BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1744
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Date of Hearing: April 30, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1744 (Brown) - As Amended: April 8, 2014
Policy Committee: Aging and
Long-Term CareVote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Department of Aging to convene
a 12-member panel, comprised of individuals with specified
qualifications, to study and make recommendations about family
caregiving and long-term services and supports. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires the panel to:
a) Address numerous issues related to family caregiving.
b) Develop at least three legislative recommendations to
improve the provision of services for unpaid and family
caregivers in California.
c) Report to the Legislature by July 1, 2016.
d) Provide ongoing advice and assistance to the department
and the Legislature as to the needs and priorities of
unpaid and relative caregivers.
1)Specifies that members serve without compensation, but receive
reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses actually
incurred in the performance of their official duties.
2)Specifies the panel shall be jointly chaired by the director
of the department and one other person, and that all decisions
regarding the expenditure of state funds shall be made by the
department representative.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)One-time GF costs to the Department of Aging to support the
study and report in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.
AB 1744
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2)Ongoing minor GF costs, likely under $50,000, to provide staff
support and travel reimbursement for panel activities.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . The author indicates this bill is needed to
inventory, assess, and report on the status of existing
caregiver programs and resources. Family caregiving is fairly
common, with about 30% of US adults in 2009 providing care to
someone who is ill, disabled, or aged. It will likely grow
even more common, with the over-65 population projected to
more than double between the years 2000 and 2030. Research
shows caregiving takes a significant emotional, physical, and
economic toll on caregivers. Without a comprehensive statewide
study of the issue, it is difficult to identify how the state
can best support caregivers.
2)Staff Comments . As drafted, it appears as though the intent of
this bill is for the panel to perform a one-time assessment
and make recommendations via a report to the Legislature.
However, the bill also requires the panel to provide ongoing
technical assistance to the department and to the Legislature
on the "needs of?caregivers." In contrast with the richly
specified one-time duties of the panel, the ongoing
expectations for the committee are poorly specified.
In addition, the bill requires "all decisions regarding the
expenditure of state funds [to] be made by the department
representative." The intent of this provision is unclear-does
it refer to spending for the purposes of operating the panel?
Does it refer to expenditure proposals to effectuate the
recommendations of the panel? Appropriate department
personnel currently make fiscal decisions within the legal
authority granted to them, through continuous or annual budget
appropriations. The department representative appointed to
the panel may or may not be a person in a position to make
decisions regarding the expenditure of state funds. In any
case, nothing in current law or in this bill would grant
non-state participants on the panel authority to make
decisions related to the expenditure of state funds. This
provision should be clarified or deleted.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
AB 1744
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