This bill reauthorizes through FY2029, modifies, and establishes programs under the Older Americans Act, which supports social services and activities for individuals aged 60 years or older.
Reauthorized programs and activities include
the national eldercare locator service;
regional aging and disability resource centers;
grants to support counseling and assistance on pensions and other retirement benefits;
grants to support home-delivered nutrition services (sometimes referred to as meals on wheels programs);
programs to facilitate the delivery of supportive services to tribal organizations; and
programs to prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The bill also modifies existing programs for older individuals, including by explicitly permitting states to use certain grant funds to make carryout meals available at congregate meal sites or community locations. (Some providers began offering carryout meals to seniors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Further, the bill permits the Administration on Aging to establish and operate, through grants to or contracts with eligible entities, a national resource center to support growth of the direct care workforce. The center’s activities may include the provision of training and technical assistance and the promotion of strategies to recruit and retain direct care workers.
Finally, the bill establishes or reconvenes certain advisory groups, including (1) an advisory committee to provide guidance regarding the needs of older Native Americans and the implementation of related programs, and (2) a White House Conference on Aging to recommend improvements to federal programs that serve older individuals.
