Legislative Priorities

Maine Council on Aging
132nd Maine Legislative Priorities & Actions

The Maine Council on Aging is a broad, multi-disciplinary network of businesses, organizations and older Mainers that advances policy initiatives to ensure we can all live healthy, engaged, and secure lives as we age in our homes and community settings. Our broad and on-going priorities include:

Ending ageism by 2032
Strengthening Maine’s direct care workforce across all settings
Increasing housing, home repair and transportation options
Expanding equitable access to supports and services
Promoting integrated and coordinated care
Increasing the food and financial stability of older Mainers
Supporting healthy aging initiatives through shared learning

2024 Advocacy Priorities

Power in Aging
Create intentional opportunities for supported conversations on ageism and age-positivity, particularly in employment and healthcare. Expand highly effective Leadership Exchange on Ageism to specific sectors, teams, and other states. Encourage leaders to use an age-equity lens in decision-making processes.

Equity & Healthy Aging
Lead and join efforts to build equitable systems of care and service delivery with older BIPOC and LGBTQ people, and support efforts to elevate older BIPOC and LGBTQ voices and experiences.

Economic Security
Prioritize implementation of new eligibility levels for the Medicare Savings Program and partner to create and promote enrollment activities and events, especially for diverse older Mainers and older women.

Food Security & Social Connections
Through the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging, lead the Community, Health, & Equity through Food (CHEF) initiative, an education and grant program exclusively funded by Hannaford Supermarkets to increase the food security, social connection of historically marginalized older people in our region.

Supports & Services
Use data and stories to advocate for increased investments in core supports and services for older Mainers, specifically including care navigation and case management services.

Direct Care Workforce
Lead efforts to increase older Mainers’ access to quality care and support across the care and support continuum. Our focus is to close the care gap in Maine, the gap is people who should get care but aren’t.

Affordable Housing & Transportation Options
Pursue increased funding for home modifications connected to weatherization and support the fledgling home share program. Participate in statewide efforts to increase public transit options in Maine, including through funding, technology and volunteer initiatives. Support Maine’s volunteer transportation network.

Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
Participant in the Healthy Brain Initiative, and lead efforts to implement the Legal and Public Safety recommendations in the new Maine Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias.

Creative Aging
Collaborate with the Maine Arts Commission and community partners to relaunch a thoughtful arts program that joins conversations on aging with creative process.

Testimony - 131st - 2nd Session

LD 2084 – An Act to Provide Funding for Essential Services for Victims of Crimes

LD 2106 – An Act to Accelerate the Production of Affordable Housing and Strengthen the Historic Property Rehabilitation Tax Credit

LD 2125 – An Act to Establish the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Advisory Council Within the Department of Health and Human Services and to Require a State Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

LD 2132 – An Act to Clarify the Right to Appeal Certain Public Utilities Commission Decisions

Testimony - 131st - 1st Session

LD 1976 – An Act to Update the Growth Management Program Laws

131st Legislature – 1st Session Report

LD 2 – An Act to Address Maine’s Housing Crisis

LD 3 – An Act to Establish the Winter Energy Relief Payment Program to Aid Residents with High Heating Costs and to Finalize the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program

LD 34 – An Act to An Act to Require a Person to Show Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting

LD 99 – An Act to Clarify the Allowable Temperature Range in Certain Long-term Care Facilities

LD 199 – An Act to Improve the Health of Maine Residents by Removing Exclusions to the MaineCare Program

LD 208 – An Act Concerning Home Care Services

LD 300 – An Act to Establish Pilot Initiatives to Promote, Grow and Sustain Adult Day Care and Respite Programs in Maine

LD 464 – An Act to Eliminate Waiting Lists for Community-based Services for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Brain Injury or Other Related Conditions

LD 564 – An Act to Improve Access to Civil Legal Services

LD 587 – Resolve, to Automatically Increase a Residential Care or Nursing Facility Resident’s Personal Needs Allowance Under the MaineCare Program When the Consumer Price Index Increases

LD 709 – An Act to Support Home Share Programming for Seniors

LD 824 – Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services to Review Reimbursement Rates for Nursing Facilities on Islands

LD 1037 – An Act to Fund Competitive Wages for Direct Support Professionals for Persons with Disabilities

LD 1238 – An Act to Require Reporting on the Percentage of Approved Care Being Delivered to Individuals

LD 1339 – Resolve, to Establish the Task Force to Study Forming the Maine Commission on Disabilities

LD 1412 – RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Establishing That All Maine Residents Have Equal Rights Under the Law

LD 1521 – An Act to Support the Essential Support Workforce by Promoting Enhanced Reimbursement and Benefits and Encouraging Information Sharing

LD 1522 – An Act to Provide Economic Justice to Historically Disadvantaged Older Citizens by Amending the Laws Governing the Medicare Savings Program – Testimony

LD 1522 – An Act to Provide Economic Justice to Historically Disadvantaged Older Maine People – Talking Points

LD 1544 – An Act to Improve Economic Security for Maine Children by Establishing the Maine Dependent Tax Credit

LD 1684 – An Act to Invest in the Health and Wellness of Older Maine Residents by Expanding Coordinated Community Programming

LD 1718 – An Act to Encourage Participation in Maine’s Essential Support Workforce Through Access to Higher Education

LD 1573 Recommendations of the Commission to Study Long-Term Care Workforce Issues

If not now, when will we invest in Maine’s Essential Support Workforce?

We urge you to fully fund LD 1573 An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues in the FY22/23 Biennial Budget

It’s time to value and invest in the tens of thousands of Maine workers who provide vital daily supports and services to older people, people with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, and people with behavioral health challenges, to ensure they thrive in their homes and community settings.

Read Yvonne’s Story Here

Learn more here:

LD 1573 Fact Sheet Final

LD 1573 Sign-on FINAL

Portland Press Herald Ad LD 1573