Bill > S2880

Introduced Session

This bill expands the types of residential long-term care facilities that are required to provide quarterly financial accounting statements to a resident, the resident's next-of-kin, the resident's guardian, if any, and, if the resident is a ward of the State, an individual whom the resident identified upon becoming a ward of the State to receive the quarterly statements. Under this bill, residential long-term care facilities would be required to provide a written account of the resident's funds, an itemized list of property deposited with the facility for the resident's use, and all financial transactions with the resident, the resident's next-of-kin or authorized representative, and any guardian appointed for the resident. Moreover, these quarterly statements would report the amount of property in the resident's account at the start and end of the accounting period, as well as a listing of all deposits and withdrawals, which transactions would be substantiated with copies of receipts to be provided to the resident, the resident's next of kin or authorized representative, and any appointed guardian. Facilities affected by this new requirement are: nursing homes, assisted living facilities, comprehensive personal care homes, dementia care homes, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and continuing care residential communities. Under current law, only nursing homes, assisted living facilities and comprehensive personal care homes are required to provide quarterly accounting statements, and only to the resident or the resident's guardian. By requiring these residential care facilities to provide regular, detailed accounting statements to a resident, the resident's next-of-kin, and a trusted representative named by a resident who is a ward of the State, the bill's sponsor intends to make it more difficult for unscrupulous guardians or relatives to siphon money or other financial resources from a vulnerable individual who has become a ward of the State. It is the hope of the sponsor that, by providing a clear financial accounting to the resident and the resident's trusted advisors, any financial improprieties would be more readily identified and thwarted.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jim Beach (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 09/14/2020)