The California Senior Legislature Unveils its Priorities

Chuck Molnar, Senior Corner: The Senior Legislature unveils its priorities
Article Launched: 02/24/2008

Many of you may not have heard of the California Senior Legislature. The California Senior Legislature is made up of volunteer members concerned about senior issues. They propose legislation at the state and federal level that would impact seniors favorably.
A representative of the California Senior Legislature, Sen. George "Bud" Winslow, keeps the Santa Cruz County Seniors Commission informed on the activities of the CSL. At our Feb. 11 meeting, Bud reported that "at its annual session, the CSL holds hearings on the proposals that have been submitted by its members to determine which of these proposals should be carried forward. Finally, the proposals to be carried forward are prioritized to select the top 10 state proposals and top four federal proposals. The CSL then lobbies the state and federal legislative bodies to try and get the proposals enacted into law."
The results of the CSL's 2007 session are listed here. First a summary of the top 10 state legislative proposals:
• Skilled nursing facility end of life privacy: Requires nursing homes to provide a private room for a resident who has been determined to be terminal.
• Pharmaceutical expiration dates: Requires drug manufacturers to include a "best before" date on packaging.
• Hearing aids: Requires that hearing aids be made available for over-the-counter sales and vendors be encouraged to submit a plan to the Hearing Aid Dispenser Bureau.
• Electronic prescription writing: Institutes a state electronic prescription writing system.
• Infection control: Requires general acute hospitals to administer weekly screenings of infections and to publicly disclose the number of patients developing infections.
• Elder abuse offender registry: Requires the state to compile elder physical and financial abuse conviction details in an elder abuse offender registry that would be publicly accessible on the Internet.
• Affordable housing for seniors: Requires action to address the senior affordable housing shortage, revisions of zoning requirements and permit and impact fees.
• Property tax: Increases the homeowner's property tax exemption from $7,000 to $27,000 for seniors.
• In-home supportive services: Expands IHSS to include support for activities in volunteer, social and other community functions.
• Oral hygiene: Requires the Department of Health Services to review the oral health component of nursing home treatment plans on a quarterly basis for proper completion and that appropriate referrals to dental professionals be made, with failures reported as abuse.
Here is a summary of the top four federal legislative proposals:
• Surviving spouse home sale benefit: Authorizes certain surviving spouses to exclude $500,000 of home sale capital gain.
• Federal income tax deductions for medical expenses: Allows persons 65 and older to fully deduct all medical expenses.
• Prescription drugs: Authorizes Medicare to negotiate drug prices and pass the savings on to beneficiaries.
• Medicare coverage of dental care: Expand Medicare coverage to include oral health.
Additional information regarding these proposals may be found at the California Senior Legislature Web site at www.4csl.org.
If you are in agreement with any or all of these legislative proposals you should contact your state and federal representatives and urge their passage into law.

On Feb. 13, the president signed the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 into law. This legislation provides a maximum $600 tax rebate to individuals and a $1,200 rebate to couples, including seniors on fixed incomes and disabled veterans. An additional $300 rebate is also provided for each dependent child. Eligibility for these rebates is phased out for individuals with 2007 adjusted gross incomes over $75,000 and couples over $150,000.
The bill also provides tax incentives for small businesses and increases limits on government backed home loans, so more Californians can buy homes or refinance at lower rates. Specifically, the bill increases the Federal Housing Administration loan limit to $729,750 and temporarily increases the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming loan limits to $729,750.
In order to receive a stimulus rebate, individuals must have a valid Social Security Number and file a 2007 tax return. For more detailed information about the stimulus rebate and filing the necessary 2007 tax return, visit the "Rebate Questions" page accessible from the Internal Revenue Service homepage at www.irs.gov.
The next meeting of the Santa Cruz County Seniors Commission is from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on April 14 in the Solarium Room of the Dominican Hospital Rehabilitation Facility, 610 Frederick St. in Santa Cruz. Future agenda topics will address transportation. Seniors and/or their caregivers are encouraged to attend.
Contact Chuck Molnar at the Santa Cruz County Seniors Commission office at 454-4864.

SOURCE: santacruzsentinel
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Thought I post this to give this article more publicity. I find the proposal for a registry of elder abusers, most interesting. Perhaps other state should look into this proposal.