“Our current
structure allows for collaboration but it doesn’t codify it. The current
administration is trying to work across these different policy areas, including
the recent designation of Maine as an AARP Age-Friendly State. This is a
fantastic start,” Fay said. “The Cabinet on Aging would elevate the profile of
that work and, at its heart, make sure that that work continues in an
accessible and public way, regardless of changes in administration.”
The bill, LD
1733, An Act To Ensure
Comprehensive Interdepartmental Planning, Coordination and Collaboration on
Aging Policy, would create a “Cabinet on Aging.” Based on the same
concept as the “Children’s Cabinet,” it would be tasked with promoting
interagency cooperation for dealing with the issues faced by older Mainers. It
would consist of representatives of multiple departments and agencies,
including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of
Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Economic and
Community Development, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of
Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management and the Maine State Housing
Authority.
The bill faces
further votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Fay,
who represents part of Casco, part of Poland and part of Raymond, is in her
second term in the House. She serves on the Legislature’s Environment and
Natural Resources Committee and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.
She is also the House chair of the bipartisan Legislative Caucus on Aging.
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