ROME — Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-119, Marcy, joined local residents on Thursday, Aug. 4, at Copper City Community Connection, 305 E. Locust St., to discuss recently passed legislation to benefit seniors.

“Mohawk Valley seniors helped build our communities and make them the special places that they are today, and it’s vital that we support older residents and help them thrive in their golden years,” said Buttenschon. “We accomplished a lot for our seniors this year, but there’s still more work to be done. I’ll continue working with my Assembly colleagues, local service organizations and other community stakeholders to ensure our state is doing everything it can to support elderly New Yorkers.”

The legislation includes measures to:

• Require municipalities that have existing real property tax exemption to notify eligible senior citizens of tax exemptions that they may be eligible to receive;
• Increase transparency by requiring agencies on aging to collect and report on unmet need;
• Create a new Office of Older Adult Workforce Development within the state Office for the Aging;
• Direct the Commissioner of Health to work with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman to create reporting policies and procedures by staff and volunteers of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program on issues concerning the health, safety and welfare of patients;
• Expand the definition of elder abuse in state law to include identity theft;
• Implement a new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to help elderly residents remain in their communities for as long as possible;
• Establish a temporary commission to evaluate and provide recommendations on how to improve services for older New Yorkers in mental health housing programs; and
• Extend the Senior Citizen Rent Income Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Income Exemption (DRIE) programs for an additional two years.