EXECUTIVE ORDER 01.01.2024.01
The Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative: A Multisector Plan for Longevity
A. Establishment.
(1) The Maryland Department of Aging is hereby directed to develop and implement the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative, a multisector plan to evaluate existing services, support, and care options for older adults and recommend a plan of action to address demographic trends, such as the falling birth rate and longer life spans of residents in Maryland.
(2)
The Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative will serve as a blueprint for all sectors to positively transform the aging experience for all Marylanders, through collaboration, partnership, strategic investments, and policy changes.
B. Duties.
(1) The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging (“Secretary”) shall convene workgroups to advise the Secretary in developing and implementing the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
(2) The workgroups sha
ll include representatives from:
a. Area agencies on aging;
b. The older adult community;
c. The Aging Network;
d. Organized Labor;
e. Advocacy organizations for older adults;
f. Caregivers and caregiver advocacy organizations;
g. The private sector;
h. Aging experts from the following disciplines: healthcare, technology, academia, innovation, and philanthropy; and
i. Such other agencies and experts recommended to the Governor by the Secretary as necessary to develop and implement the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
(3) In selecting workgroup members, the Secretary shall consider:
a. The racial, ethnic, gender, and geographic diversity of Maryland; and
b. The lived and professional experiences of potential members.
(4) The Secretary shall engage and coordinate with independent State agencies, federal, State, and local partners, and, if feasible, private entities to gather information that may assist in the development of the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
C. The Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative. The Initiative sh
all:
(1) Evaluate the utility of existing services, support, and care options for older adults, including those with different abilities;
(2) Review current data and establish a comprehensive framework of policies and programs that seek to improve and support the health, well-being, and quality of life for older adults;
(3) Set forth a plan to transform the infrastructure and coordination of services among State agencies for older adults;
(4) Identify goals with measurable outcomes, necessary to implement the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative; and
(5) Include recommendations on:
a. Enhancing coordination among public and private partners on aging-related programs and policies;
b. Increasing coordination between federal, State, and local government programs and services to serve the needs of older adults, their families, and caregivers;
c. Changes to laws, regulations, and policies that will promote capacity building in housing, transportation, long-term care, and caregiver support;
d. Mechanisms to strengthen the direct care workforce and support family caregivers;
e. Long-term care and insurance models for older adults and the feasibility of implementing each;
f. Opportunities to better support cognitive and behavioral health for older adults;
g. Opportunities to improve the economic well-being of older adults;
h. Increasing access to justice for older adults, including combating abuse, neglect, fraud, and exploitation;
i. Creating a more age-integrated State that promotes intergenerational relationships and decreases loneliness across generations;
j. Expanding Maryland’s workforce to include older adults;
k. Funding sources to support any recommended programs or policy changes developed under the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative; and
l. Any other aging-related matters identified by the Maryland Department of Aging.
D. Reporting.
(1) By July 1, 2025, the Department of Aging shall submit an interim report to the Governor summarizing the findings and recommendations of the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative and provide projected timelines to implement the recommendations.
(2) By July 1, 2025, the Department of Aging and the Department of Planning shall establish a public data dashboard to publish the goals, performance indicators, and progress of the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
(3) The Department of Aging shall submit a report to the Governor on or before January 1, 2026, and annually by January 1st each year thereafter, outlining the activities and recommendations of the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
E. Duration. This Executive Order shall remain in effect until December 31, 2035, unless earlier modified or rescinded.
F. State Agency Coordination.
(1) To the extent permitted by law, all units of State government that are under the control of the Governor shall cooperate with and assist the Department of Aging by sharing information and expertise, to develop and implement the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
(2) Constitutional officers and units of State government that are not under the control of the Governor, like the Comptroller and Attorney General, are invited to contribute and assist the Department of Aging in developing and implementing the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative.
G. General Provisions.
(1) This Executive Order shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with all applicable statutes and regulations. Nothing in this Executive Order shall operate to contravene any State or federal law or to affect the State's receipt of federal funding.
(2) If any provision of this Executive Order or its application to any person, entity, or circumstance is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, all other provisions or applications of the Executive Order shall remain in effect to the extent possible without the invalid provision or application. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Executive Order are severable.
Effective Date: January 3, 2024.
