Bill Text: WV HCR111 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the issues, needs and challenges facing senior citizens
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-12 - Communicated to Senate [HCR111 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2016-HCR111-Introduced.html
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 111
(By Delegates Rowan, Romine, Cooper, Wagner, Kelly, Perdue, Campbell, Moye, Perry, Duke, Ambler, Border, A. Evans, D. Evans, Ferro, Hartman, Moore, Overington and Shaffer)
[Originating in the Committee on Senior Issues; Reported on March 2016]
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the issues, needs and challenges facing senior citizens in this state and to study the feasibility of developing and providing additional effective tools, resources and best practices to address the health, safety, welfare and other concerns of our senior citizens.
Whereas, West Virginia has the second largest percentage of senior population in the nation; over sixteen percent of West Virginians are senior citizens sixty-five years of age or older and it has been projected that by 2035, the senior citizen population will constitute almost one fourth of the state’s total population; and
Whereas, It is well known that many of our seniors lack adequate resources and have limited financial ability to meet their needs for increased services for the necessities of life, such as personal care, health care, housing, utilities, nutrition, transportation, mobility needs and ultimately, long-term care which they need and have the decreasing ability to provide for themselves as they mature; and
Whereas, Findings from recent studies reveal several negative trends of seniors in this state: approximately forty-five percent of West Virginia seniors have a disability, compared to thirty-seven percent nationally; one in three elder state residents is in fair to poor health; for approximately one in three seniors, Social Security is the sole source of income; and relatively few of those seniors eligible take advantage of other supports like the SNAP program or utility assistance; and
Whereas, The increasing demand for current public, as well as private senior services in West Virginia already has become an increasing topic of concern by public as well as private agencies and service providers serving seniors in the state as well as various private senior advocacy groups; and
Whereas, There is an increase of children being raised in this state by senior grandparents who assume the responsibility to care for these children because of unstable parents; these seniors in many instances face difficulties or are denied the ability to attend to the child=s educational needs and may be denied other public benefits available for the child as a result of not having proper legal guardianship or custody, thereby resulting in increased physical, emotional and financial strain on these senior grandparents; and
Whereas, These senior demographic trends are going to have increasing consequences for senior citizens and their families as well as on the many state and local programs that provide senior services; and
Whereas, The Legislature finds that these emerging complex issues facing seniors today and in the immediate future in this state need to be addressed by a comprehensive study and examination; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to study the issues, needs and challenges facing senior citizens in this state and to study the feasibility of developing and providing additional effective tools, resources and best practices to address the health, safety, welfare and other concerns of our senior citizens; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session, 2017, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report, and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
