For Immediate Release

Date: October 31, 2005
Contact: Barbara Schoof Conant
barbaraconant@aging.state.ks.us
Director of Communications
(785) 296-6154

Silver Haired Legislature Recommendations

The 2006 Kansas Legislature will consider recommendations on five current bills and a resolution forwarded by the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature. The actions were taken by the Silver Haired Legislature when it convened for its 23rd annual session in October.

“It is important that the Kansas Legislature consider the needs of seniors as they study the impact of legislation,” said Irv Hoffmann, Lenexa, president of the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature. “The recommendations of the Silver Haired Legislature reminds our state policy makers that we are active advocates for seniors all across Kansas.”

Kansas is one of 24 states with a Silver Haired Legislature. It has met annually since 1983 to develop policy recommendations for the Kansas legislature. Members are age 60 and older, elected by their peers to two-year terms of office.

Jim Snyder, Topeka, speaker pro tem of the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature said, the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature considered a variety of bills held over from the 2005 legislative session. “We advocate for legislation that supports seniors such as providing financial assistance to the thousands of Kansas grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. We also support designating seniors as a special target population under the federal Workforce Investment Act and providing adequate funding for all in-home services.”

The five bills and the resolution recommended were:

• Silver Haired Legislature Resolution 2201 / Opposing securitization or other sale or transfer of the right of the State to continue to receive moneys payable to Kansas pursuant to the tobacco litigation agreement - The SHL opposes any securitization or other sale or transfer of the right of the State of Kansas to continue to receive the moneys payable to Kansas pursuant to the tobacco litigation master settlement agreement between the state and tobacco product manufacturers that are participating tobacco industry companies on or after Nov. 23, 1998, under the master settlement agreement and urging the Kansas Legislature to not enact any legislation to authorize any such securitization or other sale or transfer of the right of the State of Kansas to continue to receive revenues under the moneys payable to the state pursuant to the master settlement agreement.
• HB 2194 State Workforce Investment Program - This bill would prescribe membership on the state and local workforce investment boards and would designate older Kansans as a special target population for Kansas under the federal Workforce Investment Act.
• HB 2196 Volunteer Ombudsman Recruiting and Training - This legislation would require the Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman to adopt and implement policies to recruit and train a sufficient number of volunteer ombudsmen and friendly advocates to provide services in all areas of the state.
• HB 2192 Dedication of Certain Tobacco Litigation Settlement Proceeds for Health Care for Senior Kansans - This bill would require the deposit each fiscal year of an amount equal to 30% of the amount of moneys received under the tobacco litigation settlement agreements to the credit of the Health Care for Seniors fund.
• SB 62 Enabling Financial Assistance for Grandparents with Custody of their Grandchildren - This bill provides for those age 60 or older and being at or under the Federal Poverty Level (approximately $770 per month) to receive financial assistance through the State SRS program.
• SB 238 Creating the health care for seniors fund; disposition of certain additional tobacco litigation settlement proceeds - This bill to provide for monies of new tobacco companies who have joined the settlement since July 2004 to be used for the express purpose for seniors - 50% used as received and 50% placed in a Seniors Health Care Fund for future usage.