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H 4558

An Act establishing a commission on aging disabled adults

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Lawn

Creates a cross-agency commission to assess and improve health, housing, benefits, and long-term supports for aging disabled adults, prioritizing home-based care and reduced isolat

Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
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Bill Summary · H 4558

Summary: H.4558 – An Act establishing a commission on aging disabled adults

Purpose and scope

  • Creates a special commission to study the aging disabled adult population in Massachusetts.
  • The commission will examine health, housing, financial, social, psychosocial, and long-term care needs of aging disabled adults and their caregivers, and develop recommendations to improve access to benefits and services.
  • Aims to promote independence and self-determination, reduce isolation, prevent abuse/exploitation, and increase access to cost-effective home- and community-based alternatives to institutional care when appropriate.

Key provisions

Commission structure and membership

  • Created as a special commission under section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws.
  • Composition includes:
    • 1 member of the House (appointed by the Speaker) serving as co-chair.
    • 1 member of the Senate (appointed by the Senate President) serving as co-chair.
    • Senior state officials or designees: Secretary of the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, and the Commissioner of Public Health (or designees).
    • Representatives (or designees) from: LGBTQIA+ Aging Project; National Association on HIV Over Fifty, Inc.; Massachusetts Aging Access, Inc.; AARP Massachusetts; Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging; Massachusetts Senior Care Association; Home Care Aides Council; Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.
    • 5 members appointed by the Governor, including: 1 elder law attorney, 1 expert in adult disability public policy or research, and 3 aging disabled adults.
    • The Governor’s appointees must ensure geographic representation from Cape Cod, western Massachusetts, and central Massachusetts.

Duties and activities

  • Investigate, analyze, and study the needs of aging disabled adults and their caregivers (health, housing, financial, social, psychosocial, long-term care).
  • Make recommendations to improve access to benefits and services; assess impacts of current policies and regulations on equality of access and care.
  • Explore:
    • Provider awareness and competency, access to treatment/services, including preventive care.
    • Funding and programming needed to enhance services for aging disabled adults.
    • Best practices to increase access, reduce isolation, prevent abuse, strengthen caregiving, eliminate disparities, and improve quality of life.
    • Whether policies contribute to premature institutionalization; propose lower-cost, culturally appropriate home- and community-based alternatives.
    • Feasibility of statewide training curricula to improve provider competency in health, housing, and long-term supports.
    • Outreach protocols to reduce apprehension about using mainstream providers.
  • Consider best practices from other states and may hold public meetings, fact-finding hearings, and other forums.

Funding and operations

  • May accept funds, gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and federal funds to carry out the commission’s purposes.
  • Funds deposited in a separate account with the state treasurer and expended according to law.

Reporting

  • Must report findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the clerks of the House and Senate, and the chairs of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence.
  • Required to file at least one report by December 31 in every even-numbered year.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced: October 2, 2025.
  • Legislative history (highlights):
    • Reported favorably by the Committee on Aging and Independence on October 2, 2025.
    • Referred to the Committee on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, on October 2, 2025.
    • Discharged to the Committee on House Rules on October 27, 2025.
    • On November 6, 2025, the Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the Committee on House Ways and Means.

Who would be affected

  • Aging disabled adults and their caregivers across Massachusetts.
  • Health, housing, and long-term care providers serving aging disabled adults.
  • State agencies and departments (e.g., Aging and Independence, Housing, Public Health) involved in related programs and policy.
  • Advocacy organizations focused on aging, disability rights, caregiving, and LGBTQIA+ aging issues.

Potential impact

  • Creates a formal, cross-agency, stakeholder-driven process to assess and address gaps in health, housing, benefits, and long-term support for aging disabled adults.
  • Could lead to recommendations for expanding home- and community-based care, reducing unnecessary institutionalization, and improving provider training and accessibility.
  • Establishes a framework for ongoing monitoring and reporting to both the executive and legislative branches, with biennial updates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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