Bill Text: CA SB345 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 649, Statutes of 2012. [SB345 Detail]
Download: California-2011-SB345-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 649, Statutes of 2012. [SB345 Detail]
Download: California-2011-SB345-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 345 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Wolk FEBRUARY 15, 2011 An act to amend Section 9720 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 345, as introduced, Wolk. Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Existing law, as part of the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the California Department of Aging. Existing law provides for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under which funds are allocated to local ombudsman programs to assist elderly persons in long-term health care facilities and residential care facilities by, among other things, investigating and seeking to resolve complaints against these facilities. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 9720 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 9720. (a) The office shall investigate and seek to resolve complaints and concerns communicated by, or on behalf of, patients, residents, or clients of any long-term care facility. This requirement shall not preclude the referral of other individuals' complaints and concerns that a representative becomes aware are occurring in the facility to the appropriate governmental agency.Complaint investigationInvestigations of complaints shall be done in an objective manner to ascertain the pertinent facts. (b) At the conclusion of any investigation of a complaint, the findings shall be reported to the complainant. If the office does not investigate a complaint, the complainant shall be notified in writing of the decision not to investigate and the reasons for the decision.