Senior issues newsletter [Mar. 2017]

March Senior Issues Newsletter | www.GCOA.org

It is the 27th legislative day of the General Assembly and we are gearing up for Crossover Day on Friday. This is the last day a bill must pass one chamber in order to continue for the year.
Listen to 1160 AM this Sunday at 10 am as Ann Williams, 2017 Distinguished Older Georgian, and Vicki Johnson, GCOA Chair, discuss their work and give a legislative update.
Senior Week, Family Care Act Success
Senior week was a success with over 600 seniors meeting with more than 40 legislators to advocate for CO-AGE priorities. The simple act of visiting the Capitol shows legislators how important these priorities are to their constituents. Thank you for joining us for Senior Week.

February 2017 In This Issue Senior Week 2017 Priorities Budget Update ENGAGE with COAGE Family Care Act Update Oral Healthcare Update Other Items of Interest Save the Date

The Family Care Act passed the Senate this week. The Family Care Act has been an important CO-AGE priority. This year, the Family Care Act (SB 201) has passed the Senate 41 Yeas to 10 Nays! The bill will now be sent to the House where we have until March 30th for final passage.

Elder Abuse Update
Visit our Elder Abuse webpage for news and updates.
Click here

Thank you to our advocates who reached out to their Senators. Join CO-AGE today so you can receive action alerts to help us move this and other important priorities.
Many other pieces of legislation affecting Georgia's seniors are making their way through the legislature as well. See below for legislative updates and more on ENGAGE with CO-AGE.

Quick Links Join CO-AGE GCOA Homepage 2017 Priorities Division of Aging Services

Click here to view our gallery from Senior Week

Share your Thoughts
Do you have questions, comments, or ideas for the Senior Issues Newsletter? Email David Coffman by clicking here to send your feedback.

2017 CO-AGE Priorities
BUDGET: HCBS Funding (Perennial) Transportation Funding
LEGISLATIVE: Family Care Act Oral Health Care for Seniors Abuser Registry (Carryover)
To see videos and read the summaries of each the issues, click here.

Did You Know?
State and federal legislators use Twitter and Facebook to keep in touch with constituents and update you on their work.
Follow and like your legislators on social media and keep them updated on senior issues.
You can search for #GaPol to find posts!

Budget Update: Budget Moves Forward
The Senate began work on the FY 2018 budget earlier in February. The Appropriations subcommittees have been working on the FY 2018 budget and we expect the full committee to resume working on the budget after Crossover Day.
As we've reported, the Governor included $4.2 million for home and community based services, $750,000 for senior meals, and $766,000 for Adult Protective Services. We will continue to ask the Senate to honor the Governor's recommendations to provide these important funds. In addition, the House has included $2.1 million in funding for the Georgia Alzheimer's Project designed to create a network of memory clinics and improve early diagnosis rates of Alzheimer's.
The FY 2018 budget passed the House without transportation funding. We are continuing to have conversations with key legislators and staff about the need for transportation funding to test innovativesolutions that meet a variety of community and individual needs.

ENGAGE with CO-AGE
Join us for the 2nd Annual ENGAGE with CO-AGE April 17-21, 2017.
ENGAGE with CO-AGE is a way for you to bring CO-AGE to your community.
Throughout the week of April 17-21, events will be held across the state. Attendees will learn how Georgia's seniors fared in the legislative session.
We need you! Consider hosting an ENGAGE with CO-AGE Meeting. Contact Eric Ryan today to sign up. We will send you a "meeting in a box" with all meeting materials including a GCOA flash drive with videos and powerpoint presentations.

CO-AGE Priority Updates: Making Progress!
Family Care Act Priority Update: Passed Senate
Senator Butch Miller has filed the Family Care Act SB 201. This bill will allow family members to use their earned sick leave to care for a parent or child. This bill has passed the Senate with a vote of 41 Yeas to 10 Nays. SB 201 has been referred to the House Committee on Industry and Labor. We will continue to work with our coalition partners to advocate for this important CO-AGE priority.
Thank you to our advocates who contacted their Senators to help advance SB 201. Constituent input is critical to the success of our advocacy efforts.
Read more about the Family Care Act
Abuse Registry Update
Last year CO-AGE succeeded in adding reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in home settings to the Certified Nursing Assistant Registry. This year, to expand on that success, we are asking to create a registry where employers and families can do checks on all personal care aides. Chairman Cooper is looking to create a registry that is housed within the Department of Community Health. We are working with the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council to craft final language for the bill and will continue to work on this important priority and hope to have a bill dropped within the next week.
Oral Health Priority Update
Senator Renee Unterman and Representative Sharon Cooper are both sponsoring legislation this year to improve access. Senator Unterman's SB 12 (click for the full bill) has been introduced. This bill will allow dental hygienists working for a dentist to provide teeth cleanings within safety-net settings such as nursing homes without a dentist having to be in the building. Representative Cooper's bill has been filed as HB 154 (click for the full bill).
Current Status: We are in the enviable position of having two bills to accomplish this CO-AGE priority. Both bills are halfway to the Governor's desk and now must pass through the other chamber. There will be some time before any further action is taken on the bills because the House and Senate will be working towards crossover day which is March 3rd. This is the final day that a House bill can be sent to the Senate and the last day a Senate bill could be sent to the House. After March 3rd, the Senate will turn its attention to House Bills such as HB 154 and the House will look at SB 12.
Read more about Oral Healthcare Priority
Other Bills of Interest
Uniform Power of Attorney HB 221 is a priority of theAlzheimer's Association. This act encourages use and acceptance of powers of attorney while protecting principals, agents and third parties. It holds agents--the individuals who are granted the power of attorney--accountable. UPOAA imposes clear fiduciary duties on an agent to always act in the principal's best interest. If the agent violates the rules, UPOAA requires the agent to reimburse the principal or the principal's successors in addition to any criminal sanctions imposed by other law.
The bill has passed committee and is waiting to be scheduled for floor debate. We would like to extend a special recognition to advocate extraordinaire Chuck Ware. The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently published an article on how this bill can help.
Kinship Care Legislation Introduced HB 321 was introduced. This bill will strengthen the ability of relatives taking care of children, such as grandparents caring for grandchildren, to obtain a legal relationship so that they can better care for the children and provide for their needs. Central Savannah River Authority (CSRA AAA) has made this one of their priorities for passage.

Thank You Senior Week Sponsor:
We would like to thank Alliant Health Solutions for sponsoring our boxed lunches:

Save the Date

July 13, 2017 CO-AGE Annual Meeting, Macon GA
CO-AGE's annual meeting will be held July 13 in Macon, GA. Save the Date so that you can join us to help pick the CO-AGE priorities for 2018.
If you have an issue you want to submit to CO-AGE contact David Coffman to find out how to submit.
Schedule your ENGAGE with CO-AGE Event TODAY!
ENGAGE with CO-AGE is a series of meetings during one week in April. These meetings allow you to host an event to update your community on the past legislative session, CO-AGE's priorities, and help us recruit new COAGE members for the upcoming year.
Last year 22 events were held in 20 cities with almost 700 people attending events during ENGAGE with CO-AGE week. Join us April 17-21, 2017 this year by hosting an ENGAGE with CO-AGE meeting in your location.
We will send you a meeting in a box with all the materials you need to host a successful event including powerpoints, videos, and a script.
Contact Eric Ryan to schedule your ENGAGE with CO-AGE event today.
Melba's Corner
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening at church service when an intruder startled her. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, "STOP! ACTS 2:38!" (Repent and be baptized, in the name of the lord, so that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All she did was yell scripture at you."
"SCRIPTURE?!" replied the burglar, "She said she had an AXE and TWO 38's!
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