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1H.800
2 Introduced by Representatives Cole of Hartford, Maguire of Rutland City,
3McFaun of Barre Town, and McGill of Bridport
4 Referred to Committee on
5 Date:
6 Subject: Human services; older Vermonters; area agencies on aging
7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require a
8 single, statewide area agency on aging for the State of Vermont and to revise
9 the agency’s duties to include a focus on coordinating with other service
10 providers in delivering services and supports to older Vermonters.
11    An act relating to a single, statewide area agency on aging
12 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
13* * * Single Area Agency on Aging * * *
14 Sec. 1. 33 V.S.A. § 6203 is amended to read:
15 § 6203. DEFINITIONS
16    As used in this subchapter:
17(1) “Area agency on aging” means an the organization designated by the
18 State to develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated system of
19 services, supports, and protections for older Vermonters, family caregivers,
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1 and kinship caregivers within a defined planning and service area of across the
2 State.
3***
4(13) “State Plan on Aging” means the plan required by the Older
5 Americans Act that outlines the roles and responsibilities of the State and the
6 area agencies agency on aging in administering and carrying out the Older
7 Americans Act.
8***
9 Sec. 2. 33 V.S.A. § 6205 is amended to read:
10 § 6205. AREA AGENCIES AGENCY ON AGING; DUTIES
11    (a) Consistent Vermont shall have a single, statewide area agency on aging,
12 which, consistent with the Older Americans Act and in consultation with local
13 home- and community-based service providers, each area agency on aging
14 shall:
15(1) develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated system of
16 services, supports, and protections for older Vermonters, family caregivers,
17 and kinship caregivers within the agency’s designated service area across
18 Vermont, in alignment with the Vermont Action Plan for Aging Well
19 developed pursuant to 2020 Acts and Resolves No. 156, Sec. 3;
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1(2) concentrate resources on direct services, including case
2 management, and target services and supports to older Vermonters with the
3 greatest economic and social need;
4(3) perform regional needs assessments to identify existing resources
5 and gaps;
6(4) develop an area plan with goals, objectives, and performance
7 measures, and a corresponding budget, and submit them to the State Unit on
8 Aging for approval;
9(5) concentrate resources, build community partnerships, and enter into
10 cooperate agreements with agencies and organizations for delivery of services,
11 including coordinating with senior centers, Meals on Wheels programs, and
12 community action agencies and collaborating with Vermont’s parent-child
13 centers in providing supports to Vermonters who are caring for their aging
14 parents while raising their own children; the cooperate agreements shall
15 require minimal administrative costs and include a clear accounting of the use
16 of funds received pursuant to the Older Americans Act;
17(6) coordinate services with the Agency of Human Services field offices
18 to utilize existing administrative infrastructure and ensure that services and
19 supports are available throughout the State;
20(7) designate community focal points for colocation of supports and
21 services for older Vermonters;
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1(8) notify relevant providers when applying for direct service waivers;
2(9) develop and implement clear and understandable statewide
3 eligibility criteria for home-delivered and congregate meals, in consultation
4 with providers of these services, which shall include applicable funding
5 formulas and analyses of meal costs; and
6(7)(10) conduct outreach activities to identify individuals eligible for
7 assistance.
8    (b) In addition to the duties described in subsection (a) of this section, the
9 area agencies agency on aging shall:
10(1) promote the principles established in section 6202 of this subchapter
11 across the agencies’ agency’s programs and shall collaborate with stakeholders
12 to educate the public about the importance of each principle;
13(2) promote collaboration with a network of service providers to provide
14 a holistic approach to improving health outcomes for older Vermonters; and
15(3) use their existing area plans to facilitate awareness of aging issues,
16 needs, and services and to promote the system principles expressed in section
17 6202 of this subchapter;
18(4) ensure that any marketing or fundraising materials issued by or on
19 behalf of the agency recognize the efforts of the direct service providers with
20 whom the agency contracts to deliver services; and
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1(5) report annually on or before January 15 to the Commissioner of
2 Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, the House Committee on Human
3 Services, and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare regarding the
4 number of individuals who were enrolled in services and supports funded by
5 the agency during the previous calendar year and the number of individuals
6 who sought but were denied those services and supports.
7* * * Conforming Revisions * * *
8 Sec. 3. 3 V.S.A. § 3085b is amended to read:
9 § 3085b. COMMISSION ON ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED
10DISORDERS
11***
12    (b) The Commission shall be composed of 21 members: the
13 Commissioners of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living and of Health
14 or designees, the Executive Director of Blueprint for Health or designee, one
15 Senator chosen by the Senate Committee on Committees, one Representative
16 chosen by the Speaker of the House, and 16 members appointed by the
17 Governor. The members appointed by the Governor shall represent the
18 following groups and organizations: physicians; social workers; hospitals and
19 nursing home managers, including the administrators of the Vermont Veterans’
20 Home; the clergy; adult day center providers; registered nurses; residential care
21 home operators; family care providers; the home health agency; the legal
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1 profession; mental health service providers; the area agencies agency on aging;
2 University of Vermont’s Center on Aging; the Support and Services at Home
3 (SASH) program; and the Alzheimer’s Association. The members appointed
4 by the Governor shall have direct expertise or experience working with or
5 caring for individuals impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders,
6 expertise in clinical and medical research on Alzheimer’s disease and related
7 disorders, or knowledge of health systems and policies to equitably address
8 Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders and shall represent, to the degree
9 possible, the five regions of the State.
10***
11 Sec. 4. 14 V.S.A. § 3091 is amended to read:
12 § 3091. OFFICE OF PUBLIC GUARDIAN ESTABLISHED
13***
14    (b) The Commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and
15 Independent Living shall employ persons as public guardians to act as
16 designees of the Office and to carry out the duties of the Office of Public
17 Guardian. Public guardians shall be available for appointment in each of the
18 planning and service areas served by the area agencies on aging region of the
19 State.
20***
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1 Sec. 5. 14 V.S.A. § 3095 is amended to read:
2 § 3095. STATISTICS TO BE MAINTAINED
3    The Office of Public Guardian shall maintain annual statistics concerning
4 the public guardianship program. The statistics shall include at least the
5 following:
6(1) The number of wards for which the Office of Public Guardian was
7 appointed during the year for each planning service area served by the area
8 agencies on aging region of the State.
9***
10 Sec. 6. 33 V.S.A. § 6703 is amended to read:
11 § 6703. CONTRACT FOR SERVICES
12***
13    (b) The Commissioner shall not be required to enter into contracts under
14 this section if both of the following conditions are met:
15***
16(2) The Commissioner determines that the program is not accomplishing
17 its goal of protecting dual eligible individuals from improper denials of
18 Medicare coverage. The Commissioner shall base this determination on
19 information obtained from the contractors, providers of health care, the area
20 agencies agency on aging, and other individuals and organizations affected by
21 the program.
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1* * * Effective Date * * *
2 Sec. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE
3   This act shall take effect on October 1, 2026, and shall apply to the new
4 State Plan on Aging that becomes effective on that date.
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