2014 -- H 7361

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LC004127

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - THE AGING IN COMMUNITY

OF 2014

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Blazejewski, Diaz, Slater, Hull, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: February 06, 2014

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

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GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 66.11

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THE AGING IN COMMUNITY ACT OF 2014

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     42-66.11-1. Short title. -- This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Aging

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in Community Act of 2014."

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     42-66.11-2. Legislative findings. -- The legislature finds and declares:

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     (1) The number of Rhode Islanders sixty-five (65) years of age and older is projected by

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the state planning office to grow from 152,000 in 2010 to 189,000 in 2020 and to 248,000 by the

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year 2030.

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     (2) The 2010 U.S. Census established that Rhode Island had the highest percentage of

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persons age eighty-five (85) years and older, an age group that has the highest dependency needs

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and an increased need for long-term care services and supports.

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     (3) Surveys consistently show most older persons prefer to remain in their own homes

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and community for as long as possible.

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     (4) Community-based support services and programs such as meals on wheels, caregiver

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support and respite services and senior centers, play important roles in helping older persons to

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"Age in Community" thereby preventing or postponing institutionalization, reducing Medicaid

 

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costs for long-term care facilities, and reducing caregiver burden.

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     (5) Adequate funding for demonstrated cost-effective home and community support

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services such as meals on wheels, caregiver support and respite programs is essential to reducing

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the use of long-term care facilities by low care residents, to saving Medicaid costs for the state,

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and to helping unpaid caregivers keep frail elders and adults with disabilities living at home.

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     (6) State funds to support meals on wheels and respite services decreased by sixty-three

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percent (63%) from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2014 and there exists a waiting list for these

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essential services.

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     42-66.11-3. The aging in community fund - Purpose and establishment. -- There is

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hereby created and established the "Aging in Community Fund" within the division of elderly

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affairs in the department of human services. The purpose of the fund is to provide grants to meals

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on wheels and caregiver support and respite programs that promote older persons' ability to

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remain living in their own homes and communities. For fiscal year 2014-2015, the general

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assembly hereby appropriates an additional five hundred seventy-five thousand dollars

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($575,000) for aging in community grants to be allocated as follows: three hundred thousand

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dollars ($300,000) in added funding for meals on wheels to reduce waiting lists and to provide for

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emergency food distributions and two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($275,000) in added

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funds for caregiver support and respite services. The secretary of health and human services shall

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report to the governor, the legislature and the long-term care coordinating council chair on the

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status of any waiting lists for meals on wheels, caregiver support and respite services and state

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funded home and community-based long-term care as part of the annual budget request.

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     42-66.11-4. The aging in community plan. -- The chair of the state long-term care

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coordinating council shall create an aging in community subcommittee whose purpose shall be to

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develop a plan to provide the needed infrastructure and program improvements in support

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services, housing and transportation that will enable the state's growing elder population to safely

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remain living at home and in community settings. The aging in community plan shall include an

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inventory of available services, identification of service and program gaps and resource needs. In

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addition to members of the long-term care coordinating council, the subcommittee shall include

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those members of the state's academic community with expertise in aging services and

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community-based long-term supports and services as the council deems appropriate.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2014.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - THE AGING IN COMMUNITY

OF 2014

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     This act would establish and create a fund within the department of elderly affairs to

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assist the elderly population to remain living in their homes and communities. The initial

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appropriation for the fund would be an additional five hundred seventy-five thousand dollars

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($575,000) to be distributed in grants of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in added

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funding for the meals on wheels program and two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars

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($275,000) in added funding for caregiver support and respite services.

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     The act would also require that the Long-Term Care Coordinating Council create a

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subcommittee to develop a plan to provide needed improvements in support services, housing and

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transportation for the elderly and to inventory available services, identify service and program

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gaps and resource needs.

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     This act would take effect on July 1, 2014.

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