Senior issues newsletter [Vol. 34, No. 3 (Feb. 11, 2013)]

House and Senate Calendar

Senior Issues Newsletter

House and Senate Calendar
The House and Senate will reconvene for the 15th Legislative Day on Monday February 11th, 2013 at 10:00 am.

The General Assembly has published its calendar through day 29:

Feb 11th Day 15 Feb 12th Day 16 Feb 13th Day 17 Feb 14th - Day 18 Feb 19th Day 19 Feb 20th - Day 20 Feb 21st - Day 21 Feb 22nd Day 22

Feb 25th Day 23 Feb 26th Day 24 Feb 27th Day 25 Feb 28th Day 26 March 1st Day 27 March 4th Day 28
March 5th Day 29

Check http://www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx for times (typically 10:00am). The schedule is always subject to change.

Budget Updates

Governor Deal's Amended FY2013 Budget and FY2014 Budget proposals were reviewed in the Jan 22nd Senior Issues Newsletter. These Budget proposals can be found in their entirety by selecting "Governor's Budget Report AFY 2012" and "Governor's Budget Report FY 2013" at http://opb.georgia.gov.
The House passed the State Amended FY 2013 Budget (HB 105) by a vote of 145 10 on Friday, February 8th. Discussions will continue this week on the State Amended FY 2013 Budget as well as the FY 2014 Budget in the Senate subcommittees with presentations by the Department Commissioners. No opportunity for public testimony has yet been scheduled; so advocates' contacts with their own legislators are critical.
Budget tracking documents can be found on both the Senate and House web pages at www.legis.ga.gov. These documents allow the reader to track original appropriations, the Governor's recommendations, the House decisions, the Senate recommendations, as well as the recommendations which will be agreed upon in conference as the budget makes its way through the process.

Advocacy in Action .... Make Your Voice Heard!
Come to the Capitol. Join other aging advocates in person to support funding and services for older adults:
Senior Week at the Capitol February 27th & Feb 28th Alzheimer's Awareness Day at the Capitol February 27th
Registration begins at 9:00 each day Senior Week, South Rotunda of the Capitol Alzheimer's Day, Central Presbyterian Church
Wednesday, February 27th 11:00 am Governor Deal has been invited to speak, South Rotunda 3:00 pm Alzheimer's Rally, Washington Street Capitol steps
Thursday, February 28th 11:00 am Recognition of the 2013 Distinguished Older Georgian South Rotunda of the Capitol
Call Eric Ryan in the GCoA office to register for Senior Week at 404-657-5344 or contact him at joryan@dhr.state.ga.us.
Come anytime! Make an appointment with your legislators and come to meet them, view the General Assembly in session from the Gallery, and watch your government at work. If you need assistance from advocates who are at the Capitol daily, call the Georgia Council on Aging office at 404-657-5343 or meet us on the third floor of the Capitol in front of the double elevators.

The Senior Issues Newsletter is a publication of the Georgia Council on Aging, the Senior Citizens Advocacy Project and the Georgia Gerontology Society. Volume 34, No. 3, February 11, 2013

BE THERE 4 SENIORS RALLY
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! to ALL who came to the Capitol last Thursday in the pouring rain to support the Senior Rally. Over 300 seniors from across the state along with aging advocates from groups including AARP Georgia, Alzheimer's Association Georgia Chapter, Atlanta Alliance on Development Disabilities, Athens Community Council on Aging, Assisted Living Association of Georgia, Council on Aging (Fulton County), Friends of Gwinnett Senior Services, Georgia Association of Community Care Providers, Georgia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (G4A), Georgia Council on Aging, Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Gerontology Society (GGS), Gwinnett Senior Services, LeadingAge Georgia, SAGE, Senior Connections.
The Busloads from far and wide, turned out to let the legislators know that they want to see the AFY 2013 an FY 2014 budget cuts to aging services restored. Healthy People Cost Less!!
Several of our legislators graciously took time out of their already crowded schedules to address the rally. These legislators included House Human Relations and Aging Chair Tommy Benton, House Health and Human Services Chair Sharon Cooper and Senate Appropriations Human Development Vice-Chair and Senate Health and Human Services Chair Renee Unterman.
GBI Director Vernon Keenan also spoke to the seniors about the importance of protecting our vulnerable seniors in the community from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
A big THANK YOU to AARP - Georgia for providing the sound system and, at the last moment, tents to keep the seniors, advocates and legislators dry!!
CO-AGE and Other Legislative Updates
SB 14: Georgia Alzheimer's and Related Dementia State Plan Task Force passed unanimously 51-0 out of the Senate this week. It was introduced in the House and has been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 205: Psychiatric Advance Directive Act. A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Title 37 of the O.C.G.A., relating to mental health, so as to provide for a psychiatric advance directive; to provide for a competent adult to express his or her mental health care treatment preferences and desires directly through instructions written in advance and indirectly through appointing an agent to make mental health care decisions on behalf of that person; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Assigned: House Health & Human Services Subcommittee
SB 108: Property, Foreclosure of Security Deeds. A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Title 44 of the O.C.G.A., relating to property, so as to revise provisions relating to foreclosure of security deeds; to change provisions relating to the transfer of security deeds; to require recording prior to foreclosure; to provide for owners' rights to obtain payoff balances from creditors; to change provisions relating to the timing, contents, and manner of delivery of foreclosure notices; to amend Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to crimes, so as to change provisions relating to the crime of residential mortgage fraud; to provide for the crime of residential foreclosure fraud and prescribe elements of the crime and penalties; to provide for other matters related to the foregoing; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Assigned: Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Subcommittee

SB 110: Rules of the Road; Prohibits the use of telecommunications devices for oral communications; unless hands-free communication device; exceptions. A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 11 of Chapter 6 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to miscellaneous provisions applicable to motor vehicles and traffic, so as to prohibit the use of telecommunications devices for oral communications, unless such device is a hands-free communication device; to provide for exceptions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Assigned: Senate Public Safety Subcommittee
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Has Released Its Annual Budget Analyses
You may access the reports at www.gbpi.org, and the report on Human Services is found at this link: http://gbpi.org/overview-georgia%E2%80%99s-2014-fiscal-year-human-services.
The report states, "The governor's budget proposals for the next 17 months do not meet the growing needs of Georgia's most vulnerable children and adults. In some cases they place them even more at risk. The state's spending plans will make it more difficult for the Department of Human Services (DHS) to fulfill its mission of protecting and supporting children, low-income families and the elderly."
Analysis of the Division of Aging Services budget for FY 2009 - FY 2014 shows a 9.9% overall loss in funding. Over $9.9 million has been lost for aging services while Georgia, with the 9th fastest growing population over 60 in the nation, has seen a 45% growth in the older population since 2000.
The Report describes the reduction of funding in FY 2014 to the minimum maintenance of effort: "The governor's 2014 budget sets state funds at the minimum required level to receive federal funds under the Older Americans Act. A cut of $1 more would jeopardize all of the funding under the act. The 2013 original budget contains $31 million under the Older Americans Act."
Watch the Georgia Council on Aging Website for alerts and regular legislative updates.
www.gcoa.org
Department of Community Health Board: Next Meeting, Feb. 14th 2013 meets second Thursday of each month at 10:30 am on the 5th Floor at 2 Peachtree
Department of Human Services Board: Next Meeting, February 20th, 2013 meets third Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm on the 29th Floor at 2 Peachtree
Learn about Legislation that Impacts Seniors
This newsletter will inform you each week the Legislature is in Session. Ask about specific legislation: Georgia Council on Aging (404)657-5343. Follow legislation or learn about the General Assembly: www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx
Get copies of bills: House Clerk's office (404)656-5015 Watch the General Assembly and some Committee Hearings at http://www.gpb.org/lawmakers. Watch GPTV's "Lawmakers" twice weekly 7:00 pm to see the events of the week at the Capitol.