Bill Text: NH SB161 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishing a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2017-06-19 - II. Remainder Effective 06/16/2017 [SB161 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2017-SB161-Introduced.html

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SB 161  - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2017 SESSION

17-0982

01/04

 

SENATE BILL 161

 

AN ACT establishing a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Rep. LeBrun, Hills. 32; Rep. Wall, Straf. 6

 

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill establishes a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

17-0982

01/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen

 

AN ACT establishing a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  New Subdivision; Commission to Evaluate the Direct Care Workforce and Preparedness of Long-term Care and Support Services for Aging Adults with Dementia or Other Cognitive Brain Injuries.  Amend RSA 151-E by inserting after section 20 the following new subdivision:

Commission to Evaluate the Direct Care Workforce and Preparedness of Long-term Care and Support Services for Aging Adults with Dementia or Other Cognitive Brain Injuries

151-E:21  Commission to Evaluate the Direct Care Workforce and Preparedness of Long-term Care and Support Services for Aging Adults with Dementia or Other Cognitive Brain Injuries.

I.  There is established a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries.

(a)  The members of the commission shall be as follows:

(1)  Two members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(2)  Two members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(3)  The commissioner of the department of health and human service, or designee.

(4)  A representative of the Alzheimer's Association, appointed by the president of the senate.

(5)  A representative of the New Hampshire chapter of the American Association of Retired people (AARP), appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(6)  A representative of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, appointed by the association.

(7)  One representative of the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire, appointed by the association.

(8)  A representative of a long-term care facility, appointed by the governor.

(9)  The long-term care ombudsman, or designee.

(b)  Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.

II.(a)  The commission shall study the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care facilities to provide long-term care services and supports to the growing population of aging consumers with dementia and other cognitive brain injuries.  Specifically, the commission's study shall include, but not be limited to:

(1)  Assessing the current direct care workforce data and establishing recommendations for improvement.

(2)  Assessing the infrastructure for supporting the efficient provision of long-term services and support mechanisms for ensuring quality.

(3)  Assessing the current training and credentialing infrastructure and making any recommendations for strengthening the current system, including strategies for increasing the professionalism of the work force.

(b)  The commission shall solicit information from any person or entity the commission deems relevant to its study.

III.  The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members.  The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named senate member.  The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section.  Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

IV.  The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before December 1, 2017.

2  Repeal.  RSA 151-E:21, relative to a commission to evaluate the direct care workforce and preparedness of long-term care and support services for aging adults with dementia or other cognitive brain injuries, is repealed.

3  Effective Date.  

I.  Section 2 of this act shall take effect December 1, 2017.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.