Text of MA H 48 (2012)

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 00367 FILED ON: 01/14/2011 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 00048 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _______________ PRESENTED BY: Jennifer E. Benson _______________ To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled: The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill: An Act addressing LGBT elder inclusion. ￿. _______________ PETITION OF: NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: Jennifer E. Benson 37th Middlesex Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. 34th Middlesex Ellen Story 3rd Hampshire James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester Elizabeth A. Malia 11th Suffolk Denise Andrews 2nd Franklin Susan C. Fargo Third Middlesex Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex Patricia D. Jehlen Second Middlesex William N. Brownsberger 24th Middlesex Christine E. Canavan 10th Plymouth Denise Provost 27th Middlesex HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 00048 By Ms. Jennifer E. Benson of Lunenburg, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 00048) of Jennifer E. Benson and others for legislation improving access to services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders and caregivers. Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION SEE ￿ HOUSE ￿ , NO. 4461 OF 2009-2010.] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _______________ In the Year Two Thousand Eleven _______________ An Act addressing LGBT elder inclusion. ￿. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1 Chapter 19A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 official edition, is hereby 2 amended by adding the following new section: 3 Section 6A: The department shall focus on the prevention and elimination of discrimination 4 based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, as well as on improving access to 5 services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders and caregivers. To that end, the 6 department shall work to ensure that a curriculum is developed that will support the training for 7 the delivery of services. The department shall require that over a period of time such training be 8 completed by all providers of services who contract with or receive funding from the department, 9 from Aging Service Access Points and/or from the MassHealth Office of Long Term Care, or 10 whose services are certified by the department. 11 The department shall develop a process and timeframe for completing such trainings by those 12 who deliver services.