SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The California Department of Aging was established as the state entity responsible for administration of the programs provided by the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act (OCA). The OCA authorized California-specific programs serving older adults in their homes and communities.
(2) Over the decades since its enactment, the OCA has evolved to reflect the changing population and emerging service delivery needs. Despite these amendments, however, the OCA still contains several outdated sections with language that needs updating to reflect the changing paradigms in service delivery.
(3) The California Department of Aging administers a number of programs in addition to those authorized through the OCA, including the community-based services programs, the Multipurpose Senior Services Program, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and the Aging and Disability Resource Connection program.
(4) In addition to the California Department of Aging, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Rehabilitation, and the State Department of Social Services are responsible for delivering a range of services to California’s older adults and people with disabilities, yet often with duplication and without administrative efficiency. At the state level, there is no overarching leadership structure with responsibility for system planning to meet the needs of this population. Many departments operate in a fragmented fashion, often with little data sharing and policy development across programs. This fragmentation impacts the ability to deliver services in a coordinated, streamlined fashion.
(5) For years, state policymakers have called for structural reorganization of the California Department of Aging. Restructuring proposals, including those offered by the Little Hoover Commission (1996 and 2011), the California Performance Review (2004), the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care (2006), and the Senate Select Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care (2015), have not been implemented.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish a California Department of Community Living with the goal of building a more efficient delivery system for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers that strengthens access to home- and community-based services to enable Californians to live with dignity and independence in the setting of their choice.