FIRST REGULAR SESSION
93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CHAPPELLE-NADAL.
Read 1st time March 1, 2005 and copies ordered printed.
STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 660.620 and 660.625, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to the office of advocacy and assistance for the elderly.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 660.620 and 660.625, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 660.620 and 660.625, to read as follows:
660.620. 1. There is hereby established an "Office of Advocacy and Assistance for [the Elderly] Senior Citizens" within the office of lieutenant governor.
2. The [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall coordinate activities with the long-term care ombudsman program, as defined in section 660.600, on complaints made by or on behalf of [elderly persons] senior citizens residing in long-term care facilities.
3. The [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall conduct a suitable investigation into any actions complained of unless the [elderly] senior citizen advocate finds that the complaint pertains to a matter outside the scope of the authority of the [elderly] senior citizen advocate, the complainant has no substantive or procedural interest which is directly affected by the matter complained about, or the complaint is trivial, frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith.
4. After completing his investigation of a complaint, the [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall inform the complainant, the agency, official or employee of action recommended by the [elderly] senior citizen advocate. The [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall make such reports and recommendations to the affected agencies, the governor and the general assembly as he deems necessary to further the purposes of sections 660.620 and 660.625.
5. The [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall, in conjunction with the division of [aging] senior services, act as a clearing house for information pertaining to and of interest to [the elderly] senior citizens and shall disseminate such information as is necessary to inform [elderly persons] senior citizens of their rights and of governmental and nongovernmental services available to them.
660.625. The [elderly] senior citizen advocate shall maintain confidentiality with respect to all matters, including the identities of the complainants or witnesses coming before [him] the senior citizen advocate unless the complainant consents to the use of his or her name in the course of the investigation.