AB1989:v98#DOCUMENTBill Start
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 10, 2024
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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1989
Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis
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January 30, 2024 |
An act to add Section 9321 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1989, as amended, Mathis.
Senior legal services.
Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to establish a task force of certain members to study and make recommendations to the Legislature on the improvement of legal services delivery to senior citizens in California by exploring specified matters, including ways to ensure uniformity in the provision of legal services throughout the state and the possible establishment of a statewide legal hotline for seniors. Existing law requires the task force to report and make its recommendations to the Legislature on or before September 1, 2002.
This bill would require the department to establish a similar task force or to utilize an existing subcommittee, working group, task force, or committee to assess the implementation of the
recommendations made pursuant to the above-mentioned provisions, make additional recommendations by exploring the same matters explored by the initial task force, and to report the assessment and make its recommendations to the Legislature on or before September 1, 2026. 2026, either in a separate report or as part of an existing report. If the department creates a task force, the bill would require the director of the department to service on or appoint a representative, and would require the task force to include a broad array or state agencies and stakeholder organizations with resources and expertise related to elder justice initiative and legal services for older adults.
Digest Key
Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
YES
Local Program:
NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares that task force studies and recommendations are most effective if follow-up followup efforts are made to assess the implementation of the recommendations made by the task force.SEC. 2.
Section 9321 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:9321.
(a) The department shall establish a task force force, or utilize an existing subcommittee, working group, task force, or committee to do all of the following:(1) Assess the implementation of the recommendations made pursuant to Section 9320 regarding the improvement of legal services delivery to senior older citizens in California.
(2) Make additional recommendations by exploring the matters specified in subdivision (a) of Section 9320.
(3) Report the assessment and make its recommendations to the Legislature, in a separate report or as part of an existing report requirement, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on or before September 1, 2026.
(b) The If the department creates a task force pursuant to subdivision (a), the director shall serve on or appoint a representative to the task force, and shall appoint all of the following additional members:
force. The task force shall include a broad array of state agencies and stakeholder organizations with resources and expertise related to elder justice initiatives and legal services for older adults.
(1)One Member of the Legislature, or the Member’s representative. The Member of the Legislature, or the Member’s representative, shall serve on the task force to the extent that the service is compatible with the duties of a Member of the Legislature.
(2)Three legal service director representatives of existing legal service programs for seniors.
(3)The Legal Services Developer at the California Department of Aging.
(4)Two area agency on aging directors.
(5)Two representatives of senior advocacy organizations.
(6)A representative
of the State Bar of California.