SB 1249: Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act.

Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the California Department of Aging in the California Health and Human Services Agency and sets forth its mission 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 the least restrictive homelike environments. Existing law requires the department to designate various private nonprofit or public agencies as area agencies on aging to work within a planning and service area and provide a broad array of social and nutritional services. Existing law includes various findings and declarations relating to the purposes of the act.

This bill would update and revise those legislative findings and declarations, including recognizing the states major demographic shift towards an older, more diverse population and declaring the intent to reform provisions of the act related to various functions of the area agencies on aging. The bill would require the department, by September 30, 2026, to take various actions, including, among others, identifying the core programs and services to be provided to older adults and family caregivers, and developing a statewide consumer engagement plan. The bill would require the department to develop regulations that address specified topics relating to area agency on aging designations. The bill would require those deliverables to be informed by data from validated sources, which may include, among others, the United States Census.

This bill would also recast and revise various other provisions of the act, including by replacing use of the word senior and similar terminology with the term older adult. The bill would repeal obsolete provisions, such as the Senior Center Bond Act of 1984.

Existing law establishes the Senior Housing Information and Support Center within the department to serve as a clearinghouse for information for seniors and their families regarding available innovative resources and senior services, subject to appropriation for these purposes.

This bill would repeal the provisions establishing the Senior Housing Information and Support Center.