‘No Senior Ignored’: Senator Housley introduces elder care reforms

This week, Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Marys Point) introduced the first legislation of the 2019 session to address elder care in Minnesota. The bill introductions come as part of the ‘No Senior Ignored’ initiative, which was unveiled in December and highlights the Senate Republican majority’s commitment to elder care reform in the 2019 legislative session.

“This is about our commitment to Minnesota seniors. The ‘No Senior Ignored’ agenda sends a message loud and clear that no senior will be ignored in our state,” said Senator Housley. “It’s a new session, but our goal remains the same: bipartisan solutions on the serious issues facing elderly and vulnerable Minnesotans.”

The ‘No Senior Ignored’ agenda is a series of proposals aimed at strengthening protections for Minnesota seniors and enhancing state agency accountability. Senate File 11 addresses electronic monitoring, giving facility residents, or a designated representative, the right to use video monitoring. Senate File 8, officially the “Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act of 2019”, is a series of provisions aimed at preventing maltreatment of older and vulnerable adults. The legislation would expand rights for consumers and their families, enhance accountability standards, and increase transparency for all parties involved.

The introduced legislation echoes reforms that passed both chambers of the legislature, with bipartisan support, during the 2018 session. The two bills will be heard in the Senate Family Care and Aging Committee before the end of January and will likely be amended in committee to reflect the growing consensus of department officials, stakeholder groups, and families.

“We’re going to start on areas where we have bipartisan agreement and work from there,” Senator Housley continued. “This isn’t partisan. These are our moms and our dads, our brothers and our sisters, our neighbors and our friends, and we’re going to get this done.”

Senator Karin Housley, of St. Marys Point, is in her second term representing District 39, which includes the Forest Lake area and the St. Croix River Valley. Senator Housley is chairwoman of the Family Care and Aging Committee and is an assistant majority leader.