| 11 | 17 | | |
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| 12 | 18 | | |
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| 13 | 19 | | |
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| 14 | 20 | | AN ACT CONCERNING SENIOR CE NTERS. |
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| 15 | 21 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General |
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| 16 | 22 | | Assembly convened: |
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| 17 | 23 | | |
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| 18 | 24 | | Section 1. Section 7-127b of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 |
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| 19 | 25 | | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2 |
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| 20 | 26 | | (a) The chief elected official or the chief executive officer if by 3 |
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| 21 | 27 | | ordinance of each municipality shall appoint a municipal agent for 4 |
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| 22 | 28 | | elderly persons. Such agent shall be a staff member of a senior center, a 5 |
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| 23 | 29 | | member of an agency that serves elderly persons in the municipality or 6 |
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| 24 | 30 | | a responsible resident of the municipality who has demonstrated an 7 |
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| 25 | 31 | | interest in the elderly or has been involved in programs in the field of 8 |
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| 26 | 32 | | aging. 9 |
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| 27 | 33 | | (b) The duties of the municipal agent may include, but shall not be 10 |
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| 28 | 34 | | limited to: [,] (1) [disseminating] Disseminating information to elderly 11 |
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| 29 | 35 | | persons, assisting such persons in learning about the community 12 |
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| 30 | 36 | | resources available to them and publicizing such resources and 13 |
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| 31 | 37 | | benefits; (2) assisting elderly persons to apply for federal and other 14 |
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| 32 | 38 | | benefits available to such persons; and (3) reporting to the chief elected 15 |
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| 43 | 49 | | (c) Each municipal agent shall serve for a term of two or four years, 20 |
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| 44 | 50 | | at the discretion of the appointing authority of each municipality, and 21 |
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| 45 | 51 | | may be reappointed. If more than one agent is necessary to carry out 22 |
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| 46 | 52 | | the purposes of this section, the appointing authority, in its discretion, 23 |
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| 47 | 53 | | may appoint one or more assistant agents. The town clerk in each 24 |
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| 48 | 54 | | municipality shall notify the Department of Rehabilitation Services 25 |
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| 49 | 55 | | immediately of the appointment of a new municipal agent. Each 26 |
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| 50 | 56 | | municipality may provide to its municipal agent resources sufficient 27 |
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| 51 | 57 | | for such agent to perform the duties of the office. 28 |
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| 52 | 58 | | (d) The Department of Rehabilitation Services shall adopt and 29 |
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| 53 | 59 | | disseminate to municipalities guidelines as to the role and duties of 30 |
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| 54 | 60 | | municipal agents and such informational and technical materials as 31 |
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| 55 | 61 | | may assist such agents in performance of their duties. The department, 32 |
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| 56 | 62 | | in cooperation with the area agencies on aging, may provide training 33 |
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| 57 | 63 | | for municipal agents within the available resources of the department 34 |
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| 58 | 64 | | and of the area agencies on aging. 35 |
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| 59 | 65 | | Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) Any one or more 36 |
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| 60 | 66 | | municipalities, or any one or more private organizations that serve 37 |
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| 61 | 67 | | older persons and are designated to act as agents of one or more 38 |
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| 62 | 68 | | municipalities, may establish a multipurpose senior center, as defined 39 |
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| 63 | 69 | | in Title I of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended from time to 40 |
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| 64 | 70 | | time. Such senior center shall facilitate evaluation, planning, 41 |
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| 65 | 71 | | coordination and implementation of programs and services, including, 42 |
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| 66 | 72 | | but not limited to, those relating to (1) health, including mental and 43 |
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| 67 | 73 | | behavioral health; (2) social, nutritional and educational services; and 44 |
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| 68 | 74 | | (3) recreational activities for older persons. 45 |
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| 69 | 75 | | (b) A multipurpose senior center established pursuant to subsection 46 |
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| 70 | 76 | | (a) of this section may provide, but need not be limited to, the 47 |
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| 75 | | - | transportation; (9) peer counseling; (10) financial and retirement 52 Substitute Bill No. 7102 |
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| 87 | + | transportation; (9) peer counseling; (10) financial and retirement 52 |
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| 88 | + | counseling; (11) arts programs; and (12) case management services. 53 |
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| 89 | + | Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) Within available 54 |
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| 90 | + | appropriations, the Department of Rehabilitation Services shall 55 |
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| 91 | + | provide assistance to senior centers including, but not limited to, the 56 |
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| 92 | + | following duties: (1) Establishment and maintenance of a list of senior 57 |
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| 93 | + | centers and municipal services for older persons; (2) establishment and 58 |
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| 94 | + | maintenance of a list of resources for staff of senior centers and 59 |
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| 95 | + | municipal services for older persons; (3) technical assistance to staff of 60 |
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| 96 | + | senior centers and municipal services for older persons through direct 61 |
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| 97 | + | assistance or referral to expert resources; (4) regular communication to 62 |
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| 98 | + | staff of senior centers and municipal services for older persons of 63 |
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| 99 | + | information about local, state and federal support, and services of 64 |
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| 100 | + | interest to senior centers and municipal services for older persons; and 65 |
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| 101 | + | (5) establishment and facilitation of a state-wide senior center work 66 |
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| 102 | + | group as described in subsection (b) of this section. The Commissioner 67 |
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| 103 | + | of Rehabilitation Services shall assign or appoint necessary personnel 68 |
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| 104 | + | to perform such duties. 69 |
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| 105 | + | (b) The Department of Rehabilitation Services shall establish a state-70 |
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| 106 | + | wide senior center work group comprised of, but not limited to: (1) 71 |
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| 107 | + | The Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services, or the commissioner's 72 |
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| 108 | + | designee; (2) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the 73 |
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| 109 | + | commissioner's designee; (3) two representatives of the Connecticut 74 |
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| 110 | + | Association of Senior Center Personnel; (4) one representative of the 75 |
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| 111 | + | Connecticut Association of Municipal Agents for the Elderly; (5) one 76 |
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| 112 | + | representative of the Connecticut Local Administrators of Social 77 |
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| 113 | + | Services; (6) five representatives of senior centers, with one from each 78 |
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| 114 | + | of the five planning and service areas, as described in section 17a-304 79 |
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| 115 | + | of the general statutes; (7) one representative from a nonprofit senior 80 |
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| 116 | + | center; and (8) one representative from a senior center that is 81 Raised Bill No. 7102 |
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| 82 | | - | counseling; (11) arts programs; and (12) case management services. 53 |
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| 123 | + | accredited by the National Institute of Senior Centers. 82 |
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| 124 | + | (c) The senior center work group shall ensure a coordinated plan of 83 |
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| 125 | + | development for senior centers and municipal services for older 84 |
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| 126 | + | persons and shall: (1) Develop an annual plan for the support and 85 |
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| 127 | + | development of senior centers and municipal services for older 86 |
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| 128 | + | persons, including, but not limited to, training needs and the 87 |
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| 129 | + | coordination of existing resources; (2) evaluate the feasibility of 88 |
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| 130 | + | implementing standards for the delivery of core services and make 89 |
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| 131 | + | recommendations for such standards, including, but not limited to, 90 |
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| 132 | + | recommending standards that allow for parity of core services across 91 |
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| 133 | + | municipalities while maintaining flexibility for delivery of those core 92 |
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| 134 | + | services; (3) consult with the five area agencies on aging and other 93 |
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| 135 | + | agencies; (4) facilitate coordination and communication between senior 94 |
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| 136 | + | centers and municipal services for older persons with executive branch 95 |
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| 137 | + | departments, including, but not limited to, the Departments of 96 |
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| 138 | + | Rehabilitation Services, Public Health, Transportation, Housing and 97 |
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| 139 | + | Mental Health and Addiction Services, and agencies and initiatives 98 |
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| 140 | + | that impact older persons in the community; (5) develop and provide 99 |
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| 141 | + | access to best practices and procedures for senior centers and 100 |
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| 142 | + | municipal services for older persons; and (6) make recommendations 101 |
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| 143 | + | to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 102 |
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| 144 | + | cognizance of matters relating to human services, housing, public 103 |
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| 145 | + | health and transportation for any necessary appropriations or 104 |
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| 146 | + | legislative changes. 105 |
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