Delegates to the Silver Haired Legislature
Choose Their Priorities For 2024
The 50th Annual Conference of the Silver Haired Legislature took place at the State Capitol in Jefferson City on October 17,18, and 19. The 103 delegates in attendance chose their Top Five Priorities and formulated plans to advocate for Senior issues during the coming legislative session.
After spirited debates in the Legislative chambers, the delegates chose these issues as their Top Five Priorities for the 2024 legislative session:
- Increased funding for transportation services to provide additional options for seniors.
- Increased accessibility to public buildings for individuals with disabilities.
- Required special dementia training in long-term care facilities.
- Increase the Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) to $100 per month with an inflation rider.
- Money recovered by MO HealthNet to be returned to the MO HealthNet.
Anyone interested in learning further details about the priorities of the Silver Haired Legislature is encouraged to call or e-mail Freda Miller at 660-240-9400 fmiller@yahresources.org or SHL Chair, John Herdon at 660-375-5083 johnnieherdon@sbcglobal.net
Missouri’s Silver Haired Legislature was founded in 1973, the first in the nation after the Older Americans Act was amended to include advocacy groups. The SHL is composed of fifteen volunteers from each of the ten statewide Area Agencies on Aging. These 150 senior advocates, elected by their peers, identify and advocate for issues critical to older Missourians.