Commonwealth Council on Aging lays out nine 2026 priorities, asks lawmakers for new funding

The Commonwealth Council on Aging on a virtual webinar this week unveiled nine legislative priorities for the 2026 General Assembly aimed at strengthening services and oversight for older Virginians.

Carla Hesseltaim, chair of the Commonwealth Council on Aging, and Josh Myers, director of government affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association in Virginia and a speaker appointee to the council, led the presentation. They said the priorities reflect statewide coordination among aging providers and advocacy groups and are intended to help older adults remain safe and independent in the community.

The council’s priorities include a request for increased funding for home‑ and community‑based services delivered through Virginia’s 25 Area Agencies on Aging. Josh Myers said demand and waiting lists are growing and that “the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging is requesting an additional $10,000,000 annually.” He added, “This is a smart investment,” citing research that community‑based services reduce hospitalizations and overall health costs.

Other budget and policy requests on the list: • Strengthen nursing home inspection and enforcement: Additional resources for the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Licensure and Certification to hire inspectors, enhance training and reduce backlogs of overdue surveys (CMS‑certified facilities are surveyed annually; state license surveys occur every two years). • Establish a prescription drug affordability review board: The council and partners including AARP Virginia support a board with authority to set upper payment limits on certain high‑cost drugs; proponents pointed to widespread price increases and noted the measure passed the General Assembly in 2024 and 2025 but was vetoed both times. • Require nursing home ownership, financial and quality disclosures: The council proposed disclosures at initial licensure, annually and upon ownership transfers to strengthen oversight and licensure criteria. • Fund the statewide long‑term care ombudsman program to meet the national standard of one ombudsman per 2,000 long‑term care beds; the council recommended raising the currently proposed $375,000 increase to $1,500,000 annually to reach that goal. • Increase funding for public guardian and conservator program slots: The council recommended funding all 1,349 current slots at $7,000 per slot annually (a council estimate of about $2.5 million) to address stagnant rates and staffing challenges. • Provide ongoing state general funds for the Virginia Memory Project: The registry, codified by the General Assembly in 2024 and housed at the Virginia Center on Aging in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, currently relies on time‑limited grants and the council requested stable funding to sustain data collection and caregiver supports. • Extend the sunset for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission through July 1, 2029, to preserve coordinated leadership and planning for dementia care and services. • Restore funding for the No Wrong Door/Virginia Navigator resource database: The council requested $165,000 annually to restore state support for the online directory that links older adults and caregivers to nearly 27,000 programs; presenters said state funding was cut nearly in half since 2011 and has remained flat since.

Council leaders said some priorities do not yet carry a specific dollar figure so that partner organizations and legislators can frame precise budget requests during the biennial budget process. When asked during Q&A what amount was being requested for nursing‑home inspection and enforcement, presenters said the council left that figure unspecified to allow organizations working in that policy area to determine exact funding needs.

The council also clarified scope limits: the nursing home inspection request focuses on the Department of Health’s licensure and certification authority and would not, as presented, extend inspector funding to assisted‑living settings regulated differently than nursing homes.

The webinar included resources and sample letters in the chat intended to help advocates contact lawmakers. Sarah Stowe, executive director of the Commonwealth Council on Aging, said follow‑up materials and slides will be posted on the council’s SharePoint and distributed by email.

The council encouraged attendees to contact their delegates and senators, attend committee meetings where much of the detailed policy work occurs, and to share personal stories with lawmakers. The group said it will continue coordinating with partner organizations to advance the priorities during the 2026 session.