Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Health Care & Wellness Committee

SSB 5436

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background:

The 2013-15 operating budget established the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging and Disability Issues (Committee). The Committee was comprised of four members of the House of Representatives, four members of the Senate, and four representatives from the following Executive Branch agencies: the Governor's Office, the Department of Retirement Systems, the Health Care Authority, and the Department of Social and Health Services.

The Committee was formed to identify strategies to prepare for the aging of Washington's population. It was specifically tasked with:

profiling Washington's older population and population with disabilities;
inventorying services and supports for aging and disabled populations;
reviewing ways to slow the growth rate of state expenditures for these populations;
considering ways to promote health and meet the health care needs of these populations;
identifying financing options and ways to encourage private saving for long-term care needs;
considering ways to promote financial security in retirement and support those remaining in the workforce; and
reviewing community options for housing, land use, and transportation.

The Committee met for two interims and issued its final report in December 2015. The Committee's final report covered the following 10 categories of policy options: insurance, Community First Choice Option, retirement planning, long-term care planning, client safety, system changes, Committee continuance, healthy living, technology, and workforce.

Summary of Bill:

The Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging and Disability (Committee) is established. The Committee is comprised of 12 members, including four from the House of Representatives, four from the Senate, and four from the Executive Branch. The members from the Executive Branch are representatives from the Governor's Office, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Health Care Authority, and the Department of Retirement Systems.

The stated purpose of the Committee is to identify strategic actions to prepare for the aging of the population by:

establishing a profile of Washington's current and projected population of older people and people with disabilities;
establishing an inventory of services and supports available to older people and people with disabilities;
identifying options to use resources more effectively to reduce the growth rate in state expenditures;
identifying strategies to better serve the health care needs of older people and people with disabilities and promote healthy living;
identifying policy options to create financing mechanisms for long-term services and supports that will promote private responsibility for individuals and families to meet their needs for services;
identifying policies to promote financial security in retirement, support those who wish to stay in the workforce longer, and expand the availability of workplace retirement savings; and
identifying options to help communities adapt to an aging demographic with respect to planning for housing, land use, and transportation.

The Committee will meet through December 1, 2017. The Committee will be supported by staff from the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Office of Financial Management, and the Department of Social and Health Services.