Amendment #382 to H4200

Elder Affairs Technology Training

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Hill of Ipswich, Poirier of North Attleborough, Gifford of Wareham, Frost of Auburn and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by adding the following new section:

“SECTION XX. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission established to study and develop a statewide training course on technology to be offered to senior citizens in the Commonwealth. The commission shall work in conjunction with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The focus of the course will be to provide a universal training program for the purpose of teaching senior citizens how to best utilize modern technology. The course shall include materials on the use of computers, including mouse and keyboard functionality, internal settings, email, social communication platforms and other items identified by the commission to be of important value. In addition, the course shall include a segment on usage of a “smart” phone.

The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs, who shall be the co-chairs; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education or their designees; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; the secretary of  the executive office of elder affairs or a designee; 3 representatives of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners;  2 representatives of the Council on Aging; and 2  residents of the Commonwealth who are 65 years or older.

The commission shall submit its finalized proposal for the educational course, along with any recommendations, to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on elder affairs, the joint committee on education and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate by February 1, 2017.”

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #382 to H4200

Elder Affairs Technology Training