New laws in California govern the safety, care and accountability of providers who deliver services to people living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed several pieces of legislation that further advance the state’s Master Plan for Aging. The policies were designed to help reform the state’s aging services ahead of 2030, when one in four Californians will be aged 60 or more years, according to the governor’s office.
AB 2541 requires law enforcement to be trained in preventing and responding to wandering people who have Alzheimer’s, another form of dementia or autism. The state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training has until Jan. 1, 2026, to develop guidelines for the training.
The bill had the support of LeadingAge California and the California Assisted Living Association.
“This is an important step forward for ensuring training and communication among and within various law enforcement agencies, emergency management agencies and transportation providers, among others, and implementing technological solutions to help protect Californias with cognitive impairment,” CALA President and CEO Sally Michael told McKnight’s Senior Living.
“Finding people quickly is key, because the survival rate drops dramatically the longer it takes to find the missing person,” Jasmeet Bains, chair of the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, said in a statement. “It is imperative that our law enforcement agencies are effectively trained to help families prevent wandering and to respond effectively and quickly when these individuals do wander.”
Another new law, from SB 639, requires healthcare providers who deliver care to older adults for at least 25% of their practice to take continuing education courses in geriatrics and dementia care. The bill was supported by CALA and LeadingAge California, among other organizations.
Michael said that passage of the bill will result in earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, increased access to innovative treatments and improved outcomes overall.
“As the number of individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia increases, it is imperative that we meet the needs of those living with cognitive impairment with empathy and compassion,” LeadingAge California General Counsel and Chief Government Affairs Officer Meghan Rose told McKnight’s Senior Living. AB 2541 and SB 639 will “bolster aging services providers with the proper resources and support,” she added.
Other successful legislation, SB 1249, updates the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act of 1996 to create a “stronger and more efficient long-term services and supports infrastructure” by increasing local control and promoting integrated, performance-based programs, Michael said.
According to a summary of the bill, the legislation recognizes the state’s major demographic shift toward an older, more diverse population: California is projected to be home to 10.8 million people aged 60 and older by 2030.
By Sept. 30, 2026, the California Department of Aging must identify core programs and services for older adults and family caregivers and must develop a statewide consumer engagement plan to raise public awareness of those programs and services, identify access points and improve outreach to underrepresented communities. The bill also will replace the word “senior” and similar terminology with “older adult” in the updated Mello-Granlund Oldder Californians Act.
LeadingAge California said it took a neutral position on SB 1249 due to “lingering concerns about unintended reductions in service delivery in rural and frontier counties.”
“One of the strengths of California’s long-term services and supports system resides in each Area Agencies on Aging’s ability to create and adapt hyperlocal networks to meet the needs of the unique geographies of their service areas,” Rose said. “We will continue to work with the AAAs and the state to ensure that SB 1249 is implemented in a way to protect this flexibility so that older adults can benefit from AAA supports regardless of where they live.”
