State Rep. Norm Johnson, R-Yakima, will serve on the new Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Aging and Disability, which will re-examine state programs in light of a growing number of senior citizens and disabled residents.
The committee is tasked with projecting the growth of such populations through 2030, creating a list of state programs that work with those groups, and coming up with policies to make those programs more effective. Housing, land use, transportation, health care, long-term care and financial security will all be discussed.
The committee, which was created this year through a provision in the state’s operating budget, must submit a preliminary report to the Legislature by Dec. 10, and final recommendations to the governor by December 2014.
Last year, people age 65 and older made up more than 13 percent of the state’s population, according to a state Office of Financial Management report. In Clark County, 12.4 percent of residents are 65 or older.
