SACRAMENTO – Last week, Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) was recognized by the California Assisted Living Association (CALA) as their ‘Legislator of the Year’ for her work in improving the safety of California’s assisted living facilities through her bill AB 3098.
“CALA members thank Assemblymember Laura Friedman for her championing AB 3098 and inspiring ongoing, lasting improvements in emergency preparedness,” said Sally Michael, president, California Assisted Living Association.
Last year, Assemblymember Friedman authored AB 3098 in response to the hard lessons learned from the 2017 wildfires that devastated communities throughout our state. The measure, which was signed into law by Governor Brown, strengthened the emergency preparedness requirements for all residential care facilities for the elderly – ensuring that all staff are properly trained and equipped with a comprehensive emergency response plan in place.
“The 2017 wildfires taught us all valuable lessons about preparedness. I have always felt that as a policymaker, it is my duty to ensure that the laws and regulations that we have on the books actually protect our communities – especially our most vulnerable.” said Assemblymember Friedman. “We might not be able to prevent natural disasters, but we can certainly be better prepared for them.”
CALA is the statewide association for 625 assisted living providers and 150 associated businesses, ranging from small, independently operated facilities to large, multinational organizations. CALA members provide residential care services ranging from active living to dementia care and support in communities across the state.
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Laura Friedman represents the 43rd Assembly District which encompasses the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the communities of La Crescenta and Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Beachwood Canyon, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, and Silver Lake.