Dec. 19—County resident Jean Moss represented Johnson County as she joined 69 other residents from throughout the state during the 20th Texas Silver-Haired Legislature’s membership development session in November at San Marcos.

The three-day meeting was the second of three such sessions scheduled for the 2023-25 term.

The most recent session focused on the history and mission of the TSHK, organizational structure, the legislative process, researching and writing resolutions and working with the Texas Legislature. A mock TSHL legislative session highlighted the conference.

TSHL members will now research senior issues in Texas, prepare resolutions for proposed legislation, pass them through committee and vote on them during TSHL’s May legislative session, which will be held in the House chamber of the State Capitol.

Approved resolutions will be included in a 2024 TSHL Legislative Report that will be delivered to all legislators, as well as the governor and lieutenant governor, in advance of the 2025 Texas Legislative Session. TSHL members will then actively advocate for legislation relevant to the TSHL resolutions.

“We have a great freshman class who enthusiastically participated in the development session,” TSHL Speaker Sherry Hubbard said. “Combined with the experience and mentorship of our veteran legislators, we are looking forward to a very productive. TSHL legislative session in May and, going forward, working with the Texas Legislature.”

Moss, in September, was named the first Silver-Haired Legislator from Johnson County.

“There has never been a representative in Johnson County,” Moss said. That’s why I got on board. I’m a real estate broker and I’ve represented real estate here for 50-some odd years. I know what a crisis it is for these elderly people to find housing.”

In those and other concerns, Moss and her fellow Silver-Haired legislators have their work cut out for them.

“There are only 70 [Silver-Haired legislators] to cover the entire state of Texas,” Moss said. “So I’m down there, we’re down there, beating down the doors of our state legislators. If they have a bill to present that will affect older adults, we advocate for adults 60 and older, they will call us to testify in committee to get that bill on the floor of the House to be presented. I think it’s a very worthwhile job.”

In the Silver-Haired Legislature, Moss serves on the finance committee and the rural and urban development committee.

A non-partisan organization, members of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature are elected and represent 28 Texas Area Agencies on Aging.

The 69th Texas Legislature in 1985 authorized the Silver-Haired Legislature to address the needs and concerns of older Texans through the legislative process. The full TSHL body meets in general session three times during the legislative biennium.

“The vision of the TSHL is that the applied wisdom, energy and experience of aging will improve the lives of all Texans through education, knowledge and involvement in legislation and governmental affairs,” according to the organization’s website.

Silver-Haired legislators do so through regional town halls, civic and professional organization speaking engagements and partnerships with their area Texas Area Agencies on Aging groups in effort to provide older Texans opportunities to become more knowledgeable about and involved with the state’s legislative process.

TSHL involvement played a direct role in the passing of more than 200 state bills passed since the organization’s 1985 founding.

Moss intends to advocate on issues affecting older Texans through outreach and education of all area residents.

“That also means stressing to our local officials, the commissioners court and city councils, the need to present and support legislation that favors older adults,” Moss said. “They’re the largest voting block in Texas. They show up to vote and we know what we’re voting on.”

TSHL Speaker Ronda Rogers likewise chimed in on the organization’s all-encompassing approach to issues facing older Texans.

“We do this at a 360 degree approach looking at every aspect of life for older Texans,” Rogers said. “We try to improve the lives of Texans through our work in finding issues of older Texans, developing resolutions and then working with our state legislators to get those resolutions passed into bills that will become law.”