House Resolution 21

PAG LIN

  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ____
  1  2                       BY  LENSING
  1  3 A Resolution relating to the maintenance of the Iowa
  1  4    Department of Elder Affairs as a separate department
  1  5    within state government.
  1  6    WHEREAS, around 19 percent of Iowa's population is
  1  7 comprised of Iowans 60 years of age and older; and
  1  8    WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs is
  1  9 the primary state agency dedicated to advocacy for
  1 10 Iowans 60 years of age and older; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs
  1 12 serves as the state unit on aging that each state is
  1 13 required to have by the federal Older Americans Act;
  1 14 and
  1 15    WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs'
  1 16 responsibilities as the state unit on aging include
  1 17 coordinating all state activities related to the
  1 18 purposes of the federal Act to provide community=level
  1 19 systems of services that meet the unique needs of
  1 20 older persons, developing a state plan on aging, and
  1 21 serving as an effective and visible advocate for older
  1 22 persons before any agency, organization, association,
  1 23 or individual representing the needs of elders; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs also
  1 25 provides educational and prevention services to older
  1 26 Iowans to ensure that they find Iowa a healthy, safe,
  1 27 productive, and enjoyable place to live and work; and
  1 28    WHEREAS, the 2002 Older Iowans Legislature
  1 29 recognized that the responsibilities and functions of
  1 30 the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs can best be
  2  1 served by an independent agency dedicated solely to
  2  2 the needs of older Iowans and thereby recommended
  2  3 maintaining the department as a freestanding
  2  4 department within state government; NOW THEREFORE,
  2  5    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  2  6 That the House of Representatives agrees with the
  2  7 delegates of the 2002 Older Iowans Legislature that
  2  8 the best way to ensure that the needs of older Iowans
  2  9 are well served is to maintain the Iowa Department of
  2 10 Elder Affairs as a separate freestanding department
  2 11 with an 11=member commission, seven of whom shall be
  2 12 appointed by the Governor.
  2 13 LSB 1557HH 80
  2 14 ec/pj/5