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Witnesses back technical fixes in SB 1280 to clarify community ombudsman scope
Summary
Department of Aging and Disability Services and the State Long Term Care Ombudsman supported SB 1280 to align statutory definitions and broaden the community ombudsman’s jurisdiction to home and community‑based long‑term services and supports.
Department officials and the State Long Term Care Ombudsman told the Aging Committee that Senate Bill 1280 would fix inconsistencies in statutory language that currently limit the community ombudsman’s jurisdiction.
Amy Porter, Commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services, said consistent language referencing “home and community based long term services and supports” would ensure the Community Ombudsman has broader jurisdiction to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities living outside of long‑term care facilities, as originally intended.
Mairead Painter, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, said the bill would resolve inconsistent wording (for example, the use of “home care provider” versus “home care agency”) and align the Community Ombudsman program’s definitions with those used by the Department of Social Services and other state agencies.
Witnesses urged the committee to adopt the technical changes to provide clarity, improve coordination, and remove barriers to ombudsman assistance for people receiving home‑and community‑based supports.
