State lawmakers have passed a new bill that could help direct more services and programs towards older LGBTQ people and seniors living with HIV/AIDS.
The bill, S78A, would include those individuals in the state’s definition of “greatest social need” under the Older Americans Act of 1965, a law providing resources to senior populations across the nation. The updated definition covers need “caused by non-economic factors” such as cultural or social issues that “restrict an individual’s ability to perform normal daily tasks or that threaten his or her capacity to live independently.”
