The Rhode Island House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson, D-Newport, to create a permanent joint commission on aging charged with developing and regularly updating a statewide multisector plan on aging.
The bill (2026-H 8402A) now heads to the Senate. It would establish a 19-member permanent commission with representation from the House and Senate as well as from public and private stakeholders. The commission would spend its first 18 months developing the multisector plan, then take on permanent responsibility for updating it and recommending legislative, regulatory and budgetary actions to advance its goals, according to Carson’s office.
The legislation grew out of a House study commission that Carson has chaired for more than two and a half years. That earlier commission identified six priority areas for any statewide plan: economic security, housing, healthcare, access to services, transportation and municipal services. It issued a progress report in April framing the plan as a “living framework” that must respond to shifting demographics, fiscal realities and workforce constraints.
“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,” Carson said in a statement. “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.”
Carson said the work of planning and coordinating services for older Rhode Islanders has become a permanent job rather than one suited for a time-limited study commission.
“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,” she said. “Just like our state has a permanent commission on 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.”
AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor, who serves on the existing commission, said the multisector plan would create a “shared roadmap” across the six priority areas. “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,” Taylor said.
Coventry Human Services Director Robert Robillard Jr., who also serves on the existing commission, said coordination between state and local service providers would benefit caregivers, family members and the community at large.
The earlier commission has been working with the Center for Healthcare Strategies, a national organization, to lay the groundwork for the plan, according to Carson’s office. The new permanent commission would also coordinate with the state Office on Healthy Aging, which produces a report every three years under federal law accounting for its use of federal funding and its plans for serving the older population.
Carson, who announced her re-election bid in May, represents District 75 in Newport. She has chaired the House study commission on aging since its formation.
