The North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created by the North Carolina General Assembly with the passage of Senate Bill 479 in July of 1993.
The Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created to:
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Provide information to senior citizens on the legislative process and matters being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly.
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Promote citizen involvement and advocacy concerning aging issues before the North Carolina General Assembly.
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Assess the legislative needs of older citizens by convening a forum modeled after the North Carolina General Assembly.
Each of the 100 North Carolina counties is entitled to one delegate to the Senior Tar Heel Legislature. Most counties also have an alternate delegate. Delegates and alternates must be age 60 or older. The North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services provides staff support for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature in cooperation with the 16 area agencies on aging, which are responsible for conducting the selection of delegates and alternates.
NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature Announces Five Legislative Priorities for 2023-24
The NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature recommends these priorities to the NC General Assembly:
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Allocate an additional $8M in recurring funds for Adult Protective Services (APS) to address staff shortages. In SFY 21, APS received 32,075 repots across the state, compared to 14,001 reports in SFY 2005-2006, reflecting an increase of 1239% in 17 years.
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Increase the Senior Center General Purpose Appropriation by $1,265,316 in recurring funds. Senior Center General Purpose funding is currently $1,265,316, which is not meeting the demand of a growing population.
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Allocate an additional $8M in recurring funds for the Home and Community Care Block Grant. The Home and Community Care Block Grant is the primary funding source for community-based programs that support people 60 and older and current funding is insufficient to meet the need. The current appropriation is $36.9M.
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Allocate an additional $1.5M in recurring funds for 11 Additional Long-Term Care Ombudsmen. Ombudsmen serve as advocates for residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, providing protections for vulnerable elders. The current state appropriation for this program is $918.8K.
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Strengthen Long-Term Care Staffing Standards. In nursing homes, NC mandates minimum staffing standards for RNs and LPNs. For certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), there are no staffing standards, resulting in a strong likelihood of substandard care of frail elders.