STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1033

with Senate Amendments

(Proposed by Senator VITALE)

ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 21, 2022

      These Senate amendments revise the nature of the commission established by the bill from a planning commission to an advisory commission and make various changes throughout the bill to reflect this change.  The amendments provide that the commission will serve in an advisory capacity to the Department of Human Services (DHS).

      The Senate amendments remove the bill’s findings and declaration section.

      The Senate amendments revise the manner in which some of the public members of the commission are to be appointed by removing direct appointment authority for certain members from the Senate President and the Speaker of the General Assembly, and instead providing that those members will be appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendations of the Senate President and the Assembly Speaker.

      The Senate amendments revise the commission’s meeting requirements to clarify that the commission is authorized to meet at the call of the chairperson or the Commissioner of Human Services (commissioner), removing language authorizing the Commissioner of Health to call a meeting of the commission, and to reduce the required number of meetings from not fewer than four times per year to not fewer than two times per year.

       The Senate amendments extend the deadline for the initial appointment of the commission’s members from 60 days to 180 days.

      The Senate amendments revise the power granted to the commission by the bill and remove the commission’s power to:

· maintain an office and designate the location of the office;

· solicit, receive, accept, and expend any grant moneys or other funds made available to the commission for its purposes; and

· enter into agreements or contracts, execute instruments, and do and perform acts or things necessary, convenient, or desirable to further the commission’s purposes.

      The Senate amendments retain the commission’s power to solicit and receive assistance and services from State, county, or municipal government entities, provided that the commission receives approval from the commissioner.

      The Senate amendments replace the term “ongoing duty” with “responsibility” when describing the work assigned to the commission.  The Senate amendments provide that the list of the commission’s responsibilities outlined by the bill is not exhaustive.  The Senate amendments revise the commission’s responsibility to gather, analyze, and disseminate data and information on any other issue deemed relevant to the commission and its purposes to be contingent on the commissioner’s approval and the availability of funds.  The Senate amendments provide that, in lieu of outlining to the DHS the appropriate roles of government entities in providing services to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other related disorders or other forms of dementia, the commission will make recommendations to the DHS on this topic.

      The Senate amendments revise the reporting requirements under the bill to provide that, in lieu of an ongoing annual reporting requirement, the commission will be required to submit annual written reports for a period of no less than five years after the submission of its first annual report, and thereafter upon the request of the Legislature or whenever the commission determines a report should be submitted.

      The Senate amendments provide that the written report will contain the commission’s recommendation on general actions, without specific references to legislative or executive actions, that can be taken to improve care for Alzheimer’s disease and other related disorders and other forms of dementia.

      The Senate amendments revise the title and synopsis of the bill to reflect these changes.

      The Senate amendments make technical changes to address a typographical error and grammar and to harmonize terminology throughout the bill.