Bill > H4460

This bill establishes a task force on Massachusetts older adults of all incomes, which will study individuals aged 60 and older, including their demographics, geographic distribution, program and support needs, work status (both paid and unpaid), and community engagement. The task force's responsibilities include identifying current and future needs and recommending strategies to ensure culturally competent services and opportunities are available to older adults across all income levels, enabling them to meet their needs based on their choices, finances, and abilities. The task force will comprise 13 members, including legislative chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs, the secretary of elder affairs, the assistant secretary for MassHealth (a state program providing health services to low-income individuals), the secretary of veterans’ services, representatives from academic and health foundations, and older adults representing various organizations like local councils on aging, the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, AARP Massachusetts, the Multicultural Coalition on Aging, and unpaid caregivers. This task force can form advisory committees, hold public meetings, and conduct hearings, and must submit a report with its findings and recommendations to state leadership within 18 months of its first meeting, after which it will expire on July 31, 2018.