Housing, Fraud on the Legislative Agenda

With the state legislative session slated to begin this month, AARP’s volunteer advocacy team has started meeting over Zoom and in person in Concord to plot strategy.

This year, the group will be pushing to increase affordable housing options, expand support for family caregivers, lower prescription drug prices and beef up protections against fraud.

Concord resident Sharon Monroe—one of about 40 members of AARP New Hampshire’s Capital City Task Force—says the volunteers divvy up the legislative agenda based on people’s interests and passions. So, for example, someone who is a caregiver can work on bills related to that issue.

Volunteers do everything from tracking legislation, to contacting key lawmakers, to showing up at legislative hearings clad in AARP’s distinctive red T-shirts.

“You can be more effective together than just by yourself,” says Monroe, 62, who is now retired after a career in the financial services sector.

Having volunteers share their personal perspectives and stories with legislators “makes a huge impact,” says Mike Padmore, AARP New Hampshire’s associate state director of advocacy and community engagement. In the 2024 session, AARP’s volunteer team helped win passage of a law requiring transparency from vendors that sell extended warranty contracts.

Monroe says the team is effective because lawmakers know the power of older constituents. “We really show up” at the statehouse, she says. “And we vote.”

She says it’s rewarding to see the impact they can have—and it’s also fun.

To learn more or join the task force, email mpadmore@aarp.org. No experience is needed. Volunteers receive training, mentorship and support.

—Michelle Cerulli McAdams