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, certain provisions within the Natural Disaster Emergency Shelter Program, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program, and the California Emergency Services Act.
This bill would, as part of disaster planning and response, require a county, city, city and county, or any other applicable local jurisdiction 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. By creating new duties for local jurisdictions with regard to emergency shelters, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.