Mar. 24, 2025
HARRISBURG – With bipartisan support, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee today advanced legislation by Rep. Lou Schmitt (R-Blair) to require the Department of Aging to list any local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) that is not compliant with regulations and corresponding corrective action plans on its website.
“As representatives, there are many areas where we can make a positive difference. From my perspective, there’s nothing more important than keeping our citizens safe and free from abuse and financial exploitation. My legislation will promote transparency and demonstrate areas where more work is needed,” Schmitt said.
Countless older Pennsylvanians rely on AAAs for services, such as meals and social activities. AAAs also provide a more needed service – investigating allegations of elder abuse. Unfortunately, since 2017, as many as one-third of the 52 AAAs have been out of compliance with state regulations.
Schmitt first raised the issue of shrouded information during the House Appropriations Committee’s annual budget hearings last year. Since then, he has authored legislation to require more transparency in the Department of Aging.
For years, the Department of Aging had kept non-compliant AAAs from public view, releasing information once a year in a report that is rarely, if ever, seen by the public. Schmitt’s
House Bill 372 would require the department to display a non-compliant AAA list and corrective action plans on its website.
“A few short days ago, the department announced it will begin rolling out a new system that includes posting AAA performance results on its website as they become available. I applaud their initiative in response to my bill,” Schmitt said. “We must, however, ensure this information is always readily available to residents and the only way to do that is to enshrine it in law.”
House Bill 372 is now in the full House for consideration.
Editors’ Note:
A video clip of Rep. Lou Schmitt discussing House Bill 372 in the House Aging and Older Adult Services is available for viewing and distribution. To download the clip, follow the link, click the three dots in the lower right corner of the screen and select download here.
Representative Lou Schmitt
79th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
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