Public Policy

Key Public Policy Issues

As the voice for over 800 mission-driven aging services providers across the state, our expert Government Affairs team advances public policy ideas to make California a great place to age. California must innovate and adapt to meet the needs of our growing older adult population. We offer common sense solutions for leveraging existing resources to expand housing, care and services for older adults. Below are our 2026-2027 public policy priorities:
 

Ending and Preventing Homelessness Among Older Adults

Older adults are becoming unhoused at an unprecedented rate. Older adults living on fixed-income sources cannot keep pace with California’s rising cost of living. LeadingAge California is working to address this growing problem with a multi-faceted advocacy approach, focusing on increasing California’s supply of affordable housing, addressing income inequality, promoting innovative housing models and integrating housing with healthcare.

Ensuring Access to Care for All Californians

Every Californian should have access to the healthcare they need. LeadingAge California continues to be a strong voice in protecting and expanding access to care and services in a variety of settings, including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, PACE, and home and community-based services. In addition, we are committed to advocating for older adults to be a priority population of focus in California within CalAIM, Proposition 1, and the Data Exchange Framework.

Expanding the Caregiver Workforce

The United States is facing a critical caregiver labor shortage, with projections indicating a shortfall of up to 355,000 caregivers by 2040. LeadingAge California is spearheading solutions to grow our workforce through supporting legislation and fund allocation efforts that enable caregiver education, recruitment, and retention.

Long-Term Care Mutual Aid Program

The Long-Term Care Mutual Aid Program facilitates urgent emergency evacuation, surge capacity, and resources to prepare these facilities for single facility/isolated incidents, county-wide events, and state-wide disasters. In addition, the program establishes local mutual aid strategies for long-term care facilities, such as equipment, staffing, planning, training, and disaster exercises, to support the aging services industry, local governments, and emergency responders. This program launched in Los Angeles County in 2026 and is needed statewide in California.

 

2026 Legislative Priorities

Restore the LVN Scope of Practice

Existing law has created a confusing and ineffective system for defining which respiratory care tasks LVNs are allowed to perform. LeadingAge California co-sponsoring AB 2096 (Pacheco) to reinstate LVN’s scope of practice as it related to basic respiratory care.

 

2026 Regulatory Priorities

Continuing Care Retirement Communities Regulation Development

The California Department of Social Services is in the process of regulatory development in several areas, including calculating monthly care fee increases, clarifying the distinction between repayable and refundable contracts, improving annual reports and required provider meetings, and determining which entities must be designated as a provider on a Certificate of Authority. LeadingAge California is a key stakeholder in this regulatory package’s development.
 

Medi-Cal Assisted Living Expansion

LeadingAge California is championing the Department of Health Care Services to create more opportunities for older adults and people with disabilities with a nursing home level of care to age in the community in assist living via the Assisted Living Waiver and CalAIM.
 

Skilled Nursing Value Based Care Advisory Workgroup

LeadingAge California is a member of the Department of Health Care Services stakeholder workgroup which is charged with advising DHCS on the development and implementation of its new Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value Strategy to inform the reauthorization of the Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Reimbursement Act (Welfare & Institutions Code (WIC) 14126, et seq.)

 

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up

See what key bills were passed and vetoed in 2025.

  

Regulatory Compliance Bulletins

  • Acquiring and Using Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
  • Admitting or Retaining RCFE Residents who are Bedridden or Require Assistance with Multiple ADLs
  • Reducing Legionella Risk from Facility Water Systems
  • Use of Mechanical Devices or Equipment to Aid in Repositioning or Transferring Residents
  • Video Surveillance or the Use of Cameras

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