Deadline has been extended to April 22, 2022
The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas, Inc. (AAASWA) are 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.”
Anyone over the age of 60 interested in participating with the AAASWA should contact Pam Schulz at 870-626-3090 or pschulz@aaaswa.net.
Delegates are needed for the following counties: Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier and Union Counties.
The session has been held every other year since 1978. It is one of about 30 similar sessions held throughout the country.
