AMENDED IN SENIOR ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 15, 2007

SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 16

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER ROSENBERG

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 16: LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: WHEELCHAIR.

UNDER EXISTING LAW, A LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITY THAT FAILS TO MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD RESIDENT PROPERTY SHALL REIMBURSE A PATIENT FOR OR REPLACE STOLEN OR LOST PATIENT PROPERTY AT ITS THEN CURRENT VALUE. A FACILITY IS PRESUMED TO HAVE MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENT PROPERTY IF THE FACILITY HAS SHOWN CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFORTS TO MEET SPECIFIED REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A WRITTEN PATIENT PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY UPON A PATIENT’S ADMISSION AND MAINTAINING THE INVENTORY THROUGHOUT A PATIENT’S STAY.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES TO RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER OF A PATIENT’S WHEELCHAIR ON THAT PATIENT’S WRITTEN PATIENT PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY, UPON THAT PATIENT’S ADMISSION, AND GIVE THAT PATIENT A COPY OF THE INVENTORY.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 16: RELATING TO LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: WHEELCHAIRS

WHEREAS, THEFT OF WHEELCHAIRS FROM LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IS AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE, RESULTING IN MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS LOST BY PATIENTS EACH YEAR; AND

WHEREAS, MOST PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE TRAUMATIZED AT THE TIME OF ADMISSION AND UNAWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING THE SERIAL NUMBER OF A WHEELCHAIR ON THE WRITTEN PATIENT PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY; AND

WHEREAS, PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ENDURE A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL BURDEN WHEN A WHEELCHAIR IS STOLEN AND A REPLACEMENT WHEELCHAIR MUST BE PURCHASED; AND

WHEREAS, MANY PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES CANNOT AFFORD A REPLACEMENT WHEELCHAIR, LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUPPLY A REPLACEMENT WHEELCHAIR, AND MEDICARE WILL COVER THE COST OF ONLY ON WHEELCHAIR PER PERSON EVERY FIVE YEARS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2007 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BE REQUIRED TO RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER OF A PATIENT’S WHEELCHAIR ON THAT PATIENT’S WRITTEN PATIENT PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY UPON THAT PATIENT’S ADMISSION AND GIVE THAT PATIENT A COPY OF THE PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN20072363608

- 0 -