For more than 40 years, the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) has provided older Kansans with a seat at the table on issues that directly affect them. Created in 1982 by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1649, the SHL is a unicameral body of 125 representatives, all age 60 and older, who are elected by their peers to identify priority concerns and recommend solutions to state lawmakers.
This spring, Allen County gained a new voice in the SHL when Alice Bolin was appointed to represent the county.
Bolin, who grew up near Elsmore and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law, spent decades drafting bills and analyzing legislation in Kansas, Colorado, and Nevada. “My background is legislation and working with legislatures,” she said. “So I sort of have a step up from the other people in our group because I do have all of that background and knowledge.”
THE SHL program traces its roots to a 1969 Act of Congress that encouraged states to establish senior-led legislative bodies. In Kansas, elections are conducted every two years by local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Any Kansan 60 or older who is a registered voter may run, either by collecting petition signatures or by paying a $25 filing fee. Representatives serve two-year terms and may seek reelection.
Once elected, members are tasked with listening to constituents, crafting resolutions, and presenting those priorities to the Kansas Legislature and Governor. They meet annually in Topeka each October for a three-day session, preceded by a summer planning session to narrow down issues.
Though new to the SHL, Bolin quickly found herself in a leadership role. She was named chair of Planning and Service Area (PSA) 5, which includes nine southeast Kansas counties. Until recently, most of those counties had little or no participation. Thanks to renewed recruitment efforts led by SEK Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) Director Kathy Brennon, seven of the nine counties are now represented, with at-large delegate positions making it easier for interested candidates to get involved.
Bolin said she sees her role as twofold: to carry Allen County’s concerns to Topeka and to keep seniors informed about how the SHL is advocating on their behalf. “I want people to know that I’m available if they have a general issue they’d like me to bring forward,” she said. “I can’t help with individual cases like someone’s property tax appraisal, but if there’s a broader concern, that’s exactly what I’m here for.”
EACH SUMMER, Kansas’ 11 PSAs submit issues for consideration, and the SHL selects four or five top priorities to debate in the fall. Recent successes include securing grandparents’ rights, eliminating state taxes on Social Security, increasing funding for the Senior Care Act and KPERS, and achieving tax-free status for AAAs.
This year, Bolin said the SHL is focusing on:
• Medical cannabis – continuing efforts to recommend a state advisory board.
• Property tax relief – exploring changes to reduce burdens on older homeowners.
• Medicaid and safety net programs – protecting funding for health and pharmacy benefits.
• Senior transportation – especially in rural areas where trips to the doctor or grocery store can be difficult.
• Voting access – ensuring seniors have the ability to cast ballots without barriers.
“We don’t really have specific recommendations yet. That’s what October is for,” Bolin said. “Our committees will work on concrete proposals to bring to the Legislature.”
She added that transportation stands out as a particularly pressing issue for rural Kansans. “Seniors have a hard time finding transportation to medical appointments or even getting groceries,” she said. “We want to see if there are examples of collaborative efforts elsewhere that we can recommend the Legislature encourage and help fund.”
