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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2944 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 778
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Thomas M. Stanley
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to the LGBTQ aging commission.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex1/16/2025Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex1/16/2025Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/24/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2944 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 778
By Representatives Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose and Stanley of Waltham, a petition
(accompanied by bill, House, No. 778) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Thomas M. Stanley and
Patricia D. Jehlen relative to the long-term care needs of older LGBTQ adults and their
caregivers. Elder Affairs.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to the LGBTQ aging commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Section 71 of chapter 3 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out
2subsections (a) and (b), as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof
3the following 2 subsections:-
4 (a) There shall be a permanent commission on older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
5queer and questioning or LGBTQ, adults and their caregivers to consist of the following
6members or their designees: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs
7who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of elder affairs; the director of housing and
8community development; the commissioner of public health; the director of the LGBTQIA+
9Aging Project; the president of Fenway Health; the executive director of the Gay &
10Lesbian/GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Inc.; a representative of the New England
11Association on HIV Over Fifty, Inc.; the executive director of MassEquality; the executive
12director of Mass Home Care; the director of AARP Massachusetts; the executive director of the 2 of 3
13Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, Inc.; the director of the Massachusetts Senior
14Care Association, Inc.; the director of the Home Care Aides Council; and 5 members to be
15appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a member of the Massachusetts bar who practices
16elder law, 1 of whom shall be an expert in LGBTQ public policy or research and 3 LGBTQ older
17adults, at least 1 of whom shall be transgender. The governor's appointees shall ensure that the
18commission has at least 1 representative from each of the following areas: Cape Cod, western
19Massachusetts, and central Massachusetts.
20 (b) The commission shall investigate, analyze, and study the health, housing, financial,
21psychosocial, and long-term care needs of older LGBTQ adults and their caregivers and shall
22make recommendations to improve access to benefits and services where appropriate and
23necessary. In furtherance of its duties, the commission shall: (i) examine the impact of the
24commonwealth's policies and regulations on older LGBTQ adults and make recommendations to
25ensure equality of access, treatment, care and benefits; (ii) examine strategies to increase
26provider awareness of the needs of older LGBTQ adults and their caregivers and improve the
27competence of and access to treatment, services and ongoing care, including preventive care; (iii)
28assess the funding and programming needed to enhance services to the growing population of
29older LGBTQ adults; (iv) examine best practices for increasing access, reducing isolation,
30preventing abuse and exploitation, promoting independence and self-determination,
31strengthening caregiving, eliminating disparities and improving quality of life; (v) examine
32whether certain policies and practices, or the absence of certain policies and practice, promote
33the premature admission of older LGBTQ adults to institutional care; (vi) recommend, as
34appropriate and necessary, lower cost and culturally appropriate home and community-based
35alternatives to institutional care; (vii) examine the feasibility of developing statewide training 3 of 3
36curricula to improve provider competency in the delivery of health, housing and long-term
37support services to older LGBTQ adults and their caregivers; and (viii) examine outreach
38protocols to reduce apprehension among older LGBTQ adults and their caregivers of utilizing
39mainstream providers.