Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman: funding.

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. 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, and the costs associated with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This bill would appropriate the sum of $1,600,000 for the 2012–13 fiscal year and $1,600,000 for the 2013–14 fiscal year from the State Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account to the department for use in funding local ombudsman programs, as specified.