LGBTQ Aging, Illinois Commission on

Board and Commission Details

Contact Name

Illinois Department on Aging

Function

The Commission is created to investigate, analyze, and study the health, housing, financial, psychosocial, home-and-community-based services, assisted living, and long-term care needs of LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers. The Commission shall make recommendations to improve access to benefits, services, and supports for LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers. The Commission, in formulating its recommendations, shall take into account the best policies and practices in other states and jurisdictions. Specifically, the Commission shall: (1) Examine the impact of State and local laws, policies, and regulations on LGBTQ older adults and make recommendations to ensure equitable access, treatment, care and benefits, and overall quality of life. (2) Examine best practices for increasing access, reducing isolation, preventing abuse and exploitation, promoting independence and self-determination, strengthening caregiving, eliminating disparities, and improving overall quality of life for LGBTQ older adults. (3) Examine the impact of race, ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics on access to services for LGBTQ older adults and make recommendations to ensure equitable access, treatment, care, and benefits and overall quality of life. (4) Examine the experiences and needs of LGBTQ older adults living with HIV/AIDS and make recommendations to ensure equitable access, treatment, care, benefits, and overall quality of life. (5) Examine strategies to increase provider awareness of the needs of LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers and to improve the competence of and access to treatment, services, and ongoing care, including preventive care. (6) Examine the feasibility of developing statewide training curricula to improve provider competency in the delivery of culturally responsive health, housing, and long-term support services to LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers. (7) Assess the funding and programming needed to enhance services to the growing population of LGBTQ older adults. (8) Examine whether certain policies and practices, or the absence thereof, promote the premature admission of LGBTQ older adults to institutional care, and examine whether potential cost-savings exist for LGBTQ older adults as a result of providing lower cost and culturally responsive home and community-based alternatives to institutional care. (9) Examine outreach protocols to reduce apprehension among LGBTQ older adults and caregivers of utilizing mainstream providers. (10) Evaluate the implementation status of Public Act 101-325. (11) Evaluate the implementation status of Public Act 102-543, examine statewide strategies for the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data and the impact of these strategies on the provision of services to LGBTQ older adults, and conduct a statewide survey designed to approximate the number of LGBTQ older adults in the State and collect demographic information (if resources allow for the implementation of a survey instrument).

Term

Members of the Commission shall serve until this Section is repealed. Members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

Senate Confirmation

No

Qualifications

Appointing authorities shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the Commission is diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and geography.

Compensation

Expenses

Composition

The Commission shall include at least all of the following persons who must be appointed by the Governor within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly: (A) one member from a statewide organization that advocates for older adults; (B) one member from a national organization that advocates for LGBTQ older adults; (C) one member from a community-based, multi-site healthcare organization founded to serve LGBTQ people; (D) the director of senior services from a community center serving LGBTQ people, or the director's designee; (E) one member from an HIV/AIDS service organization; (F) one member from an organization that is a project incubator and think tank that is focused on action that leads to improved outcomes and opportunities for LGBTQ communities; (G) one member from a labor organization that provides care and services for older adults in long-term care facilities; (H) one member from a statewide association representing long-term care facilities; (I) 5 members from organizations that serve Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, or Latinx LGBTQ people; (J) one member from a statewide organization for people with disabilities; and (K) 10 LGBTQ older adults, including at least: (i) 3 members who are transgender or gender-expansive individuals; (ii) 2 members who are older adults living with HIV; (iii) one member who is Two-Spirit; (iv) one member who is an African-American or Black individual; (v) one member who is a Latinx individual; (vi) one member who is an Asian-American or Pacific Islander individual; and (vii) one member who is an ethnically diverse individual. The following State agencies shall each designate one representative to serve as an ex officio member of the Commission: the Department, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Authority

20 ILCS 105/8.10


Member Names

Name Member Expiration Member Since Affiliation Appointed By Position Title County
Bell, Donald M. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from a statewide organization that advocates for older adults
Koehler, Charles H. Jr 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from a national organization that advocates for LGBTQ people
VACANT Governor Member, Rep. from a community-based, multi-site healthcare organization founded to serve LGBTQ people Cook
Larson, Britta 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Director of senior services from a community center serving LGBTQ people, or the director's designee
Castro, Christian 03/31/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from an HIV/AIDS service organization
Hunt, Kim L. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from an organization that is a project incubator and think tank that is focused on action that leads to improved outcomes and opportunities for LGBTQ communities
Tefft, Taylor 02/17/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from a labor organization that provides care and services for older adults in long-term care facilities Cook
VACANT Governor Member, Rep. from a statewide association representing long-term care facilities
Quinonez, Virginia G. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. of an organization that serves Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigeneous, or Latinx LGBTQ people
VACANT Governor Member, Rep. of an organization that serves Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigeneous, or Latinx LGBTQ people
Gandhi, Aneesha 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. of an organization that serves Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigeneous, or Latinx LGBTQ people
VACANT Governor Member, Rep. of an organization that serves Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigeneous, or Latinx LGBTQ people
Johnson, Phyllis 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. of an organization that serves Black, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Indigeneous, or Latinx LGBTQ people
Feidt, Daisy 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Rep. from a statewide organization for people with disabilities
Rogers, Clarence W. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Maginn, Michael 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Berry, Jeffrey L. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Clark, Stefanie 03/13/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Muriello, Danie 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Robbins, Kathleen A. 01/03/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Carthans, Caprice 05/30/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
VACANT Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult
Mank, Kim 08/04/2023 Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult St. Clair
VACANT Department on Aging Member; Ex Officio
VACANT Department of Public Health Member; Ex Officio
VACANT Department of Human Services Member; Ex Officio
VACANT Department of Healthcare and Family Services Member; Ex Officio
VACANT Department of Veterans' Affairs Member; Ex Officio
VACANT Governor Member
VACANT Governor Member, Older LGBTQ adult