In some states, Older Americans Act funding for senior legal services is supplemented to a greater or lesser degree with state money. This applies both to local programs whose core funding comes from Title III-B of the Older Americans Act and to statewide programs like California’s Senior Legal Hotline, with core funding from Title IV of the OAA. In some states, there are direct budget appropriations. In others, the money is allocated by the equivalent of our Department of Aging, at its discretion. In some cases, creative legislation sends a portion of fines, filing fees or other such funds to legal services programs, including senior ones – sometimes specifically so.

In California, most senior legal services benefit from the State Bar’s IOLTA program (state mandated, but not from the state budget) and the Equal Access funds -- directly for those that are independent agencies, indirectly for those that are part of LSC-based programs, as we are at the Senior Legal Hotline. Similar arrangements exist in most other states, but unlike with some of them, California has no specific state funds directed to legal services for seniors.

Several years ago, efforts were undertaken to suggest that California might join the states that support senior legal services. Assembly Bill 830, sponsored by the Congress of California Seniors and authored by Assembly Member Rebecca Cohn, then chair of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Davis in late 2001. As a result, the state Department of Aging appointed members of a task force to study legal services for seniors in California. The body met six times in 2002 and issued a report that recommended state financial support for senior legal services – local programs and the hotline – plus a more active role in leadership, communication, coordination, training, etc. by the Department of Aging.

Unfortunately, the state’s chronic fiscal crisis since then has kept the recommendations far on a back shelf – especially any measures that would cost money. But we hope that someday the means will be found for the state to support our work and that of the 38 local legal programs around California whose job is to assist individual seniors in need and advocate for their broader interests.

Suggestions on how to move the process forward are welcome. We can put you in touch with others working on the matter. You may want to view a chart that shows federal and state funding amounts for senior legal hotlines around the country. It especially spotlights how sparse California’s funding is, taking population size into consideration.