| R 320 |
| 2023 -- H 5224 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 05/11/2023 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS PERTAINING TO SERVICES AND COORDINATION OF STATE PROGRAMS RELATING TO OLDER ADULT RHODE ISLANDERS |
Introduced By: Representatives Carson, Azzinaro, Noret, Donovan, Kazarian, Alzate, Knight, Fogarty, and Ajello |
| Date Introduced: January 25, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, Today, more than 240,000 Rhode Island residents are age 60 or older and by |
| 2040, it is estimated that that figure will rise to almost 265,000, constituting an increase of nearly |
| 75 percent over 30 years; and |
| WHEREAS, A collaborative study of Rhode Island's current services and |
| recommendations for potential initiatives that would help residents, agencies, providers, and the |
| government to better assist the growing population of older adults in our state achieve wellbeing |
| and maximum independence in ways that value, empower and engage them is essential to our |
| State's future resilience and prosperity; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of sixteen (16) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island |
| House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by |
| the Speaker of the House; two (2) of whom shall be Rhode Island residents over the age of sixty- |
| five (65), to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of the |
| Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH), or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the |
| Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging, or designee; three (3) of whom shall be Directors from RI |
| Senior Center Director's Association, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom |
| shall be a Community Action Program Director from the Rhode Island Association of |
| Community Action Agencies, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be |
| the Director of the AARP Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the RI |
| Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC), to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; |
| one of whom shall be the Executive Director of Age-Friendly RI, or designee; one of whom shall |
| be the Director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI; or designee; and one of whom shall be a |
| member of a Rhode Island organization representing adults with disabilities, to be appointed by |
| the Speaker of the House. |
| In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory |
| commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly |
| resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu |
| of a legislator. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of key statistics |
| and information about services for older adults in Rhode Island including, but not limited to: |
| Examine strengths, vulnerabilities, and demographic and financial statistics of older adult |
| Rhode Islanders; |
| Assess the current State, Federal and local services currently available to older adult |
| Rhode Islanders; |
| Examine any duplication of elderly services within the State; |
| Provide recommendations to institute, integrate, collaborate, and implement initiatives |
| that eliminate red tape, coordinate services within agencies, and focus on better |
| delivery of services and programs related to older adult Rhode Islanders, including |
| older adult housing options and various living arrangements, health status and |
| healthcare resources; |
| Provide recommendations for the creation of a portal to provide and coordinate aging |
| programs and services in the areas of employment, education, independent living, |
| accessibility and advocacy, as well as local older adult centers and services; |
| Provide recommendations on mental health, transportation, food access, and healthcare; |
| Review and provide recommendations for the funding of services through State, Federal, |
| and private grants and provide recommendations for more efficient distribution and |
| use of these dollars; and |
| Explore and provide recommendations for more regionalization of services. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at |
| the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson from among the |
| legislators. The commission shall hold two (2) of its meetings in local communities. |
| Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| All departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters |
| for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the |
| House of Representatives no later than May 7, 2024, and said commission shall expire on August |
| 7, 2024. |
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| LC000184/SUB A/3 |
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