Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D-Davis, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, announced this week that her package of six aging-related bills is moving through the Assembly.

A highlight of the package is AB 999, which would protect consumers from exorbitant rate increases in the long-term care insurance market and is sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. The bill sets tougher standards for increasing rates and restores predictability to the long-term care insurance market.

If enacted, it would give the insurance commissioner and the Department of Insurance additional regulatory tools to protect long-term care insurance policyholders from unmanageable rate increases. The bill was approved this week by the Insurance Committee and moves to the Appropriations Committee.

Other bills in the package include:

* AB 40: Requires dual elder abuse reporting to the ombudsperson and local law enforcement. It was approved by the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and Public Safety Committee. It will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

* AB 533: Allows pass-through of federal funds to the California Department of Aging and the Department of Rehabilitation during a budget impasse
It was approved by the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and the Human Services Committee. It will next be heard in the Appropriations Committee.

* AB 784: Urges inclusion of adult day services for two adult day centers co-located with veterans’ facilities in the cities of Lancaster and Ventura upon implementation of the Keeping Adults Free of Institutions program. It was approved by the Assembly Health Committee and will next be heard in the Appropriations Committee.

* AB 804: Expands family temporary disability program to include time off to care for a seriously ill grandparent, among others. It was approved by the Assembly Insurance Committee and is now on the Appropriations Committee suspense file.

* AB 899: Establishes regulations for private home care agencies. It was approved by the Assembly Human Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee. It will next be heard in the Appropriations Committee.

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