SB 219 – Seniors Long Term Care Bill of Rights Author: Senator Scott Wiener, 11th District Sponsor: Equality California In Brief The Solution SB 219 strengthens protections for lesbian, SB 219 will ensure that LGBT older adults can gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) seniors advocate for their rights and dignity by living in long-term care facilities against specifically prohibiting discrimination in discrimination, such as refusing to use a admissions, transfer, eviction, room resident’s preferred name or pronoun, denying assignment, and visitation. As an example, the admission to a long-term care facility, bill requires that facility staff respect transferring a resident within a facility or to transgender and gender non-conforming another facility based on anti-LGBT attitudes of people’s identity and expression for room other residents, or evicting or involuntarily assignments, preferred names and pronouns, discharging a resident from a facility on the and dress. In addition, SB 219 requires each basis of their actual or perceived sexual long-term care facility to include information orientation, gender identity, gender expression about the specific needs of LGBT seniors in or HIV status. posted notices wherever their current nondiscrimination policy is posted. This bill Background furthers previous efforts to ensure dignity and respect for LGBT older adults in California by California already provides some of the increasing awareness of their rights as strongest civil rights protections in the nation enumerated specifically and imposing to LGBT people in all aspects of their lives, consequences for violations. including housing and public accommodations. This bill is needed to affirm the protections that Support LGBT older adults can already rely on under California law and provide specific guidance to Equality California (Sponsor) facilities and staff on caring for their residents, American Civil Liberties Union including the specific needs of LGBT seniors. APLA Health California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform The Issues Justice in Aging FORGE LGBT elders are disproportionally vulnerable to National Association of Social Workers, marginalization, isolation, homelessness, California Chapter poverty, and premature institutionalization. National Center for Lesbian Rights When LGBT older adults need long-term care, National Center for Transgender Equality they face significant barriers to accessing care San Francisco Human Rights Commission that is culturally competent, safe, and The Source LGBT+ Center respectful. In one national survey, LGBT Older Transgender Law Center Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities: Stories from the Field, less than a quarter of LGBT For More Information older adult respondents said they were able to be open about their sexual orientation or Jo Michael, Legislative Manager gender identity with staff at long-term care Equality California facilities, and 89 percent of respondents were 619-204-4995 concerned about facing discrimination from [email protected] staff. Tragically, many LGBT elders either face these risks of discrimination head-on or go Victor Ruiz-Cornejo back into the closet, often after living openly Office of Senator Scott Wiener for many years. 415-557-1300 [email protected] .