Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H775 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1082 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 775
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John J. Lawn, Jr.
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act establishing a commission on aging disabled adults.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:John J. Lawn, Jr.10th Middlesex1/14/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1082 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 775
18	18	By Representative Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 775) of John
19	19	J. Lawn, Jr. for legislation to establish a commission on aging disabled adults. Elder Affairs.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act establishing a commission on aging disabled adults.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 3 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is
29	29	2hereby amended by inserting after section 75 the following section:-
30	30	3 Section 76. (a) There shall be a special commission established pursuant to section 2A of
31	31	4chapter 4 of the General Laws to study the aging disabled adult population in the commonwealth.
32	32	5The commission shall consist of: 1 member of the house of representatives appointed by the
33	33	6speaker of the house, who shall serve as co-chair; 1 member of the senate appointed by the
34	34	7senate president, who shall serve as co-chair; the secretary of the executive office of aging and
35	35	8independence or a designee; the director of housing and community development or a designee;
36	36	9the commissioner of public health or a designee; the director of the LGBT Aging Project or a
37	37	10designee; a representative of the National Association on HIV Over Fifty, Inc.; the executive
38	38	11director of Mass Home Care or a designee; the director of AARP Massachusetts or a designee;
39	39	12the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, Inc. or a designee;
40	40	13the director of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, Inc. or a designee; the director of the 2 of 3
41	41	14Home Care Aides Council or a designee and 5 members to be appointed by the governor, 1 of
42	42	15whom shall be a member of the Massachusetts bar who practices elder law, 1 of whom shall be
43	43	16an expert in adult disability public policy or research and 3 aging disabled adults. The governor's
44	44	17appointees shall ensure that the commission has at least 1 representative from each of the
45	45	18following areas: Cape Cod, western Massachusetts and central Massachusetts.
46	46	19 (b) The commission shall investigate, analyze and study the health, housing, financial,
47	47	20social, psychosocial and long-term care needs of aging disabled adults and their caregivers and
48	48	21shall make recommendations to improve access to benefits and services where appropriate and
49	49	22necessary. In furtherance of its duties, the commission shall: (i) examine the impact of the
50	50	23commonwealth's policies and regulations on aging disabled adults and make recommendations to
51	51	24ensure equality of access, treatment, care and benefits; (ii) examine strategies to increase
52	52	25provider awareness of the needs of aging disabled adults and their caregivers and improve the
53	53	26competence of and access to treatment, services and ongoing care, including preventive care; (iii)
54	54	27assess the funding and programming needed to enhance services to the growing population of
55	55	28aging disabled adults; (iv) examine best practices for increasing access, reducing isolation,
56	56	29preventing abuse and exploitation, promoting independence and self-determination,
57	57	30strengthening caregiving, eliminating disparities and improving quality of life; (v) examine
58	58	31whether certain policies and practices, or the absence of certain policies and practice, promote
59	59	32the premature admission of aging disabled adults to institutional care; (vi) recommend, as
60	60	33appropriate and necessary, lower cost and culturally appropriate home and community-based
61	61	34alternatives to institutional care; (vii) examine the feasibility of developing statewide training
62	62	35curricula to improve provider competency in the delivery of health, housing and long-term
63	63	36support services to aging disabled adults and their caregivers; and (viii) examine outreach 3 of 3
64	64	37protocols to reduce apprehension among aging disabled adults and their caregivers of utilizing
65	65	38mainstream providers.
66	66	39 (c) The commission, in formulating its recommendations, shall consider the best policies
67	67	40and practices in other states and jurisdictions. The commission may hold regular public
68	68	41meetings, fact-finding hearings and other public forums as it considers necessary.
69	69	42 (d) The commission may accept and solicit funds, including any gifts, donations, grants
70	70	43or bequests or any federal funds to further the purposes of this section. These funds shall be
71	71	44deposited in a separate account with the state treasurer, shall be received by the treasurer on
72	72	45behalf of the commonwealth and shall be expended by the commission in accordance with law.
73	73	46 (e) The commission shall submit a report on its activities and findings, including any
74	74	47recommendations, to the governor, the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and
75	75	48the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs and shall file at least 1 report
76	76	49by December 31 in the even-numbered years.