Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes various programs that serve older individuals. The act requires the California Department of Aging to designate various private nonprofit or public agencies as area agencies on aging (AAAs) to work within a planning and service area and provide a broad array of social and nutritional services.
The act also establishes Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) programs to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs, with assistance to older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. Under the act, AAAs and independent living centers are the core local partners in developing ADRC programs.
Existing law sets forth various provisions relating to emergency shelters, including, among others, the California Emergency Services Act. Under the California Emergency Services Act, the State Emergency Plan is the official document approved by the Governor that describes the principles and methods to be applied in carrying out emergency operations or rendering mutual aid during emergencies. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to update the State Emergency Plan on or before January 1, 2019, and every 5 years thereafter. Existing law authorizes the Governor to assign to a state agency any activity concerned with the mitigation of the effects of an emergency of a nature related to the existing powers and duties of that agency, including sheltering support duties.
This bill would, as part of disaster planning and response, require the lead agency designated with sheltering support duties under the State Emergency Plan Emergency Support Functions to coordinate a memorandum of understanding with an AAA or an ADRC program to allow access by the AAA or the ADRC program to an emergency shelter, as defined, established for evacuation purposes during an active event, in order to ensure that older adults and persons with disabilities receive continuous services and necessary support.