Legislative committee advances bill changing Long Term Care Council membership and duties

A legislative committee reported House Bill 3,022 favorably after amending the measure to update membership and duties for the state's Long Term Care Council.

Mr. Hogan, speaking to the committee, said the bill revises the council’s composition and responsibilities, including adding “the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs or their designee” to replace the seat formerly held by the chair of the Joint Legislative Healthcare Planning and Oversight Committee. He said the bill also requires members to share necessary data and directs the council to “establish and maintain a statewide access system for consumers to access long term supports and services.”

The committee adopted a technical, conforming amendment prompted by a recent agency merger. Mr. Hogan explained that offices formerly organized under separate predecessor agencies (the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs) are now part of the successor Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (referred to in the materials as BHDD). To avoid overrepresentation, the amendment recognizes the merged successor offices and provides a single seat for the successor agency rather than multiple seats for each predecessor office.

The chair called for a motion on the amendment; it was moved and seconded. With no discussion, the committee approved the amendment by voice vote. The bill as amended was then moved for a final report, seconded, and reported out favorably by voice vote.

The bill’s changes would alter who serves on the council and add an explicit duty to support a statewide consumer access system for long-term supports and services. The committee did not record individual roll-call vote counts in the transcript; outcomes were recorded as favorable voice votes. The committee closed the item and moved on to the next bill.