House Bill No. 223

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________

A Bill for an Act entitled: "An Act appropriating funds to the department of public health and human services for use by the office of aging in the provision of information services and to support the long-term care ombudsman; amending section 52-3-504, MCA; and providing an effective date."

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana:

Section 1.  Section 52-3-504, MCA, is amended to read:

"52-3-504.   Services to be provided. Subject to available funding, the department, in conjunction with other state, local, and private agencies and organizations, shall identify and may provide for older Montanans, in addition to existing services:

(1)  a directory of available services;

(2)  transportation that provides access to services;

(3)  housing, nutrition, education, homemaker, escort, respite, hospice, and other programs that facilitate self-care;

(4)  physical and mental health care, including inpatient and outpatient services, screening, appliances and supplies, and home health care;

(5)  placement in adult day care, foster care, personal care, supervisory care, and nursing homes;

(6)  protective advocacy and legal programs;

(7)  job training, job development, and income maintenance;

(8)  adult education; and

(9)  training and research in aging; and

(10) counseling and assistance with insurance information."

NEW SECTION. Section 2.  Appropriation. There is appropriated $450,000 in each of the fiscal years 1998 and 1999 from the general fund to the department of public health and human services for the office of aging provided for in 2-15-231. The funds may be used for the following purposes:

(1) insurance information counseling and assistance, as set forth in 52-3-504;

(2) the salary, training, and travel expenses incurred by the long-term care ombudsman or a local ombudsman provided for in 52-3-603; and

(3) other information services and assistance provided by the office of aging to older Montanans as defined in 52-3-502.

NEW SECTION. Section 3.  Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 1997.

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