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CSL
California Senior Legislature selects priorities
by Thea Gast

In mid-October, the California Senior Legislature (CSL) held its 20th annual Legislative Session at the State Capitol in Sacramento. As a very new assembly member, I was eager to see who was involved and how the work was done. To my great satisfaction, I found a diverse group. Unlike the "real" legislature, there were almost as many women as men. There were blacks, Asians, Latinos and disabled. It was a lively and colorfiulassemblage.

The work consisted of becoming familiar with 101 proposals, amending and voting on them in committees and then selecting ten state and four federal proposals for which to advocate. As about 76 percent of CSL legislation becomes law, these proposals are significant.

Our Humboldt-Del Norte Area Agency Advisory Council chose five of the proposals to which it wishes to give special attention. One of them - Medicare Coverage for Mental Health - was co-sponsored by CSL Senator Mary Dennison. Next year, both Mary and I will present proposals. Please tell us about problems that you think could be remedied through legislation. This is how proposals begin. We will appreciate hearing from you.
The AAA Advisory Council selected three state proposals and two federal proposals to emphasize this year: AP-30 (Assembly Proposal), Financial Institution Mandated Reporters of Elder Abuse; AP-53, State Mental Health to employ a fulltime geriatric physician; SP-61 (Senate Proposal), Public Transportation Funding; AFP-4 (Assembly Federal Proposal) Retired Teacher's Social Security; and AFP-10, Medicare Coverage for Mental Health. (See details below.)

Top 10 state proposals

o AP-27 Senior Housing on Decommissioned Military Bases. Establishes the California Temporary Military Affordable Housing Authority to examine and select housing units on decommissioned military bases for renovation and leasing as affordable senior housing.

o AP-30 Financial Institution Mandated Reporters of Elder Abuse. Includes bank, savings and loan, or credit union officers, trustees, or employees as mandated reporters of elder or dependent adult abuse.

o AP-35 EZ Tax Form and Tax Rate for Seniors. Allows people with income from interest, dividends, pensions, and capital gains to use the California 540EZ tax form, increases the current income limit for using the form, and limits the tax rate for those using the form.

o AP-37 Older Person Access to Physicians. Requires health care service plans to allow older patients access to medical services of any state-licensed health care professionals of their choice whether they are under contract to the plan or not.

o AP-53 Mental Health. Requires the State Department of Mental Health to employ a full time physician with geriatric experience to provide advice to counties regarding their mental health care systems.

o SP-61 Public Transportation Funding and Provisioning. Revises the funding criterion for rural and nonurbanized areas based on population densities, requires improvements in the identification of transportation needs, and requires clarification of needs "not reasonable to meet."

o SP-71 Congregate and Home-Delivered Meals Program Funding. Increases the cost of a certified copy of a death record and allocates the funds to Area Agencies on Aging nutritional programs.

o SP-78 California Senior Legislature Funding. Establishes permanent funding for the California Senior Legislature through a tax of .01 percent imposed on the taxable income of seniors.

o SP-80 Long-Term Insurance Regulation. Requires Department of Insurance approval prior to rate changes for long-term insurance and mandates specified provisions regarding non-cancelable policies and renewability.

o SP-90 Alzheimer Nursing Home Caregiver Training. Establishes Alzheimer training and education requirements for skilled nursing facility and intermediate care facility staffs.

Federal proposals

o AFP-4 Retired Teacher's Social Security. Eliminates the discriminatory practice of "Offset Injustice" and ensures that all Social Security contributions made by a person are available at retirement.

o AFP-10 Medicare Coverage for Mental Health. Requires Medicare to reimburse physicians and outpatient mental health care at the same percentage rate as approved for other medical care.

o SFP-18 Social Security Dual-Entitlements. Reduces the offset in Social Security benefits faced by surviving spouses under the "dual-entitlement" provisions.
o SFP-19 Preserving Social Security. Requires that Social Security Trust Funds continue to be invested in treasury bonds and notes separate from funds subject to the Federal budget, and eliminates the current salary caps on earnings subject to Social Security taxes.

Thea Gast is California Senior Legislature Assembly Member, 822-4705. CSL Senator Mary Dennison can be reached at 442-3164.