20250SB__083797AMD INTRODUCED 2025-02-21 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-03-26 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-01-05 SB AMD Introduced by Senator Reyes LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Reyes

An act to amend

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to disaster and emergency preparedness. disaster and emergency preparedness Disaster and emergency preparedness. Existing law establishes an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program, administered by the California Department of Aging, to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level.

Existing law requires ADRC programs to provide specified services, including, among other things, enhanced information and referral services and other assistance at hours that are convenient for the public. This bill would further require ADRC programs to provide disaster and emergency preparedness training specifically designed to help older adults and people with disabilities prepare for emergencies and ensure their safety before, during, and after natural disasters and other emergency events, as specified.

Existing law requires each campus of the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, each independent institution of higher education, and certain private postsecondary educational institutions to provide students with the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet as developed by the United States Department of Education to inform students or individuals who have been offered admission about financial aid award packages, as specified.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education.

Existing law authorizes the commission to, among other things, expend funds for purposes of disseminating information about all institutional, state, and federal student aid programs to potential applicants, and requires that distribution of information to primarily focus on potential applicants with the greatest financial need.

Existing law requires the commission, in the event that the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet developed by the United States Department of Education is no longer available, to develop, in consultation with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, a similar form that the above-described postsecondary educational institutions would be required to use instead.

Existing law requires the form to provide students and their families with information including, but not limited to, grant and scholarship opportunities and net costs associated with attendance at an institution.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>Existing law, the Community College Student Financial Aid Outreach Program, requires the commission, in consultation with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to develop and administer the program for the purpose of providing financial aid training to high school and community college counselors and advisers who work with students planning to attend or attending a community college, as specified.

Existing law requires the training to also address the specific needs of community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution of higher education, foster youth and former foster youth, homeless youth and former homeless youth, and students with disabilities.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>This bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2027, to develop guidance for school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and public libraries on how to use online technology platforms to assist low-income pupils, foster youth, and undocumented families in accessing student financial aid.

The bill would require the guidance to include information on how to use online technology platforms that do certain things, including, among other things, providing clear, accurate, and comprehensive information about the cost of colleges and universities and the availability of financial aid that is specifically tailored to the student’s unique educational and financial circumstances.

The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2027, to offer a training program for school counselors and administrators and community-based organizations on the guidance, and to implement a multilingual media campaign targeting underserved communities to raise awareness of available online technology platforms relating to the guidance.</xhtml:p>"?> MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (

a) When a natural disaster or other emergency event occurs, certain individuals may have needs that cannot be effectively addressed through traditional emergency response and recovery methods.

These needs, referred to as “access and functional needs” within the emergency management community, arise from a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, developmental or intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, injuries, limited English proficiency, age, including older adults and children, institutional living, low income, homelessness, transportation challenges, including reliance on public transportation, and pregnancy. Emergencies impact individuals in distinct ways depending on their specific needs. (

b) While all individuals are vulnerable during a natural disaster or other emergency event, those with access and functional needs face heightened vulnerabilities due to their unique circumstances. Historical evidence demonstrates that these individuals are disproportionately affected by natural disasters and other emergency events. According to a report conducted by the California State Auditor, people with certain access and functional needs are two to four times more likely to perish in a natural disaster compared to the general population.

These individuals can constitute a significant portion of the affected population, underscoring the importance of incorporating strategies into emergency plans that specifically address the protection and assistance of these vulnerable groups. (

c) Despite the critical importance of this issue, emergency agencies have often faced challenges in adequately supporting individuals with access and functional needs during natural disasters and other emergency events. Notably, alerting and warning, evacuation, and sheltering have historically posed significant obstacles in meeting the needs of these individuals. SEC. 2.

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 9120. (

a) There is hereby established an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level through ADRC programs operated jointly by area agencies on aging and independent living centers. (

b) This

article shall be administered and implemented by the California Department of Aging, in collaboration with the Department of Rehabilitation and the State Department of Health Care Services. (

c) Area agencies on aging and independent living centers shall be the core local partners in developing ADRC programs. The California Department of Aging shall assist interested and qualified area agencies on aging and independent living centers in completing an application to be designated as an ADRC program. (

d) An ADRC program operated by an area agency on aging and an independent living center shall provide all of the following:

(1) Enhanced information and referral services and other assistance at hours that are convenient for the public.

(2) Options counseling concerning available LTSS programs and public and private benefits programs.

(3) Short-term service coordination.

(4) Transition services from hospitals to home and from skilled nursing facilities to the community.

(5) Disaster and emergency preparedness training specifically designed to help older adults and people with disabilities prepare for emergencies and ensure their safety before, during, and after natural disasters and other emergency events. (

A) The training shall utilize existing emergency preparedness and response tools developed by the Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Aging, the Department of Rehabilitation, and other relevant community partners. (

B) The training shall raise awareness of existing available resources and guidance, including, but not limited to, local alert systems, local emergency plans, information from the local fire department, information on emergency transportation and evacuation resources, and information related to utility services during emergencies and natural disasters. (

e) An ADRC program operated by an area agency on aging and an independent living center shall do both of the following:

(1) Provide services within the geographic area served.

(2) Provide information to the public about the services provided by the program. (f)

(1) The California Department of Aging, in consultation with the Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Committee within the California Department of Aging, shall develop a core model of ADRC best practices. These best practices shall be implemented by July 1, 2022, by all ADRC programs operated by area agencies on aging and independent living centers. To the extent feasible, the best practices shall be considered in the development and continued updating of the master plan on aging. In the development of these best practices, the department and advisory committee shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following practices: (

A) A person-centered counseling process. (

B) Public outreach and coordination with key referral sources, including, but not limited to, caregiver resource centers, the medical centers of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, acute care systems, local programs, local multipurpose senior service programs, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), adult day care services, and LTSS providers. (

C) A formal followup procedure to ensure that services for which a person received a referral were received and methods for correcting service provision if needed. (

D) A model for the best ways for area agencies on aging and independent living centers to share necessary data and client information. (

E) A model for the collection and reporting of data to the California Department of Aging, which shall include, but not be limited to, the demographic information for each individual counseled, the number of consumers served by category of service, and the number of caregivers served.

(2) The California Department of Aging shall review implementation of the ADRC Infrastructure Grants Program described in

Section for consideration in developing and updating the best practices model. (

g) The implementation of this

section is contingent on an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, or another act, for that express purpose. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:EDC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'69514.7'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section 69514.7 is added to the <caml:DocName>Education Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_FE6F9D3B-2AC0-4AB4-9FF0-80A26D084570"><caml:Num>69514.7.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_D5A249B7-EDE6-439C-A5F8-F97E05FBAC14"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>On or before July 1, 2027, the commission shall develop guidance for local educational agencies and public libraries on how to use online technology platforms to assist low-income pupils, foster youth, and undocumented families in accessing student financial aid.

The guidance shall include, but not be limited to, information on how to use online technology platforms that do all of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Provide clear, accurate, and comprehensive information about the cost of colleges and universities and the availability of financial aid that is specifically tailored to the student’s unique educational and financial circumstances.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Highlight colleges and universities that meet percent of the demonstrated financial need for qualifying students.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(3)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Compare costs for living on-campus versus off-campus and grants versus loans.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(4)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Include specific tools for foster youth and undocumented students to ensure equitable access, with a required display of specific results for foster youth and students eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(5)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Provide information in multiple languages and include financial counseling, videos, and guidance resources to faculty, parents, and students.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(6)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Track their progress toward meeting the minimum course requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(7)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Include direct links to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the CSS Profile, and the California Dream Act application.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>On or before July 1, 2027, the commission shall do both of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p> (1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Offer a training program for school counselors and administrators and community-based organizations on the guidance developed pursuant to subdivision (a).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Implement a multilingual media campaign targeting underserved communities to raise awareness of available online technology platforms relating to the guidance developed pursuant to subdivision (a).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>