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6/5/2026
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House approves Carson proposal creating permanent commission on aging, comprehensive plan
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STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson to create a permanent joint commission on aging charged with creating and regularly updating a statewide multisector plan on aging.
The bill, which now goes to the Senate, was a recommendation of a House commission led by Representative Carson that has been working for more than 2 ½ years to collect information about existing resources across the state to support older people, and laying the groundwork for the development of a comprehensive plan prepare for the coming “silver tsunami” as the Baby Boomers swell the proportion of the state population above 65.
“Rhode Island has a particularly high proportion of older residents, but we certainly aren’t the only state experiencing the rapid expansion of our older ranks, since the Baby Boom represented a population surge nationwide. We need to follow the path forged by about 15 other forward-thinking states and get to work on a comprehensive, thoughtful plan to make the most of our existing resources and address the gaps in meeting the needs of that surge of older Rhode Islanders,” said Chairwoman Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport). “The demands on our healthcare system, our housing, transportation, social services and senior centers will be changing in the coming years. We need to know what’s coming and be ready to adapt at all levels to the needs of our population.”
The House commission that Chairman Carson has led, which includes representatives from state and municipal agencies as well as agencies and advocates for older people and those with disabilities, has been working with a national organization, the Center for Healthcare Strategies, to set the stage for the creation of a state multisector plan for aging that would take into account all public and private resources available to older Rhode Islanders in the state and identify and address unmet needs.
Last summer, after public workshops and hearings, Chairwoman Carson’s commission identified six domain priorities that should be addressed in such a plan: economic security, housing, healthcare, access to services, transportation and municipal services. The commission issued a progress report in April, recounting its work and framing the multisector plan as “living framework” that must respond to shifting demographics, fiscal realities, workforce constraints and lived experiences of Rhode Islanders.
At this point, Chairwoman Carson said, it has become clear that planning and coordinating the effort to meet the needs of older Rhode Islanders is a permanent job, not one for a time-limited House study commission.
The legislation approved today (2026-H 8402A) creates a new 19-member permanent study commission that includes representation from both the House and the Senate as well as from stakeholders across the public and private sectors involved in the six priority domains identified by the current commission. It also includes several members who serve on the existing commission to ensure continuity of that commission’s efforts. There would be several months’ overlap between the permanent commission and the expiration of the existing one, and Chairwoman Carson envisions several joint meetings for a smooth transition.
The permanent commission would spend the next 18 months creating the multisector plan to address the needs of older Rhode Islanders and those with disabilities and identify ways to improve interagency coordination and collaboration with municipalities and community partners. The commission would be permanently responsible for updating that plan and making any recommendations for legislative, regulatory and budgetary actions necessary to advance its goals, as well as for identifying strategies to promote aging in place and strengthen home- and community-based services.
“The multisector plan on aging required by this bill brings together the agencies, municipalities, advocates, and older adults themselves to develop a shared roadmap across six critical areas: housing, transportation, access to services, municipal services, economic security, and healthcare,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor, who serves on the current commission. “That matters because aging well is not just about healthcare — it’s about whether you stay in your home, get to a doctor’s appointment, access food and services or remain connected to your community.”
The permanent commission would also coordinate with the state Office on Healthy Aging, which produces its own report every three years under federal law to account for its use of federal funding and its plans for serving the older population’s needs. Chairwoman Carson’s legislation instructs the new commission to use that report to inform and support the goals, strategies and progress monitoring of its multisector plan.
“We already have more people in Rhode Island who are over 65 than we have people who are under 18, and that demographic is going to continue to expand over the next decade,” said Chairwoman Carson. “Just like our state has a permanent commission childcare, we should have a permanent commission that works to coordinate the patchwork of existing agencies and services that touch the lives of older people, and a concrete plan to adequately serve their needs.”
Chairwoman Carson said she is very grateful for the work of the members of the existing commission and looks forward to the progress continuing with the permanent committee and development of the multisector plan.
“Advocacy that impacts the lives of older Rhode Islanders is of paramount importance. This legislation will concretize the multisector plan on aging to become a permanent part of fine-tuning service coordination and resources for our aging population. Coordination between state and local service providers will ultimately benefit caregivers, family members and the community at large,” said Coventry Human Services Director Robert Robillard Jr., who serves on the existing commission.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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