Bill Would Increase State’s Role in Nursing Home Oversight

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – This week, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D–Sacramento) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 927, which would establish additional oversight and transparency for nursing home ownership.  Specifically, AB 927 would clarify the California Department of Public Health’s (DPH) duty to review and approve changes of nursing home ownership and management at the corporate structure, improves DPH’s ability to share nursing home ownership information to provide consumer protection, and prevents persons and/or companies with poor track records from acquiring nursing homes by strengthening suitability of ownership requirements.

“It is incumbent upon us to ensure that our seniors, who are often at their most fragile and vulnerable in nursing home settings, are protected,” said Assemblymember McCarty.  “It is in the best interest of the State to protect consumers and prevent existing owners with a bad track record from licensing them to open additional facilities.  Consumers can’t even determine from the Department’s website who owns each home – it’s a lack of transparency that just isn’t appropriate.”

Hearing focus on Overview of UC’s Growing Expenditures

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance, convened the first overview hearing on the University of California’s (UC) budget.  In an indication of the gravity of the task at hand, the members of the committee were joined by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) who noted the enormity of the undertaking.  This hearing marks the beginning of the Assembly's zero-based budget review process.  Through this approach, every line item of UC’s budget must be approved, rather than only the changes from the previous year, to foster increased transparency and public discussion of the use of taxpayer dollars.

“This is the first of many hearings to review UC’s budget and examine the system’s enrollment patterns, performance, and growing expenditures” said Assemblymember McCarty.  “Our primary goal for higher education is to ensure access and affordability for our students, and to assure taxpayers and hard working families that their investment has been a wise one.  As such, any fee increases that may occur, for whatever reason, are absolutely necessary and accounted for by the State of California.”