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A bipartisan group of state lawmakers has begun studying whether Tennessee should create a Department on Aging and Adult Services that could streamline the fragmented system now in place.

A story by The Associated Press on the committee's first meeting was aired and printed in media outlets across the state, including WTVF and The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

AARP Tennessee Advocacy Director Patrick Willard told committee members during the first meeting that older Tennesseans in need of state services currently face ``a bewildering bureaucracy of overlapping agencies, duplication and fragmentation of services.''

Some nine state departments and agencies now provide services for older and disabled Tennesseans. Putting that all under one roof could better serve consumers and taxpayers, Willard said.

``It is clear from the budget projections and forecasts that our state government will be spending less and cutting services as it grapples with lower revenues this year and in the future. By focusing our efforts on giving the consumer choices, and reducing the duplication of services, we can streamline the system and make it more efficient.''

He pointed to a 2003 study by the state Comptroller that said ``having multiple providers leads to fragmented services; clients may be overlooked and unserved. Making the entire long term care system more streamlined could help to free up resources to eliminate waiting lists and provide services for those who qualify.”