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Senior Agenda Coalition of RI Unveils 2026 Legislative Agenda at Annual Briefing

Published in RINewsToday on March 16, 2026

At its 10th annual Legislative Leader’s Forum, the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island (SACRI) unveiled its 2026 legislative agenda. More than 160 participants, including older adults, advocates, and state and federal officials, gathered at Gaige Hall at Rhode Island College for the event.

The event, “Voices of Advocacy — Anchors of Hope,” addressed the challenges facing Rhode Island’s growing older population and the policy changes needed to improve affordability, health care access, housing, and community supports.

The briefing opened with remarks by Rhode Island College President Jack R. Warner, SACRI Board Chair, Kathleen McKeon, and Executive Director Carol Anne Costa, who served as host. 

Costa began with a thank you to Rep. Joseph Solomon and Senator Mark McKeeney (who were present) for introducing the bill creating the Office of the Elder Advocate.  SACRI Policy Advisor Maureen Maigret outlined an Affordable Policy Agenda. Other speakers included representatives from the Rhode Island Coalition for Elder Justice, Economic Progress Institute, and Rhode Island Organizing Project.

A number of top elected officials followed, including U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Seth Magaziner, Gov. Dan McKee, State Treasurer James Diossa, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, and Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone, who discussed previous and current legislative efforts affecting older Rhode Islanders.

Rhode Island’s Aging Demographics

“One in five Rhode Islanders is 65 or older,” Maigret said, adding the state is also among the top five for residents 85 and older.

The share of residents 65 and older rose from 16% in 2016 to 19% today. Maigret reminded officials that older residents are a powerful voting bloc. In 2024, over one-third of ballots were cast by older voters.

Nearly 73% of households led by those 65 and older own their homes, while 28% rent. Housing costs burden 31% of older homeowners and 52% of renters, who spend over 30% of their income on housing.

Around 4% of older Rhode Islanders live in nursing facilities, and about 485 aged 55+ are unhoused including 164 persons aged 65+.

Older adults drive Rhode Island’s economy: 40% of the workforce is 55+, about 40,000 provide unpaid family care, and approximately 45,000 volunteer formally in their communities.

Residents aged 50 and older contribute $27 billion annually to Rhode Island’s GDP. Social Security brings $3.9 billion into the state each year, with every $1 in benefits generating about $2 in economic output.

Despite these contributions, financial insecurity persists. Older adult poverty has increased and now exceeds 11%, and nearly a quarter of older households live on less than $25,000 a year.

A healthy single older homeowner without a mortgage needs nearly $29,000 annually to cover basic expenses, exceeding what about a quarter of older households have.

SACRI’s Legislative Priorities

Maigret said affordability is the central challenge facing older residents especially those with modest incomes, and SACRI has organized its agenda around four “building blocks”: health care, economic security, housing, and community supports.

Eliminating the $9,950 asset limit for the Medicare Savings Program is a top priority. SACRI recommends removing this limit entirely to allow more low-income residents to qualify for help with Medicare costs.

 “In 2025 the legislature raised the income eligibility to about $27,000, this year we want to take the next step,” Maigret said. “And the next step is to eliminate the very restrictive asset test.”

Maigret also urged lawmakers to fully fund provider rate increases as recommended by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, specifying that these funds are needed to close workforce shortages in home care.

These increases address shortages of home care workers. The coalition also urges nursing home cost-of-living adjustments to the federal 3.1% recommendation, ensuring increases reach frontline workers.

Additional SACRI recommendations include increasing funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to expand oversight and supporting an all-payer Primary Care Investment Target to increase access to primary care.

To address Rhode Island’s housing shortage, SACRI recommends a housing bond of at least $120 million, with a requirement that at least 30% be allocated to populations including older adults, persons with disabilities and the homeless. SACRI further urges that new residential developments be required to include more accessible units than the current 8% rate.

Maigret called for stronger support for caregivers and community services. Proposed policies include a caregiver tax credit up to $1,000, increasing the Medicaid home care asset limit, funding homemaker services, awarding a state grant to the Village Common of Rhode Island to aid aging in place, and establishing an Office of the Elder Advocate.

Other Policy Concerns

Nina Harrison, policy director at the Economic Progress Institute, argued that Rhode Island’s tax system places a heavier burden on lower-income residents.

“The lowest-income earners in the state pay a higher portion of their wages in taxes than the top income earners,” Harrison said. She supports creating a new tax bracket for annual income above $640,000, which she said could generate about $203 million annually for public services.

Ray Gagné of the Rhode Island Organizing Project called for restoring recent service cuts at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and creating a stable, long-term funding source for the system.

Lawmakers Respond

House Speaker Shekarchi shared a personal story about caring, along with his siblings, for their 100-year-old father with Alzheimer’s disease, stressing the importance of allowing older adults to age in place.

“Everything is a compromise. Everything is a negotiation,” Shekarchi said of the legislative process. He highlighted recent state investments, including $18 million to keep Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals operating, $12 million added last year to nursing home funding to address workforce shortages, and more than $40 million to increase reimbursement rates for primary care physicians.

Shekarchi also pointed to legislation allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a step toward addressing the state’s housing shortage.

“That’s a big benefit,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Ciccone said lawmakers are considering 17 bills to make health care more affordable and accessible. “Throughout this session, we will evaluate the financial burdens facing Rhode Islanders and the programs they rely on,” Ciccone said.

Gov. McKee argued that his “affordability for all” plan would benefit all Rhode Islanders, with key provisions for seniors, including the complete elimination of the state tax on Social Security and policies to control rising utility costs.

The Governor outlined several proposals in his budget, including increasing funding for senior centers by $200,000 for a total of $1.8 million and phasing out the state tax on Social Security income over three years, beginning with lower-income residents.

His budget also includes $9.5 million to assist nearly 10,000 residents whose HealthSource RI insurance premiums have increased sharply.

State Treasurer Diossa gave an overview of agency programs spanning the age spectrum, from baby bonds to retirement planning. He noted that his Secure Choice retirement program addresses the needs of the 40% of private-sector workers who lack access to retirement benefits.

At the federal level, Sens. Reed and Whitehouse warned that changes to federal policies could threaten Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner also called for federal action to lower costs, including expanding Medicare drug price negotiations and creating tax incentives to increase the housing supply. He also announced plans to pursue bipartisan legislation to establish a permanent House Select Committee on Aging. “Seniors deserve a dedicated forum in Congress focused on the challenges they face,” Magaziner said.

SACRI’s Costa ended the Forum with a call to collective action, urging attendees to leverage their influence for unified advocacy on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities in Rhode Island.

Let’s make our voices heard and ensure Rhode Island’s leaders are held accountable for advancing these critical priorities. Together, we can drive lasting change and truly roar for progress.

Two Attendees’ Perspectives

Mary Lou Moran, director of Pawtucket’s Division of Senior Services/Leon Mathieu Senior Center, said the briefing successfully brought together leaders from across government to focus on the needs of older residents.

“The continued work to eliminate the Medicare Savings Program asset limit, create an Office of the Elder Advocate, and expand funding for programs such as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and Medicaid home care was all highlighted,” Moran said.

Moran emphasized legislative and federal efforts to support older adults and expressed optimism that the initiatives discussed will drive progress in the next session.

“The Governor’s FY 2027 State budget is fully committed, has little new revenue & substantial federal cuts in the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Housing Voucher & food subsidies will leave an unresolved budget hole,” says North Kingston Resident David R Kaloupek. Kaloupek, 87, asks: “How will the Rhode Island General Assembly narrow its spending targets for the state’s most vulnerable, frail older adults, nursing home residents, home care beneficiaries, and unhoused older Rhode Islanders?  When the dust settles after the upcoming legislative sessions conclude, we’ll see who will be helped and who will be abandoned.”

A final note…  The coming together of aging advocates and Gov. McKee, the House Speaker, and Senate Majority Leader might just create the political will to support key parts of SACRI’s legislative agenda, such as eliminating the Medicare Savings Plan asset limit, the state tax on Social Security, or creating an Office of Elder Advocate, which could significantly boost the chances of those proposals becoming law. The agreement between aging advocates and state lawmakers on several fronts suggested a strong potential for legislative progress on senior issues in the upcoming session.

SACRI’s 2026 Legislative Leaders’ Forum was sponsored by: Age-Friendly Rhode Island, Delta Dental, United Healthcare, Neighborhood Health Plan, SEIU Local 580 and Capitol TV.

https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/11856

Aging Policy in 2025: Rhode Island Legislative Wins and What’s Missing

Published in RINewsToday.com, July 14, 2025 

On June 24, 2025, with a 35-2 vote in the Senate, the Rhode Island General Assembly has given its approval to a $13.963 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year that directs additional funding toward addressing the state’s housing and homelessness crisis, improving access to health care, supporting municipalities through increased revenue sharing, more funding for the state’s Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, extending childcare subsidies for toddlers and infants, and increasing Medicaid reimbursement to primary care providers, nursing homes and hospitals, among its directives.

Faced with a slowing economy and impending federal budget cuts, lawmakers were tasked with closing a $250 million deficit without resorting to broad tax hikes or cuts to essential services. To generate revenue, they implemented new electric vehicle (EV) registration fees, adjustments to the gas tax, and increases in real estate conveyance and hotel taxes. Additionally, tolls on large trucks (18-wheelers), which were approved in 2016 but delayed due to litigation from the trucking industry, are now set to be implemented following the state’s legal victory. The FY 2026 budget includes revenue from these tolls, which are scheduled to take effect.

According to Larry Berman, House Director of Communications, when the dust settled at the conclusion of this year’s 164-day legislative session, lawmakers introduced 1,430 bills and resolutions in the House and 1,165 in the Senate. Of those, the Governor signed 384 House and Senate bills into law, while another 125 became law without his signature.

The Governor is not required to act on resolutions. During the session, the House passed 238 resolutions and the Senate passed 127, most of which expressed congratulations or condolences, says Berman.

As Rhode Island’s population continues to age, advocacy organizations urged lawmakers to consider an array of legislation aimed at enhancing the delivery of state programs and services for older residents—and strengthening protections for their health, safety, financial security, and overall well-being.

Below is a selection of key laws enacted, organized by category:

Healthcare and Insurance

Lawmakers increased insurance coverage for hearing aids from $1,500 to $1,750 per ear, applicable to all ages. Additionally, the new law allows for hearing aid purchases every year, rather than every three years. Sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), H 5218,  and Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich, S 0120, this legislation has been signed by the Governor.

The General Assembly passed S 0610B introduced by Senate President Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) and Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty’s (D-Dist. 35, South Kingston), bill, H 5494A.  The new law provides new consumer protections for Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) and aligns Rhode  Island’s market with neighboring states. Additionally, the budget expanded the Medicare Savings Program, helping more beneficiaries with premiums and co-pays.

With the passage of S 0169A  sponsored by Sen. Jacob E. Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence) and H 5184A by Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), the new law protects homeowners from medical debt-related liens on their primary residence. Medical bills are among the top reasons underlying bankruptcy among Americans. This law takes effect on Jan. 1.

Senate President Lawson and Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls) sponsored S 0974aa and H 6066A to expand paid family leave under the Temporary Care Insurance (TCI) program. Starting in January 2027, the TCI wage replacement rate will increase from 60% to 70%, and then to 75% in January 2028. This expansion is funded through a modest increase in the payroll contribution cap, which will not impact the state budget.

Consumer Protections and Financial Legislation

The General Assembly passed S 0016A and H 5121A, introduced by Senate Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies Committee Chairwoman Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) and Rep. Julie A. Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingston, Exeter). Signed by the Governor, the new law aims to prevent scams involving cryptocurrency ATMs, a growing fraud scheme in Rhode Island. 

According to AARP, recently 11 states have passed laws or regulations that put key consumer fraud protections on cryptocurrency ATMs in place. Americans lost more than $246 million to crypto ATM fraud and scams in 2024 alone, and older adults are disproportionately targeted by criminals.

With the passage of H 5042A and S 0229A, sponsored by Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls) and Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), a new law eliminates the special exemption that allowed payday lenders to charge exorbitant interest rates of up to 260% APR. This reform helps protect consumers from falling into predatory debt cycles.

Lawmakers passed H 5185A and S 0133A sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth) and Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston).  Signed into law by Gov. Dan McKee, it prohibits predatory real estate practices that often target older homeowners, preventing them from facing liens or other issues related to their properties.  The bill is based on model legislation that has been adopted in 30 other states. The legislation was backed by AARP, the American Land Title Association and the National Association of Realtors.

Support for Vulnerable Populations

Rep. Tina L. Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly) and Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston) sponsored H 6165A and S 0983A to create the PURPLE Alert system. Signed into law, this new initiative is designed to quickly locate missing adults with serious disabilities whose health and safety are at risk.

Legislation (S 0381A / H 5833A), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Frank A. Ciccone III (D-Dist. 7, Providence, Johnston) and Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith, now law, allows licensed hairdressers to provide in-home services to individuals with special needs or sensory-related disorders. This new law ensures that such services are provided in accordance with individual care plans verified by a licensed healthcare professional.

Now law, (H 5017A/ S 0884), sponsored by Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro (D-Dist. 37, Westerly),  and Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton), protects veterans from improper conduct or excessive fees by individuals assisting them in filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs, except as authorized by federal law, and it imposes penalities under the deceptive trade practices provisions.

The General Assembly passed legislation (S 0884 / H 5017A) that grants people the right to repair their own complex power wheelchairs and mobility aids. Sponsored by Sen. Mark McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick) and Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence), this new law requires manufacturers to provide independent service providers with the necessary tools and repair information. Under the new law, manufacturers are prohibited from using parts that would prevent installation of any non-manufacturer-approved replacement part or component. Also, a health plan’s coverage and payment is not allowed to require any form of prior authorization or medical documentation to complete repairs for consumer-owned complex rehabilitation technology.

Deputy Majority Whip Mia A. Ackerman (D-Dist. 45, Cumberland, Lincoln) and Sen. Pamela J. Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) introduced H 5619 and S 0481, directing the Department of Health to collaborate with the state’s advisory council on Alzheimer’s to distribute educational materials. With the bill’s passage, signed into law, these resources will help  educate both the public and medical providers on prevention, early detection, and management of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Legislative Changes and Reforms

Sen. Melissa Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield) and Rep. Brandon Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston) sponsored legislation (S 0120, H 5218) to create a three-year pilot program to remove prior authorization requirements for medically necessary care ordered by primary care providers.  Now law, the program is designed to reduce administrative delays and improve patient access to timely care.

Two bills sponsored by Sen. Pamela Lauria and Rep. Michelle McGaw (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton) improve pharmacy flexibility. The first (H 5633, S 0483aa) allows pharmacists to dispense a one-time refill for up to 100 days if the prescriber is unavailable. The second bill (S 0482A H 5855A) simplifies the process for substituting therapeutically equivalent prescription drugs or devises. Such substitutions typically occur at the request of an insurer, and the current process requires the pharmacist to contact the patient’s prescriber for approval before filling it.

Observations from Aging Advocates:

Lori Light, the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, frequently observes that facility staff accused of abuse are often terminated from one facility only to be rehired by another, with the new administrator unaware of the prior allegations. “While it is important not to penalize individuals based on unproven claims, we believe that repeated allegations involving the same staff member across multiple facilities are unlikely to be coincidental and suggest a recurring issue,” she says.

To address this, H 5303 was introduced to make the complaint histories of licensed care staff accessible to prospective employers. Light expressed disappointment that this bill did not become law and hopes to work closely with the state’s Department of Health to revise and reintroduce it next year.

“We were pleased to see that the Safe Staffing and Quality Care Act, initially passed in 2021, was amended by the state budget to allow for enforcement,” says Light. While she acknowledges that the revised law may not provide the same level of benefit to nursing home residents as originally intended, she recognizes it as a step forward.

Light also expressed disappointment that the Assisted Living Resident Empowerment Act (H5169, S484) did not pass. “Assisted living facilities remain under-regulated, with fewer resident rights despite high monthly costs and regular rate increases,” she said. The unsuccessful legislative change would have strengthened resident and family councils and improved financial transparency within these facilities.

“It’s unclear why the Department of Health’s legislation (H5426, S789), which would have increased financial transparency in nursing homes and limited equity extraction, failed to advance this year, despite having the governor’s support,” says Light. She notes that this is the second year the bill has been introduced.

“With more out-of-state investor groups acquiring facilities, it is critical to ensure that public Medicaid dollars are spent on resident care, not diverted to investors,” she emphasizes, recognizing that the bill represented a modest but essential step in that direction. “We anticipate that RIDOH will reintroduce the bill next session, and we remain committed to supporting it,” she says.

Carol Anne Costa, executive director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI), notes, “SACRI worked closely with many agencies and individuals in the aging network to advance our legislative agenda. Collaboration is always beneficial for passing good laws, and more importantly, it strengthens the fabric of the coalition,” she says.

Costa continues, “SACRI fully intends to resume pushing for the passage of unsuccessful legislation in the next session, including expanded accessibility in new housing, the development of more housing for older adults, nursing home patient welfare, and assisted living resident councils. Additionally, SACRI will be closely monitoring the impact of the Trump’s Reconciliation Bill on Rhode Island.”

SACRI Policy Advisor Maureen Maigret adds, “It was absolutely wonderful to see the FY 2026 bill include a provision to increase the income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Programs (MSP), which was SACRI’s top legislative priority for 2025.”

Maigret notes that SACRI has worked tirelessly since 2013 to expand the MSP program. “These efforts finally paid off, thanks to the incredible support from community partners and legislative champions, including House Speaker  K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), lead sponsors Sen. Louis DiPalma and Rep. Karen Alzate, and many legislative co-sponsors.”

“Once eligibility is increased, as called for in the budget, potentially several thousand current MSP participants will have their co-payments covered, and thousands more Medicare enrollees will no longer have to pay for their Part B premiums (currently $185/month). These savings will help pay for other basic needs, such as food,” says Maigret.

Rhode Island’s 2025 legislative session brought meaningful advances for older adults, including expanded healthcare coverage, stronger consumer protections, and new programs supporting vulnerable populations.  Despite these successes, important bills on long-term care staff accountability, assisted living oversight, and nursing home financial transparency did not pass, leaving critical issues unresolved.

Expect committed aging organizations and advocates to return next year to advance these and other unfinished legislative priorities including promoting development of accessible housing for those with mobility impairments and caregiver tax credits to help ease the financial burden on unpaid family caregivers.

For a reporting of the provisions in the FY 2026 Rhode Island budget, visit https://rinewstoday.com/house-finance-committees-fy-26-budget-boosts-support-for-older-rhode-islanders-herb-weiss/.

Lawmakers can do more for Seniors next year

Published in RINewstoday on July 11, 2022

Just days before July 1, 2022, Gov. Dan McKee was joined for the signing of the $13.6 billion state budget (2022-H7123aa) for fiscal year 2023 by Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, House Finance Committee Chairman Marvin L. Abney and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ryan W. Pearson.

Taking a Look at the Budget’s Dollars and Cents

Let us take a look as ho the state’s FY2023 budget, signed by McKee on June 27, 2022, impacts older Rhode Islanders.

The budget doubled the funding for the Livable Homes Modification Program, from $500,000 to $1 million, which reimburses half the total retrofit costs, up to $4,000, to support home modifications and accessibility enhancements to allow individuals to remain in community settings. The increase is intended to address an anticipated surge in applications.

For retirees, the Assembly raised from $15,000 to $20,000 the amount of annual pension income that is exempt from state taxation.

The FY 2023 Budget also allocated an additional  $200,000 to the Office of Healthy Aging’s budget for senior centers, bringing total funding to $1 million. That is a 25% increase.

The budget also makes significant investments in the quality of healthcare for seniors, providing rate increases to many kinds of providers of health care, nursing homes, home and community-based services for elderly (increase in starting pay to $15 hour), in addition to seeking a study by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner on appropriate reimbursement rate levels into the future.  The budget also includes substantial increase to reimbursement rates for Meals on Wheel meals ($400,000), ensuring that the program is able to provide high-quality therapeutic and culturally appropriate meals to participants.

Lawmakers also added $4 million to increase the “circuit breaker” tax credit available to qualifying elderly and disabled residents, raising the maximum credit from about $400 to $600 beginning in tax year 2022 and indexing that amount to inflation. They also made credit available to more Rhode Islanders by increasing the income threshold for eligibility from $30,000 to $ 35,000.

Those with military pensions will no longer have to pay any income taxes on them, beginning in the 2023 tax year. The governor had proposed phasing out military pension taxation over five years, but legislators instead made them tax-free in their entirety in one year.

Lawmakers also kept the Governor’s plan to invest $168 million in upgrades to Eleanor Slater Hospital, including $108 million to construct a new long-term care acute care hospital at the Zambarano campus in Burrillville.

The plan accelerates the six-year phase-out of Rhode Island’s motor vehicle excise tax, eliminating what would have been the final year of the tax next year.  The amended budget provides replacement license plates for free.

The state budget included a year-long pilot program to provide free service on the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s business route, the “R” line that runs from Pawtucket to Cranston.

It also added $11.5 million general revenue funds to launch a retail Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pilot program, beginning Jan. 1, 2023.  Eligible households would receive an incentive payment of 50-cents for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables, subject to limits.  The state also requested a waiver from the Federal Nutrition Service to streamline the application process for elderly and disabled individuals seeking assistance from the SNAP program.

Lawmakers also allocated $10 million for rebalancing the state’s long-term care continuum, for funding home care agency workforce recruitment, retention and training.  Also, money in Rhode Island’s new budget includes $8.1 million to increase Medicaid Dental rates to increase access to dental services for older adults.

Finally, lawmakers kept in the $250 million total from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funds in the approved budget to address state’s affordable housing crisis.

Taking a peek at new state laws

The Rhode Island General Assembly passed H-7942/S-2623 which increases access and utilization of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and provides age-friendly housing options for older adults, family caregivers, and people of all ages and abilities.

McKee also signed the Let RI Vote Act into law. This new law makes voting safer, easier, and more accessible for all Rhode Islanders. Some of the major provisions of the bill include no-excuse mail ballots and emergency voting; online mail ballot applications; permanent absentee list opt-in for nursing home residents; no witness or notary requirement to vote by mail;  multilingual voter information hotline, community ballot; and voter registration list maintenance.

A new law also seeks to develop broadband in Rhode Island by creating a Broadband Advisory Committee. It’s director will be responsible for connecting with federal agencies to access funds for broadband infrastructure deployment pursuant to federal grants, facilitating broadband service adoptions, expanding digital literacy for residents (especially seniors), experiencing economic hardship, and for future economic development.

Following the passage of S-2228, the definition of an elderly person in regard to exploitation has changed from someone 65-years-old to someone who is 60 years old, making the definition of an elderly person consistent with state law.

Finally, the proposed Perry Sullivan one-year exemption has been eliminated. This preserves $38.6 million for home and community-based services for 2023.

Gearing up for next year’s legislative session

“Despite the lack of passage of H-7616 sponsored by Rep. Lauren Carson to elevate the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging to full Department status, I’m confident that it will be reintroduced early in 2023. I also anticipate broad community conversations to fine tune the design and identify the needed resources,” says Vin Marzullo, a well-known aging advocate who served as a federal civil rights and national service administrator.

“AARP Rhode Island worked hard on Smith Hill during the 2022 legislative session to achieve a number of important wins for the age 50 and over Rhode Islanders,” stated Catherine Taylor, AARP Rhode Island State Director. “We will find it easier to vote, have access to more housing options and assistance for accessibility modifications, see our direct care workforce better paid and better trained, and so much more. And, as always, AARP Rhode Island is committed to ensuring that those age 50 and our families know about these changes and how they will improve our lives,” she says.

 “Although there was some very good news for seniors coming out of the 2022 legislative session, overall, the results were modest when we think about the projected growth of our older population, that 42% of older Rhode Island households have income less than $ 40,000 and that our Office of Healthy Aging is under resourced. So much advocacy work remains,” warns Maureen Maigret, chair of the Aging in Community Subcommittee of the Long-Term Care Coordinating Council and Policy Advisor for the Senior Agenda of Rhode Island, representing 21 organizations to mobilize people to enhance the quality of life of older Rhode Islanders.

However, Maigret sees a big win in the state budget language calling for rate review for state contracted providers as far too many services important for all ages have become so difficult to access due to poor payment rates to providers for many years. One example is that dental rates under Medicaid have not increased since the early 1990’s so older adults have had an extraordinarily hard time getting detail care, she says.

“Another big win that the Senior Agenda worked tirelessly for was removing the suspension of the $38.6 millions of “Perry-Sullivan” funds for FY 2023 that was in Gov. McKee’s proposal,” says Maigret.

However, Maigret expressed disappointment that the state’s budget only calls for minimum wage for home care direct care staff of $15 per hour. “Advocates tried to get this up to at least $17 to address the homecare workforce crisis that leaves some seniors waiting months for service,” she says.

According to Maigret, other items that will help older adults and persons with disabilities with rising housing costs are the expansion of the Property Tax Relief program sponsored by Rep. Ruggiero and Sen. Coyle.

“While we are appreciative overall for the gains that have been made for Rhode Island’s seniors in this legislative session, it is just a start toward what our state needs to do to meet the needs of our aging population,” says Bernie Beaudreau, Executive Director of Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island. “I am disappointed that the minimum wage of $15 per hour was set so low.  This wage level will not do much to attract workers and solve the severe workforce shortages that home care agencies are facing. We also have to be vigilant about the administration of this new law as we have already seen a draft regulation suggesting that $15 will be the “average wage,” not the “minimum wage” of home care workers.