The Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) is modeled on the West Virginia Legislature. Its purpose is two-fold: to provide an opportunity for older West Virginians to reinforce their knowledge of the legislative process, and to identify common problems—not just those of senior citizens, but all West Virginians—and propose realistic, feasible solutions to those problems in the form of position papers and resolutions. The SHL is composed of 134 representatives, all 60 years of age or older, who are elected every two years from throughout the state by their peers. There is a representative in the SHL from each of the state's 55 counties.
The 28th session of the West Virginia Silver Haired Legislature convened at the Ramada Inn in South Charleston on September 29, 2009. Members from throughout the state met to listen to expert testimony, and compile the final draft of eight Position Papers that had been previously researched. The closing session was held on October 1, in the House Chamber at the Capitol, where the papers were presented by the individual committee to the full membership. Eight papers were adopted. Members of the West Virginia Silver Haired Legislature are encouraged to talk to the representatives in their region to bring attention to the topics of interest to seniors. They are also encouraged to request support for the papers to be presented to the West Virginia Legislature for their consideration at their regular session in 2010.