CNHI
ATHENS —
Among the resolutions to be studied when the Silver-Haired Legislators go to Montgomery Sept. 20 for their 3-day session will be two submitted by Representative Carol Schwarzenbach of Athens, who represents House District 5.
The ASHL process involves individual volunteer members submitting resolutions to the main body, similar to that followed in the House of Representatives. The resolutions are assigned to committees where their merits are discussed and voted upon; then, if approved, are returned to the full body for final consideration.
At the end of the session the members choose five resolutions they feel are of the greatest
Statewide importance as they relate to the State’s senior population.
In addition, they choose three additional resolutions they feel are of statewide general significance. The eight resolutions are then passed along to the Governor with a recommendation that his office as well as the legislature consider their merits and attempt to include them into their regular legislative process.
Some of the pieces of legislation that have been adopted by the Silver-Haired Legislature and were later enacted into law by the Legislature were the enactment of the Silver Alert law, passage of laws relating to texting while driving, and legislation pertaining to the health care of seniors.
Silver-Haired legislators remain in regular contact with their constituents, sensitive to conditions that might have an impact on the over all well being of their constituency. Formed in 1991, the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature is a nonpartisan, nonprofit model legislature of citizen volunteers 60 years of age and older who are elected by their peers to represent the interests of older Alabamians. The ASHL is patterned after the State Legislature, with members representing each of the 105 state legislative districts.
The Silver-Haired Legislature works in cooperation with the Alabama Aging Network, of the Alabama Department of Senior Services.
