SB 1054 Summary

• Transfers operation of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program from the Department of Elderly Affairs to a private not-for-profit organization through contract or grant, while prohibiting the organization from having relationships with long-term care facilities or their associations.

• Requires the State Ombudsman and legal advocate to register as lobbyists and establishes a five-member selection panel (including one resident, two family members, a consumer advocate, and state council chair) to appoint the ombudsman instead of the Secretary of Elderly Affairs.

• Defines "autonomy" as the ombudsman's ability to determine and implement advocacy activities without interference, coercion, retaliation, or intimidation, and authorizes the legal advocate to pursue legal and civil remedies for violations.

• Increases civil penalties for violations from current law to up to $5,000 per occurrence for interference and up to $10,000 per occurrence for retaliation, with fines deposited into the Quality of Long-Term Care Facility Improvement Trust Fund.

• Requires long-term care facilities to display ombudsman program posters in multiple conspicuous places, make facility records available to the ombudsman at no cost, and increases mandatory training for ombudsman employees and council members from 20 to 30 hours initially and 10 to 12 hours annually.