CSHB 164(HSS) Summary

• Establishes a "vulnerable adult centralized intake office" to receive reports of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other harm to vulnerable adults within 24 hours, replacing the previous "central information and referral service."

• Expands the long term care ombudsman's authority to investigate complaints from all long term care facility residents (not just those 60 years or older) at the ombudsman's discretion.

• Changes reporting requirements so the department may forward (rather than shall transfer) reports involving vulnerable adults in long term care facilities to the ombudsman, and requires the ombudsman to obtain informed consent from the vulnerable adult or their representative before sharing reports with the department.

• Removes the requirement for face-to-face interviews with vulnerable adults during investigations and allows interviews to be conducted in other ways unless the person is unconscious or the interview could cause further endangerment.

• Adds definitions for "resident," "resident representative," and clarifies that ombudsman protections and access rights apply to all long term care facility residents, not solely older Alaskans.