Amendment #538 to H3400

Commission to Study Elder Economic Security

Representatives O'Day of West Boylston, Hecht of Watertown, Fox of Boston, Cantwell of Marshfield, Miceli of Wilmington, Timilty of Milton, Keefe of Worcester, Rogers of Cambridge, Khan of Newton and Garry of Dracut move to amend the bill by adding the following section:

Section XXXX.

There shall be a special commission to make an investigation and study of elder economic security and to make recommendations to increase elder economic security where appropriate and necessary.  The special commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs of the committee on elder affairs, or their designees, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of elder affairs, or a designee; the undersecretary of the office of consumer affairs and business regulation, or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Home Care Programs, or a designee; the state director of AARP Massachusetts, or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging Inc., or a designee; the president of the Alzheimer’s Association, or a designee; the executive director of Massachusetts Senior Action Council, or a designee; the executive director of Mass. Association of Older Americans, or a designee; the director of the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston, or a designee, a legal services attorney specializing in elder law, or a designee; and 4 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a member of the Massachusetts bar who specializes in the area of elder law, 1 of whom shall be an expert in geriatric mental health, 1 of whom shall be an expert in financial services, and 1 of whom shall be an expert in home care service delivery.

The commission shall examine strategies to increase elder economic security and enable older residents to remain in the Commonwealth and in their communities.  The commission shall assess older adults’ current levels of economic security, identify the policy and program options now available to older adults, and consider best practices for enhancing elder economic security, including but not limited to, using measures such as the Massachusetts Elder Economic Security Standard.  Finally, the commission will  assess current state and local programming and related funding needed to increase economic security for the growing elder population.

The commission, in formulating its recommendations, shall take into account the best policies and practices in other states and jurisdictions.  The commission shall be empowered to hold regular public meetings, fact-finding hearings and other public forums as it considers necessary.

The commission shall file its recommendations, together with recommendations for legislation, if any, with the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate on or before June 30, 2014.”