In fulfilling their mission, area agencies on aging shall
build upon the resources and the commitment unique to each community
and shall be guided by a 10-point description of a community-based
system that shall do all of the following:
   (1) Have a visible focal point of contact where anyone can go or
call for help, information, or referral on any aging issue.
   (2) Provide a range of service options.
   (3) Ensure that these options are readily accessible to all older
individuals, whether independent, semi-independent, or totally
dependent, no matter what their income.
   (4) Include a commitment of public, private, and voluntary
resources committed to supporting the system.
   (5) Involve collaborative decisionmaking among public, private,
voluntary, religious, and fraternal organizations, as well as older
individuals and consumers in the community.
   (6) Offer special help or targeted resources for the most
vulnerable older individuals, those in danger of losing their
independence.
   (7) Provide effective referral from agency to agency to ensure
that information or assistance is received, no matter how or where
contact is made in the community.
   (8) Evidence sufficient flexibility to respond with appropriate
individualized assistance, especially for the vulnerable older
individuals.
   (9) Have a unique character that is tailored to the specific
nature of the community.
   (10) Be directed by leaders in the community who have the respect,
capacity, and authority necessary to convene all interested persons
to assess needs, design solutions, track overall success, stimulate
change, and plan community responses for the present and for the
future.
   (h) This section shall become operative on the date that Section
9400.5 is repealed. 
   SEC. 6.    Section 9400.5 is added to the  
Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:  
   9400.5.  (a) The University of California is hereby requested to
take the necessary actions to update the Elder Economic Security
Standard Index and provide it to the area agencies on aging for
purposes of developing the area plan required by subdivision (d) of
Section 9400.
   (b) (1) The department may accept voluntary contributions, in cash
or in-kind, for allocation to the University of California
                                    to pay for the costs of updating
the Elder Economic Security Standard Index that will be used to
develop the elements of the area plan required by paragraph (2) of
subdivision (d) of Section 9400. These private donations shall be
deposited into the California Elder Economic Security Standard Index
Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury, which,
notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, is hereby
continuously appropriated to the department for administrative costs,
as provided for in subdivision (c), and for allocation to the
University of California for purposes of updating the Elder Economic
Security Standard Index that will be used by the area agencies on
aging to develop the elements of the area plan, required by paragraph
(2) of subdivision (d) of Section 9400.
   (2) No state funds shall be used for purposes of updating the
Elder Economic Security Standard Index. In addition, the department
shall not apply for grants or solicit private funds in order to pay
for the costs of updating the Elder Economic Security Standard Index.

   (c) The department's administration costs shall not exceed 5
percent of the moneys in the California Elder Economic Security
Standard Index Fund. Any costs incurred by the department pursuant to
this section prior to the deposit of moneys into the fund shall be
reimbursed to the department from moneys in the fund.
   (d) (1) Six months prior to the date next immediately following
January 1, 2010, that an area agency on aging is required to submit
the four-year area plan required pursuant to subdivision (d) of
Section 9400 to the department and every four years thereafter, the
Director of Finance shall determine, in writing, whether there are
sufficient moneys from private donations available in the fund for
expenditure for purposes of updating the Elder Economic Security
Standard Index. If sufficient moneys are available, then the
department shall allocate the moneys in the fund to the University of
California to pay for the costs of updating the Elder Economic
Security Standard Index.
   (2) If the University of California declines to update the Elder
Economic Security Standard Index pursuant to this section, then the
area agencies on aging shall not be required, for purposes of
creating that four-year area plan, to comply with paragraph (2) of
subdivision (d) of Section 9400.
   (3) If the Director of Finance determines that sufficient moneys
are not available, then the amount in the fund shall be immediately
distributed to the contributors and the fund shall cease to exist
thereafter.
   (4) The Director of Finance shall submit a copy of his or her
determination made pursuant to this subdivision to the Chief Clerk of
the Assembly and to the Secretary of the Senate.
   (e) This section shall remain in effect only until the date that
the Director of Finance determines, pursuant to paragraph (3) of
subdivision (d), that sufficient moneys from private donations are
not available in the fund for expenditure for purposes of updating
the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, and as of that date is
repealed.  
  SEC. 8.    Section 9545 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
   9545.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of
the Linkages Program shall be to provide care and case management
services to frail elderly and functionally impaired adults to help
prevent or delay placement in nursing facilities. For purposes of
this section, "care or case management" means all of the following:
   (1) As appropriate, ongoing care or case management to frail
elderly and functionally impaired adults to help prevent or delay
placement in nursing facilities.
   (2) Client assessment, in conjunction with the development of a
service plan with the participant and other appropriate persons, to
provide for needs identified by the assessment.
   (3) Authorization and arrangement for the purchase of services, or
referral, with followup, to volunteer, informal, or third-party
payer services. Contractors shall maximize to the fullest extent
possible the use of existing services resources before using program
funds to purchase services for clients. Any benefits received as a
result of these purchases either shall not be considered income for
purposes of programs provided for under Division 9 (commencing with
Section 10000) or shall not be considered an alternative resource
pursuant to Section 12301.
   (4) Service and participant monitoring to determine that the
services obtained are appropriate to need, of acceptable quality, and
provided in a timely manner.
   (5) Follow up with clients, including periodic contact and
initiation of an interim assessment, if deemed necessary, prior to
scheduled reassessment.
   (6) Assistance to older individuals entering or returning home
from nursing facilities and who need help to make the transition.
   (7) Comprehensive and timely information, when necessary, to
individuals and their families about the availability of community
resources, to assist functionally impaired adults and the frail
elderly to maintain the maximum independence permitted by their
functional ability.
   (8) Short-term specialized assistance, including timely one-time
only assistance in securing community resources, counseling, and the
arrangement of an action plan, when there is a temporary probable
threat to the ability of the frail elderly person or functionally
impaired adult to remain in the most independent living arrangement
permitted by his or her functional ability.
   (b) Area agencies on aging shall be required to annually update
the Linkages Program intake form to include the most current Elder
Economic Security Standard Index, as adopted by the department
pursuant to Section 9102, in order to identify elders in economic
need and to refer these elders to other resources and programs.
   (c) Contractors of the Linkages Program shall have experience in
community long-term care services and capability to serve the frail
elderly and functionally impaired adults, and where applicable,
ensure separateness of the programs and demonstrate protective
measures to avoid conflict of interest.
   (d) Contractors of the Linkages Program shall have a systematic
means of capturing and reporting all required community-based
services program data.
   (e) (1) Each county shall deposit funds collected pursuant to
Section 1465.5 of the Penal Code in its general fund, to be available
for use only for the support of services provided under this chapter
in that county, including county administrative costs not exceeding
10 percent of the funds collected, except as otherwise provided in
this subdivision. A county may join with other counties to establish
and fund a program of services under this chapter.
   (2) Funds utilized pursuant to this section shall not supplant, be
offset against, or in any way reduce funds otherwise appropriated
for the support of services provided under this chapter. 
   SEC. 9.   SEC. 7.   Nothing in this act
shall be construed to mandate changes in the current funding
allocations to area agencies on aging made pursuant to subparagraph
(A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 9112 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
   SEC. 8.    Nothing in this act shall be construed,
based on the use of the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, to
affect means-tested programs administered through the Mello-Granlund
Older Californians Act.