By:  Zaffirini, Carona                                S.C.R. No. 36

                            SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The State of Texas will see its 65-plus population

 1-2     double between now and the year 2020 as the Baby Boom generation

 1-3     comes of age, transforming our social, cultural, and economic

 1-4     identity in ways that will affect each of our citizens; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, The Texas Department on Aging is the state agency

 1-6     exclusively mandated by statute to serve the state's citizens 60

 1-7     years of age or older; the department is charged with promoting

 1-8     public and private action and conducting studies to help senior

 1-9     Texans achieve their highest level of economic and personal

1-10     self-sufficiency, social involvement, dignity, and good health; and

1-11           WHEREAS, The current shifting of many federal programs to

1-12     state and local governments has already begun to reduce the scope

1-13     and quantity of government services, placing heavy demands on the

1-14     creativity and resources of state agencies, elected officials, and

1-15     service providers; and

1-16           WHEREAS, The Administration on Aging, the federal agency that

1-17     administers the Older Americans Act of 1965 and is responsible for

1-18     a large portion of the budget for the Texas Department on Aging, is

1-19     presently working at a national level with long-range planning on

1-20     many issues relating to retirement, health care, osteoporosis,

1-21     Alzheimer's disease, long-term care, disabilities, caregiver

1-22     support, and more; and

1-23           WHEREAS, Texas, with a senior population that now ranks

 2-1     fourth in the nation behind California, New York, and Florida, must

 2-2     likewise be prepared for those issues as they relate to our own

 2-3     specific demographic and social characteristics; now, therefore, be

 2-4     it

 2-5           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-6     endorse the efforts of the Texas Department on Aging, as the

 2-7     central unit of the state network on aging, to promote the

 2-8     formation of a partnership of state government agencies and elected

 2-9     officials to identify and address all major public policy issues

2-10     related to the aging population of Texas; and, be it further

2-11           RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature support the efforts of

2-12     the citizens of Texas, in cooperation with the Texas Department on

2-13     Aging, to form a coalition encompassing representatives of finance,

2-14     law, health care, housing, business and industry, the media, faith

2-15     communities, and senior citizens' groups to develop materials and

2-16     sponsor a public awareness campaign called "Aging Texas Well" that

2-17     will help Texans evaluate and address individual and family

2-18     preparedness for their retirement and aging from a holistic

2-19     perspective; and, be it further

2-20           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

2-21     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas

2-22     Department on Aging.