Kansas Silver Haired Legislature Holds 25th Annual Session

The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature held its 25th annual session at Ramada Hotel and Convention Center in Topeka, Kansas, on October 2 and 3, 2007. The bills and resolutions passed during the 2007 session were:

• SHL Bill 2401 would enact the geriatric mental health act and establish a geriatric mental health service program administered by the Kansas Department on Aging. 

• SHL Bill 2403 would provide for a certain amount of expanded lottery act revenues derived through lottery gaming activity under 2007 SB 66 to be set aside for the senior services fund and a new health care for seniors fund.

• Substitute SHL Resolution 2404 commends the Kansas Legislature for providing post-retirement benefit increases in prior years and requests consideration and enactment, during the 2008 regular session, of a cost-of-living adjustment for all current Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) retirees.

• SHL Resolution 2405 urges the Kansas Legislature to enact 2007 SB 217 or 2007 HB 2244, or similar legislation, during the 2008 regular session, to help combat predatory payday lending practices and to enact similar legislation to regulate or prohibit Income Tax Refund Advance lending practices that adversely affect elderly and other residents of Kansas

• SHL Resolution 2406 provides direction for SHL representatives to support proposed mental health legislation by the Kansas Mental Health Coalition and others.

The Silver Haired Legislature will work with the Kansas State Legislature to get its bills and resolutions introduced and passed.