The California Department of Aging (CDA) briefed the subcommittee on its 2025–26 baseline budget and said the department will return largely to base funding with an overall budget of approximately $442 million, of which about $165 million is general fund and $278 million is federal funding. CDA said about 80% of its budget supports local assistance programs, led by nutrition services.

ADRC and HICAP proposals

CDA reported a budget change proposal seeking $15,000,000 to expand and sustain California's Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) network; CDA officials and public commenters said the funding could roughly double ADRC reach and serve hundreds of thousands of older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers by creating a stronger No Wrong Door system. CDA also described a HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) BCP to fund volunteer coordinator positions and limited-term CDA staff to address volunteer declines and increased Medicare complexity.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman funding and federal risks

Multiple local long-term care ombudsman directors and advocacy organizations urged the Legislature to approve non-general-fund augmentations to support the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. Witnesses described cases where ombudsmen intervened to prevent harm—residents found unattended, unserved meals, unresolved unlawful evictions and problems during facility closures—and said ombudsmen now face depleted volunteer ranks and greater complaint complexity. The ombudsman community requested use of licensing and certification special fund reserves and warned that federal threats to programs serving older Californians could exacerbate strains.

Public comment from ADRC and ombudsman advocates

Representatives of the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Marin Center for Independent Living, Foundation for Independent Living Centers, AARP California and local ombudsman leaders testified in favor of the ADRC funding request and the ombudsman budget ask. Examples cited included quicker complaint investigation, increased facility visits to meet federal facility-visit targets, and purchases of equipment and vehicles to improve field access.

Ending

CDA said HCBS and ARPA funds have been used to stabilize local programs; the department outlined a BCP to modernize MSSP case-management and billing systems so providers can comply with federal access-rule reporting requirements. Several committee members asked for additional detail on measurable outcomes from the ADRC and ombudsman investments; CDA offered to provide data on encumbrances and local uses of funding.