HOUSE BILL No. 4994

 

 

September 20, 2017, Introduced by Rep. Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors.

 

     A bill to amend 1981 PA 180, entitled

 

"Older Michiganians act,"

 

by amending sections 2 and 6 (MCL 400.582 and 400.586), section 2

 

as amended by 1987 PA 35 and section 6 as amended by 2014 PA 78.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Aging and adult services agency" means the agency created

 

in Executive Reorganization Order No. 2015-1, MCL 400.27, to assume

 

the authority, powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of

 

the office of services to the aging.

 

     (b) (a) "Area agency on aging" means an agency designated by

 

the commission under section 4(i).4(1)(i).

 

     (c) (b) "Chief elected official administrative officer" means

 


any of the following:

 

     (i) The president of a village.

 

     (ii) The mayor of a city.

 

     (iii) The supervisor of a township.

 

     (iv) The elected county executive or appointed county manager

 

of a county; or if the county has not adopted an optional unified

 

form of county government, the chairperson of the county board of

 

commissioners of the county.

 

     (d) (c) "Commission" means the commission on services to the

 

aging established under section 3.

 

     (e) (d) "Director" means the director of the office of

 

services to the aging and adult services agency.

 

     (f) (e) "Long-term care facility" means 1 or more of the

 

following:

 

     (i) A home for the aged as defined in section 20106(3) 20106

 

of the public health code, Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978,

 

being section 333.20106 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.1978 PA 368,

 

MCL 333.20106.

 

     (ii) An adult foster care facility as defined in section 3(4)

 

3 of the adult foster care facility licensing act, Act No. 218 of

 

the Public Acts of 1979, being section 400.703 of the Michigan

 

Compiled Laws.1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703.

 

     (iii) A nursing home as defined in section 20109(1) 20109 of

 

Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, being section 333.20109 of

 

the Michigan Compiled Laws.the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL

 

333.20109.

 

     (iv) A county medical care facility as defined in section


20104(4) of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, being section

 

333.20104 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.20104 of the public health

 

code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20104.

 

     (v) A hospital long-term care unit as defined in section

 

20106(6) 20106 of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978.the public

 

health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20106.

 

     (g) (f) "Office" means the office of services to the aging

 

created by section 5 or any successor agency established to carry

 

out the duties of this act. A reference to office in this act is a

 

reference to the aging and adult services agency.

 

     (h) (g) "Older person" means a state resident who is 60 years

 

of age or older, and the spouse of the older person, regardless of

 

age.

 

     Sec. 6. The office of services to the aging and adult services

 

agency shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Serve as a visible and effective advocate for aging and

 

older persons.

 

     (b) Function as the single state agency within this state to

 

supervise and administer the state plan required by the older

 

Americans act of 1965, 42 USC 3001 to 3058ff.

 

     (c) Be primarily responsible for the coordination of all state

 

activities related to the purposes of this act.

 

     (d) Cooperate with agencies of the state and federal

 

government and receive funds for any purpose authorized by the

 

legislature.

 

     (e) Make necessary contracts incidental to the performance of

 

its duties and the execution of its policies.


     (f) Provide technical assistance to state and local agencies

 

for the purposes of planning, program development, administration,

 

and evaluation; and encourage, promote, and aid in the

 

establishment of services for aging and older persons.

 

     (g) Collect, analyze, and disseminate data concerning services

 

which that affect aging and older persons.

 

     (h) Establish an educational and public information program to

 

foster public understanding of the problems and opportunities of

 

aging and older persons; provide information on programs available

 

to assist older persons; and encourage the development of private

 

and public community programs to improve the status of older

 

persons.

 

     (i) Evaluate the effect of federal and state statutes on aging

 

and older persons and recommend to the governor and the legislature

 

appropriate changes.

 

     (j) Evaluate, in cooperation with appropriate state

 

departments and agencies, the effectiveness of public and private

 

policies that affect older persons in the state and that are funded

 

by federal, state, local, and private resources, including services

 

that provide a comprehensive and integrated system of health and

 

social human services that respond to individual needs.

 

     (k) Supervise, monitor, assess, evaluate, and provide

 

technical assistance to area agencies on aging, and other agencies

 

receiving funds from the office, in meeting specified objectives.

 

     (l) Make recommendations to the governor and the legislature

 

on budget and grant requests for programs for aging and older

 

persons.


     (m) Participate in the development of the annual report of

 

services that is required to be submitted to the department of

 

health and human services United States Department of Health and

 

Human Services under section 2004 of Title XX of the social

 

security act, 42 USC 1397c, and provide recommendations to the

 

governor on the components of the plan that relate to services to

 

aging and older persons.

 

     (n) Develop a comprehensive triennial state plan on aging with

 

yearly updates regarding the priority needs of aging and older

 

persons, as well as recommendations for future action. The office

 

aging and adult services agency shall prepare an annual report to

 

be submitted to the governor and the legislature by January 31 of

 

each year. The annual report shall detail the progress of the

 

office aging and adult services agency and the commission in

 

implementing the triennial plan.

 

     (o) Establish an appeals procedure, subject to approval by the

 

commission, the applicability of which shall not be limited to

 

denials of funding.

 

     (p) Serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and

 

distribution of information on aging and older persons.

 

     (q) Establish demonstration programs for services to the aging

 

and older persons in selected communities in the state. Particular

 

emphasis shall be given to services designed to foster continued

 

participation of older persons in family and community life and to

 

prevent as nearly as possible unnecessary institutionalization of

 

older persons. The programs shall be established to demonstrate and

 

test their effectiveness, to stimulate continued support for them,


and to create new services, using federal, state, local, or private

 

funds and resources.

 

     (r) Function as the state agency for voluntary services for,

 

and provided by, older persons. The office aging and adult services

 

agency shall do all of the following:

 

     (i) Be designated as the state agency for coordination and

 

development of foster grandparent and senior companion programs.

 

The office aging and adult services agency is authorized: to

 

receive and allocate funds from federal, state, and other sources

 

for foster grandparent and senior companion programs; to negotiate

 

waivers with the federal agency responsible for administering

 

foster grandparent and senior companion programs and funds; and, in

 

cases where federal foster grandparent and senior companion

 

programs cannot be modified, to institute policies and rule

 

variations with subprograms of foster grandparent and senior

 

companion programs distinctly established through the use of state

 

funds. Administrative agencies established before October 6, 1976,

 

to develop and administer foster grandparent and senior companion

 

programs are continued under this act according to contracts

 

initiated with the federal government. This subparagraph does not

 

prohibit the termination of a grantee for cause. Expansion of

 

foster grandparent and senior companion programs shall be

 

administered under existing programs where feasible. Other state

 

and local governmental agencies serving children, youth, and

 

developmentally disabled persons in need of protective care and

 

treatment in institutional and community settings shall cooperate

 

with the office aging and adult services agency in the development


and administration of voluntary services for, and provided by,

 

aging and older persons. The office aging and adult services agency

 

may negotiate with the federal administration to obtain the same

 

nontaxable status for state funded foster grandparent and senior

 

companion stipends as that given to participants in the federal

 

program.

 

     (ii) Be designated as the state agency for coordination and

 

development of retired senior volunteer programs. The office aging

 

and adult services agency is authorized: to receive and allocate

 

funds from federal, state, and other sources for retired senior

 

volunteer programs; to negotiate waiver of rules with the federal

 

agency responsible for administering retired senior volunteer

 

programs and funds; and, in cases where federal retired senior

 

volunteer programs cannot be modified, to institute policies and

 

rule variations with subprograms of retired senior volunteer

 

programs distinctly established through the use of state funds.

 

Administrative agencies established before October 1, 1978, to

 

develop and administer retired senior volunteer programs are

 

continued under this act according to contracts initiated with the

 

federal government. Nothing in this subparagraph prohibits the

 

termination of a grantee for cause. Expansion of retired senior

 

volunteer programs shall be administered under existing programs

 

where feasible. Other state and local governmental agencies shall

 

cooperate with the office aging and adult services agency in the

 

development and administration of voluntary services for, and

 

provided by, aging and older persons.

 

     (s) Establish, evaluate, and improve opportunities for aging


and older persons to provide volunteer services.

 

     (t) Pursue and receive on behalf of the state any grant or

 

gift and accept any grant or gift so that the title passes to the

 

state. All grants and gifts shall be deposited with the state

 

treasurer and used for the purposes set forth in the grant or the

 

gift if the purposes are within the powers conferred on the office

 

aging and adult services agency and the use is approved by the

 

legislature. If the use is not approved, the grant or gift shall

 

revert to the donor, or the donor's administrator or assigns.

 

     (u) Train and assign staff who shall institute food delivery

 

systems, inform older persons of the delivery systems, and train

 

older persons to operate the food delivery systems. The office

 

aging and adult services agency shall also do all of the following:

 

     (i) Develop means to reduce the cost of food to older persons

 

and increase the nutritional adequacy of food purchased and

 

consumed.

 

     (ii) Provide technical assistance to local clubs, groups, or

 

organizations of older persons for the development of buying clubs,

 

food cooperatives, or shopping assistance programs; provide

 

education in purchase and preparation of foods; and encourage

 

retail grocers to package raw food in meal-size portions.

 

     (iii) Provide ongoing assistance until the individual projects

 

become self-sufficient.

 

     (iv) Coordinate and develop efforts in conjunction with those

 

of other state or local public or private agencies such as the

 

cooperative extension services, public health agencies, senior

 

nutrition projects, the department of health and human services,


the retail grocers association, the department of agriculture and

 

rural development, and others considered appropriate by the

 

office.aging and adult services agency.

 

     (v) Provide in its annual report to the governor and the

 

legislature under subdivision (n), a report on the effect of the

 

programs.

 

     (vi) Provide trained personnel, technical assistance, and

 

coordination with other state agencies.

 

     (v) Function as the administrator of employment programs and

 

related services for, and provided by, older persons. The office

 

aging and adult services agency shall encourage the employment of

 

older persons in government agencies and private organizations.

 

     (w) Subject to 1941 PA 370, MCL 38.401 to 38.428, and the

 

rules of the state civil service commission, ensure that preference

 

is given to older persons in employment by the office aging and

 

adult services agency and all recipients of funds from the

 

office.aging and adult services agency.

 

     (x) Encourage the development of preretirement and

 

postretirement programs for older persons.

 

     (y) Develop, in consultation with the various components of

 

the aging network, basic core needs assessment and evaluation

 

instruments. The office agency and adult services agency shall

 

provide technical assistance to aid local organizations in

 

augmenting these core instruments.

 

     (z) Provide adequate and effective opportunities for older

 

persons to express their views on policy development and program

 

implementation.


     (aa) Establish a long-term care ombudsman program consisting

 

of a state long-term care ombudsman and a system of local or

 

regional ombudsman offices having the duties and powers described

 

in section 6g. The local or regional ombudsman programs shall be

 

funded through area agencies on aging.

 

     (bb) Subject to appropriation, conduct a public education

 

campaign that emphasizes zero tolerance for elder abuse. The

 

campaign shall include information about the signs and symptoms of

 

elder abuse, identification of potential causes of elder abuse,

 

resources available to assist in preventing elder abuse, where

 

suspected elder abuse may be reported, and contact information for

 

programs offering services to victims of elder abuse, including,

 

but not limited to, counseling and assistance with arranging

 

personal care and shelter. The campaign shall include, but not be

 

limited to, printed education and informational materials, audio,

 

video, electronic, other media, and public service announcements or

 

advertisements.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.