Bill Text: IA SF2278 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the office of the state long-term care ombudsman, and making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-18 - Subcommittee: Koelker, Guth, and Ragan. S.J. 337. [SF2278 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-SF2278-Introduced.html
Senate
File
2278
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2278
BY
J.
SMITH
,
R.
TAYLOR
,
RAGAN
,
JOCHUM
,
BOULTON
,
CELSI
,
WAHLS
,
KINNEY
,
DOTZLER
,
T.
TAYLOR
,
LYKAM
,
HOGG
,
GIDDENS
,
BOLKCOM
,
PETERSEN
,
MATHIS
,
QUIRMBACH
,
and
BISIGNANO
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
office
of
the
state
long-term
care
1
ombudsman,
and
making
an
appropriation.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
231.42,
Code
2020,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsections:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
14.
Protocol
for
operation.
The
provision
3
of
high-quality
advocacy
for
and
responsive
assistance
to
4
residents
and
tenants
of
long-term
care
facilities,
assisted
5
living
programs,
and
elder
group
homes
in
the
state
is
a
6
fundamental
and
critical
role
of
state
government.
To
ensure
7
that
responsive
and
high-quality
services
are
being
provided,
8
the
office
of
long-term
care
ombudsman
shall
do
all
of
the
9
following:
10
a.
On
at
least
a
quarterly
basis,
hold
either
in-person
or
11
in-person-via-video
meetings
with
all
staff
including
local
12
long-term
care
ombudsmen
to
discuss
workloads,
policies
and
13
procedures,
accomplishments,
and
concerns;
obtain
suggestions;
14
generate
ideas
to
improve
service;
foster
communication;
and
15
encourage
teamwork.
16
b.
Assign
cases
to
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
based
on
a
17
geographic
territory
to
enable
more
effective
and
efficient
use
18
of
resources
including
making
unscheduled
noncomplaint-related
19
visits,
responding
to
resident
and
tenant
inquiries
and
20
complaints,
and
developing
a
familiarity
with
long-term
care
21
facilities,
assisted
living
programs,
elder
group
homes,
22
administrators,
staff,
residents,
tenants,
and
certified
23
volunteers
in
the
assigned
geographic
territory.
24
c.
Establish
a
policy
and
process
to
ensure
that
each
local
25
long-term
care
ombudsman
makes
unscheduled
noncomplaint-related
26
visits
to
a
minimum
of
twenty
percent
of
the
long-term
care
27
facilities,
assisted
living
programs,
and
elder
group
homes
in
28
the
assigned
geographic
territory,
annually.
29
d.
Implement
a
policy
that
ensures
that
the
response
to
30
resident
and
tenant
inquiries
is
in
the
manner
preferred
by
31
the
resident
or
tenant
and
that
all
visits
are
completed
32
in
a
timely
manner.
The
policy
shall
provide
that
if
a
33
resident
or
tenant
prefers
inquiries
via
phone
or
the
use
of
34
technology,
a
local
long-term
care
ombudsman
shall
ensure
that
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assistance
is
provided
in
a
manner
that
is
comfortable
to
and
1
convenient
for
the
resident
or
tenant
while
assuring
privacy
2
and
confidentiality.
3
e.
Ensure
the
existence
and
maintenance
of
a
vibrant
4
certified
volunteer
long-term
care
ombudsman
program
by
5
increasing
the
numbers
of,
support
to,
and
communications
with
6
Iowans
wishing
to
perform
this
vital
service.
The
program
7
shall
ensure
that
certified
volunteers
work
closely
with
local
8
long-term
care
ombudsmen
within
the
same
geographic
territory
9
to
share
information
and
insights,
coordinate
efforts,
and
10
enhance
services
to
residents
and
tenants.
11
f.
Provide
necessary
vehicles
and
coverage
of
related
12
expenses
to
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
to
properly
fulfill
13
their
duties.
14
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
15.
Organizational
structure.
The
office
15
of
long-term
care
ombudsman
shall
not
pursue
or
issue
a
16
request
for
proposals
or
utilize
any
other
process
to
modify
17
the
organizational
structure
of
the
office
or
to
outsource
18
duties
or
staffing
of
the
office
without
prior
visible
and
19
effective
notice
to
and
input
from
the
public,
and
without
20
prior
conversation
and
consultation
with
staff
members,
21
certified
volunteers,
advocates
for
older
Iowans
and
Iowans
22
with
disabilities
and
the
paid
and
informal
caregivers
who
23
support
them,
organizations
representing
long-term
care
24
facilities,
assisted
living
programs,
and
elder
group
homes,
25
unions
representing
staff
of
the
office,
the
commission,
and
26
the
members
of
the
general
assembly’s
joint
appropriations
27
subcommittee
on
health
and
human
services.
28
Sec.
2.
OFFICE
OF
LONG-TERM
CARE
OMBUDSMAN
——
29
APPROPRIATION.
30
1.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
31
state
to
the
office
of
long-term
care
ombudsman
for
the
fiscal
32
year
beginning
July
1,
2020,
and
ending
June
30,
2021,
in
33
addition
to
any
other
funds
appropriated
from
the
general
34
fund
of
the
state
to,
and
in
addition
to
any
other
full-time
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2278
equivalent
positions
authorized
for,
the
office
of
long-term
1
care
ombudsman
for
the
same
purpose,
the
following
amount,
or
2
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
purpose
3
designated:
4
To
increase
the
number
of
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
5
including
for
salaries,
support,
administration,
maintenance,
6
and
miscellaneous
purposes,
and
for
not
more
than
the
following
7
full-time
equivalent
positions:
8
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
$
173,486
9
.
.
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.
.
.
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.
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.
.
.
FTEs
2.00
10
2.
The
funding
appropriated
and
the
full-time
equivalent
11
positions
authorized
under
this
section
are
in
addition
to
any
12
other
funds
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
13
and
any
other
full-time
equivalent
positions
authorized
for
14
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
during
the
same
fiscal
year.
15
A
sufficient
portion
of
the
funding
appropriated
under
this
16
section
shall
be
used
to
provide
a
vehicle
and
other
support
17
for
each
of
the
additional
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
to
18
assist
in
fulfilling
their
duties
pursuant
to
chapter
231.
19
EXPLANATION
20
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
21
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
22
This
bill
relates
to
the
office
of
state
long-term
care
23
ombudsman.
24
The
bill
establishes
protocol
for
operation
of
the
office
25
of
long-term
care
ombudsman
(OLTCO).
The
OLTCO
consists
26
of
the
state
long-term
care
ombudsman,
any
local
long-term
27
care
ombudsmen,
and
any
certified
volunteer
long-term
care
28
ombudsmen.
The
bill
requires
the
office
to,
on
at
least
a
29
quarterly
basis,
hold
either
in-person
or
in-person-via-video
30
meetings
with
all
staff;
assign
cases
to
local
long-term
31
care
ombudsmen
based
on
a
geographic
territory
to
enable
32
more
effective
and
efficient
use
of
resources;
establish
a
33
policy
and
process
to
ensure
that
each
local
long-term
care
34
ombudsman
makes
unscheduled
noncomplaint-related
visits
to
35
-3-
LSB
6050XS
(5)
88
pf/rh
3/
4
S.F.
2278
a
minimum
of
20
percent
of
the
long-term
care
facilities,
1
assisted
living
programs,
and
elder
group
homes
in
the
assigned
2
geographic
territory,
annually;
implement
a
policy
that
ensures
3
that
the
response
to
resident
and
tenant
inquiries
is
in
4
the
manner
preferred
by
the
resident
or
tenant
and
that
all
5
visits
are
completed
in
a
timely
manner;
ensure
the
existence
6
and
maintenance
of
a
vibrant
certified
volunteer
long-term
7
care
ombudsman
program;
and
provide
necessary
vehicles
and
8
coverage
of
related
expenses
to
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen
9
to
fulfill
their
duties.
The
bill
also
prohibits
the
OLTCO
10
from
pursuing
or
issuing
a
request
for
proposals
or
other
11
process
to
modify
the
organizational
structure
of
the
office
12
or
to
outsource
duties
or
staffing
of
the
office
without
prior
13
visible
and
effective
notice
to
and
input
from
the
public,
and
14
without
prior
conversation
and
consultation
with
specified
15
persons.
The
bill
makes
an
appropriation
from
the
general
fund
16
of
the
state
to
the
OLTCO
for
FY
2020-2021,
in
addition
to
any
17
other
funds
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
to,
18
and
in
addition
to
any
other
full-time
equivalent
positions
19
authorized
for,
the
OLTCO
for
the
same
purpose,
for
the
purpose
20
of
increasing
the
number
of
local
long-term
care
ombudsmen.
21
The
funding
appropriated
and
the
full-time
equivalent
positions
22
authorized
are
in
addition
to
any
other
funds
appropriated
23
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
and
any
other
full-time
24
equivalent
positions
authorized
for
local
long-term
care
25
ombudsmen
during
the
same
fiscal
year.
A
sufficient
portion
26
of
the
funding
appropriated
shall
be
used
to
provide
a
vehicle
27
and
other
support
for
each
of
the
additional
local
long-term
28
care
ombudsmen
to
assist
in
fulfilling
their
duties
pursuant
to
29
Code
chapter
231.
30
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