The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) announced today that it is seeking Arkansans aged 60 and older to serve as members of the 22nd Biennial Silver Haired Legislative Session
This year’s session will be held on Aug. 17 and 18 at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. The DHS Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) partners with the eight Arkansas Area Agencies on Aging to manage all phases of this statewide event. Seniors participate in this non-partisan session by writing, debating, and voting on bills addressing issues critical to older Arkansans. All the bills passed in the session will be given to legislators of the next General Assembly. Legislators may consider introducing the bills in the next session.
“About 17 percent of our State’s population is over the age of 65, and that number will continue to grow as ‘baby boomers’ age,” said DAABHS Director Jay Hill. “That is why this session is so important – it gives a voice to issues impacting our seniors.”
Organizers are seeking one member from each county in Arkansas. Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact the Area Agency on Aging in their area. Contact information for each Area Agency on Aging can be found by on our website. Interested seniors need to collect at least 25 valid signatures from people in their county who also are aged 60 or older. The signatures must be given to the local Area Agency on Aging by 4 p.m. on March 18, 2022. Local elections are then held at the respective Area Agency on Aging.
The local Area Agency on Aging will notify candidates about the date and location of the election meeting in the candidate’s home county. Candidates must be present at their county election. Voting is by secret ballot. To be eligible, voters must be 60 or over, residents of the county where they are voting, and vote in person. The candidate receiving the most votes will be the SHLS delegate for that county and the candidate with the second highest number of votes will serve as alternate.
If a senior is chosen to participate, he or she will get a free two-day training on topics such as the legislative process, how to write bills, and how a bill becomes a law. Local Area Agencies on Aging can answer questions about the training or any other topics tied to the session.
The session has been held every other year since 1978. It is one of about 30 similar sessions held throughout the country.
For more information, please contact Gary Hinkle of the Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services at 501-320-6586 ([email protected]) or the local Area Agency on Aging.
