BILL REQ. #:  H-1057.2 

Read first time 02/01/13.   Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.

     AN ACT Relating to enacting planning measures to provide for the future long-term care services and supports needs of the aging population; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature makes the following findings:
     (1) By 2030 nearly twenty percent or one out of every five people in our state will be age sixty-five or older and by 2060 the population of people who are age eighty-five or older in our state will more than triple. This will affect every area of state government;
     (2) There is a need for increased focus and a planning to support the growing number of seniors and people with disabilities with Washington state. Planning is necessary across a broad range of policy areas including health, long-term services and supports, housing, transportation, financial security, and protections for vulnerable adults;
     (3) To address the growing demand for long-term services and supports, Washington state must do more to leverage private resources, support families so they can take care of their loved ones without having to resort to medicaid and help people plan for potential future costs;
     (4) In the past few decades, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to reform Washington's system of supports for seniors to emphasize home and community based options. These efforts have saved millions of dollars by preventing expensive institutional placements; and
     (5) Washington must begin planning for the future long-term services and supports needs of its residents by taking steps to grow its workforce, resources, and quality long-term services and supports, and identify alternative long-term care financing options to help families and reduce the rate of growth in medicaid.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) A joint legislative executive committee on aging and disability issues is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (a) The president of the senate shall appoint the chair of the senate committee with jurisdiction over long-term care policy as well as one additional member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate;
     (b) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the chair of the house committee with jurisdiction over long-term care policy as well as one additional member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives;
     (c) The governor shall appoint one member to service as a liaison to the committee;
     (d) The secretary of the department of social and health services or his or her designee; and
     (e) The director of the health care authority or his or her designee.
     (2) The joint committee must be convened by September 1, 2013. At the first meeting, the members of the joint committee shall select cochairs from among the committee members. The joint committee shall establish advisory committees, consisting of at least three stakeholders and chaired by a member of the joint committee, to focus on specific topic areas. All meetings of the joint committee and the advisory committees are open to the public.
     (3) The joint committee shall consult with the office of the insurance commissioner, the caseload forecast council, and other appropriate entities with specialized knowledge of the growing needs of the aging and disability populations.
     (4) The joint committee shall conduct the following activities:
     (a)(i) Establish a profile of Washington's current elderly and disabled population and its needs;
     (ii) Establish an inventory of the services and supports currently available to the elderly and disabled, including health care providers and facilities, long-term care providers and facilities, caregiver supports, public and private financing, transportation services, and housing;
     (iii) Assess the areas of the current system where the additional support is needed for Washington's current elderly population;
     (b)(i) Establish a profile of Washington's expected elderly and disabled population in 2025 and evaluate its anticipated needs;
     (ii) Establish an anticipated inventory of future services and supports that will be required to meet the needs of the elderly and disabled population in 2025;
     (c) Develop a strategy of actions that the state may take to prepare for the future demographic trends in the elderly and disabled populations and build the necessary capacity to meet these demands, including the identification of:
     (i) Statutory and regulatory changes to promote the most efficient use of resources, such as simplifying administrative procedures, facilitating points of entry into the long-term care services and supports system, and improving transitions between care settings;
     (ii) Practices for promoting the use of technology, chronic care management, and disability prevention programs to maintain the independence of the elderly and disabled populations;
     (iii) Caregiver supports;
     (iv) Specialized resources for populations with special needs, such as chronic conditions and dementia; and
     (v) Housing and transportation programs to help individuals who are elderly or disabled to maintain their independence.
     (5) Staff support for the joint committee must be provided by the senate committee services, the office of program research, and the office of financial management. The office of financial management shall designate staff of the department of social and health services to provide additional support to the joint committee.
     (6) The joint committee members may be reimbursed for travel expenses as authorized under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, and chapter 44.04 RCW as appropriate. Advisory committee members may not receive compensation or reimbursement for travel and expenses.
     (7) The expenses of the joint committee must be paid jointly by the senate, the house of representatives, and the office of financial management. Joint committee expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (8) The joint committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 10, 2014.
     (9) This section expires December 15, 2014.