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2017 SESSION

17103292D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 680
Offered January 11, 2017
Prefiled January 10, 2017
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study issues related to family caregiving and long-term care supports and services. Report.
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Patrons-- Filler-Corn, Keam, Kory, Marshall, R.G., Mullin and Rasoul
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the population of the Commonwealth is aging, with the proportion of the population age 65 years and older increasing by 36.2 percent between 2004 and 2014; and

WHEREAS, many older adults and individuals with disabilities wish to remain in their homes and communities despite the need for assistance with activities of daily living and other supports and services; and

WHEREAS, providing services and supports to older adults and individuals with disabilities in their homes and communities is also less expensive than providing care in nursing homes and other congregate care settings; and

WHEREAS, nearly three-quarters of the older adults and individuals with disabilities residing in the Commonwealth receive services and supports in their homes and communities rely on an unpaid caregiver, often a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor, for assistance; and

WHEREAS, at present, there is no complete inventory of caregiving programs available to residents of the Commonwealth who provide unpaid care, services, and supports to older adults or individuals with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, an unpaid caregiver is more likely to report poorer health as the duration of care provided increases, with 22 percent of unpaid caregivers reporting that their health has worsened as a result of a period of extended unpaid caregiving; and

WHEREAS, an estimated one million adults in the Commonwealth provide a total of an estimated 956 million hours of unpaid care, which can be valued at nearly $11.8 billion, to an older adult or individual with a disability each year; and

WHEREAS, according to AARP, the ratio of potential family caregivers to the growing number of older adults has already begun a steep decline, moving from 7.2 potential family caregivers for every person age 80 years or older in 2010 to an estimated four potential family caregivers for every person age 80 years or older in 2030 and an estimated three potential family caregivers for every person age 80 years or older in 2050; and

WHEREAS, to successfully address the increasing needs of a growing population of older adults with significant needs for services and supports and to support individuals with disabilities who wish to remain in their homes, the Commonwealth must develop methods to encourage and support families and communities in assisting aging adults and individuals with disabilities and must develop methods to recruit and retain a qualified in-home caregiving workforce; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study issues related to family caregiving and long-term care supports and services. The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 11 members that shall consist of six legislative members and five nonlegislative citizen members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; three nonlegislative citizen members to include one representative of the Virginia Caregiver Coalition, one representative of a patient advocacy organization, and one representative of unpaid caregivers to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and two nonlegislative citizen members to include one representative of the AARP and one representative of unpaid caregivers to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) identify and compile an inventory of policies, resources, and programs available to unpaid caregivers; (ii) identify challenges affecting unpaid caregivers and barriers to unpaid caregiving; and (iii) develop recommendations for the development of new innovative means of providing support and assistance to unpaid caregivers to enable them to continue to provide services and support to older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2017 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $19,680 without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2017, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2018 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and the report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2017 interim.