Ombudsman programs: appropriation.

Existing law establishes the State Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account into which moneys derived from civil penalties for violations of state law are deposited. Moneys in this account may be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the protection of health or property of residents of long-term health care facilities, as specified. Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the California Department of Aging. Existing law requires the department to allocate all federal and state funds for local ombudsman programs according to a specified schedule. This bill would appropriate the sum of $1,600,000 from the State Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account to the department to fund local ombudsman programs in accordance with the distribution schedule during the 2010–11 fiscal year. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.