04/25/2005 02:00 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

             CSHB 156(RLS)am - COMMISSION ON AGING                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON announced CSHB 156(RLS)am  to be up for consideration                                                               
saying that it only changes the membership of the board.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA COTTING,  Staff to  Representative Holm,  sponsor, agreed                                                               
that is what the bill does.  She clarified that a senior services                                                               
provider will be  sitting on the commission and  because he could                                                               
possibly be  a recipient of  one of  the grants, his  function is                                                               
taken out of statute so that  it's very clear that the commission                                                               
would not  have a conflict  of interest  by having a  provider on                                                               
the board.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  said that  one thing  that the  change will  do is                                                               
make it an  11-member commission with only 10 votes  and it seems                                                               
unusual to  have an 11-member  commission with an even  number of                                                               
votes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
LINDA GULL,  Executive Director,  Commission on  Aging, responded                                                               
that  the department  has an  advisory role  with the  commission                                                               
that is  burdensome in terms of  attendance and if there  were to                                                               
be a voting member, it would be a greater burden still.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:14:34 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GREEN asked if there is  that much of a conflict with the                                                               
non-voting member, why not just replace him with someone else.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  COTTING agreed  that  was  a good  question  that should  be                                                               
addressed at the commissioner level.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:17:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GREEN  asked how  the  commission  receives its  federal                                                               
funding.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. COTTING  explained that the  commission receives  its federal                                                               
funding  through the  Department  of Health  and Social  Services                                                               
(DHSS).                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GREEN moved  to pass  CSHB 156(RLS)am  out of  committee                                                               
with individual  recommendations and  attached zero  fiscal note.                                                               
There were no objections and it was so ordered.