9320. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 337, Sec. 18.)

(a) The department shall establish a task force to study and make recommendations, including action steps and timelines, on the improvement of legal services delivery to older adults in California by exploring the following matters:

(1) Actions to ensure that all area agencies on aging allocate sufficient funding to local legal assistance providers. Actions may include, but not be limited to, the establishment of a minimum percentage of area agency on aging funding for legal assistance providers in California.

(2) Ways to ensure uniformity in the provision of legal services throughout the state, including, but not limited to, possible development of uniform statewide standards for the delivery of legal services in California.

(3) Measures to evaluate and monitor local legal assistance programs to ensure compliance with the federal Older Americans Act and its implementing regulations.

(4) Establishment of statewide reporting system to assess the effectiveness of a legal assistance program for older adults in the state.

(5) The possible establishment of a statewide legal hotline for older adults.

(6) Opportunities to enhance communications among the various service providers and to ensure efficient service delivery involving local programs and a statewide hotline, should it come into existence.

(7) Opportunities for joint training for legal older adult services advocates around the state.

(8) Other states’ legal services delivery networks.