Tag Archives for OAA

Senate Aging Committee Seeks Renewal of Older Americans Act 

Published in RINewsToday on November 10, 2025

 With over 359 days until the mid-term elections, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging held a hearing last week to emphasize the need for reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a crucial piece of federal legislation that expired the previous year. The hearing highlighted the key role OAA plays in assisting Americans living with age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as their caregivers.

Last reauthorized in 2020, the OAA expired during the 118th Congress. S. 4776, introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the committee’s ranking member, passed the Senate by unanimous consent last year. However, the House failed to pass a companion measure due to unrelated political disagreements.

Senate Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Reauthorize the OAA

On June 18, 2025, Chairman Cassidy, alongside nine co-sponsors, reintroduced the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 2120). This 91-page bill would authorize new funding a strengthen services for older Americans. The bipartisan bill was referred to the Senate HELP Committee the day it was introduced, where hearings, markups, and a committee vote are expected. If approved, it will move to the full Senate. As of press time, a companion bill had not yet been introduced in the House.

 Chairman Cassidy’s co-sponsors include Senators Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rick Scott (R-FL), chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Susan Collins (R-ME).

 Although S. 2120 closely mirrors last year’s S. 4776, there are notable differences. Specifically, it would reauthorize OAA programs through FY 2030 and increase funding by 18% over the next four years. It also includes measures to promote innovation, strengthen the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and expand the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Additionally, the bill aims to improve services for Tribal elders and older adults with disabilities, ensuring these populations remain active and supported in their communities.

 S. 2120 would also address elder abuse by establishing a clearinghouse for best practices, focusing on legal and protective services to strengthen state ombudsman programs, adult protective services, and related legal supports.

 Senate Aging Committee Hearing Highlights Call for S. 2120 Passage

 On November 5, 2025, Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) of the Senate Aging Committee held a full committee hearing titled “Renewing Our Commitment: How the Older Americans Act Uplifts Families Living with Aging-Related Diseases.” The hearing, which took place in SD-216 at 3:30 p.m., focused on how OAA-funded programs provide critical support to millions of Americans with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The goal of the hearing was to push for the passage of S. 2120 with bipartisan support.

In his opening statement, Chairman Scott emphasized the importance of reauthorizing the OAA to ensure that programs and services keep pace with a rapidly growing aging population—one increasingly affected by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, placing greater demands on caregivers.

“More than 7 million older Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and nearly 1 million are affected by Parkinson’s,” said Scott. “Behind these numbers are caregivers—a husband, a wife, a son, or a daughter—providing unpaid, around-the-clock care.”

“Every service made possible by this law [OAA] represents compassion made real,” he added.

Ranking Member Gillibrand opening statement pointed out that most people are unaware of the OAA’s existence, despite the fact that one in six older adults benefit from its programs. “In 2024, the OAA generated 3.39 times its investment in community value and taxpayer savings. Through efficient service delivery, older adults avoided 1.9 million days of long-term hospital stays and institutional care,” she said.

“It’s not the time to take our foot off the gas,” Gillibrand continued. “Even though there have been minimal interruptions in service delivery since the Act’s authorization expired last year, it is vital that we pass a reauthorization this fall to modernize the statute and reflect the evolving needs of older adults.”

The three witnesses at this Senate Aging Committee hearing shared how OAA-funded services—such as adult day centers, home-delivered meals, caregiver support, and specialized exercise programs—helped them to maintain their health, and independence. They pointed out that these community-based services not only provided caregivers with the critical support, more important they were cost-effective alternatives to more costly nursing home care.

Key Testimonies Highlight the Impact of OAA Programs

Erick Montealegre, a volunteer community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association and a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, told the panel that adult day care centers and home-delivered meals—funded by the OAA—had made a “world of difference” in his father’s quality of life, providing essential respite care for his family.

Montealegre highlighted the importance of these programs being culturally and linguistically appropriate. His 84-year-old father, who had lost the ability to speak English and reverted to speaking his native Spanish, benefitted greatly from services that met his language needs.

“This hearing is especially meaningful to me because it’s taking place in November, National Family Caregivers Month,” Montealegre noted. In conclusion, he said, “Reauthorizing and strengthening the Older Americans Act is an investment in our families, our dignity, and our community.”

Steve Sappington, who has lived with Parkinson’s disease for the past ten years, explained that an OAA-supported exercise program, Rock Steady Boxing, has significantly slowed the progression of his symptoms. Recounting his experiences in living with Parkinson’s, he noted that he went eight years without having to increase his Parkinson’s medication after starting the boxing program. His neurologist called it a “miracle” and said he had never seen anything like it before.

“Programs like ours are possible because of the foundation laid by the OAA,” Sappington said. “Local OAA-funded services—such as transportation, congregate and home-delivered meals, caregiver support, adult day services, and other vital programs—make it possible for older adults like me to stay active and connected.” He urged Congress to reauthorize the OAA to ensure continued support for these essential services.

However, Sappington also pointed out that many older adults remain unaware of the services available to them, emphasizing the need for culturally competent outreach, particularly to low-income, rural, and minority communities.

 Duana Patton, Chief Executive Director of the Ohio District Five Area Agency on Aging and Board President of USAging, emphasized that Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) serve as the “front door” to a network of local, community-based services. She argued that the OAA represents a cost-effective investment for the federal government, as its programs help older adults remain in their communities, which is far less expensive than placement in costly nursing homes.

 “The longer older adults can successfully age at home, the better it is financially for families and the federal government,” Patton explained. Having worked in the AAA field for over 31 years, she cited the example of “Ms. Gray,” a client who, after receiving in-home personal care and meals funded by the OAA, no longer required hospital readmissions due to the significant improvements in her health.

The witnesses stressed that the OAA needs to be promptly reauthorized, strengthened, and modernized to provide local agencies with the flexibility required to meet the evolving needs of their communities.

 A Final Note…

“We hope the Senate’s OAA reauthorization bill (S. 2120) can move forward soon, either under Unanimous Consent or attached to another legislative vehicle,” says Amy Gotwals, Chief of Public Policy and External Affairs at USAging. “While the House has yet to announce a specific plan, USAging, along with other aging organizations, is advocating for a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will pass before the end of the year.”

Gotwals notes that, although the reauthorization is important, it is not immediately necessary to ensure continued funding for the OAA. “President Trump’s budget, along with both the Senate and House FY 2026 bills, protect all but one OAA program—the Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program. If there’s a year-long Continuing Resolution, all programs will be protected,” she adds.

 “The shutdown remains our biggest challenge right now,” Gotwals concludes.

43 Days to Reauthorize the Older Americans Act

Published in RINewsToday on August 18, 2025

The clock is ticking. Funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA) is currently secured only through September 30, 2025—that’s just 43 days away. Unless Congress acts to reauthorize the law or approve new appropriations before the start of FY 2026 on October 1, funding could lapse. A bipartisan effort must be made on Capitol Hill to ensure both reauthorization and the FY 2026 budget are addressed, avoiding any interruption in services for America’s older adults.

Last reauthorized in 2020, the OAA expired during the 118th Congress. S. 4776, spearheaded by Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the committee’s ranking member, passed the Senate by unanimous consent last year. However, the House failed to pass a companion measure due to unrelated political disagreements.

Two months ago, Chairman Cassidy and nine co-sponsors reintroduced the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2025. The 91-page bill, S. 2120, would renew funding and strengthen services for older Americans. It was referred to the Senate HELP Committee the day it was introduced, where hearings, markups, and a committee vote are expected. If approved, it will move to the full Senate for consideration. As of press time, a companion bill had not yet been introduced in the House.

Chairman Cassidy’s co-sponsors include Senators Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY, Rick Scott (R-FL), chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Susan Collins (R-ME).

Since its passage in 1965, the OAA has provided vital nutrition, social, and health services to millions of seniors. The legislation was originally sponsored by Rep. John E. Fogarty (D-RI) in the House and Sen. Lister Hill (D-AL) in the Senate, and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 14, 1965.

Strengthening Programs for the Future

Although S. 2120 closely mirrors last year’s S. 4776, there are notable differences. The legislation would reauthorize OAA programs through FY 2030 and increase funding by 18% over the next four years. It also includes measures to promote innovation, strengthen program integrity, and provide better support for family caregivers and direct care workers. The bill aims to improve services for Tribal elders and older adults with disabilities, ensuring these populations can remain active and supported in their communities.

One key provision strengthens the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP). The bill would establish a full-time National Director position and require the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study of state ombudsman programs. This study would assess program effectiveness, staffing challenges, recommendations for improvement, and the adequacy of current staff-to-bed ratios. The legislation also calls for updated training standards for long-term care ombudsman volunteers.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program would also be expanded. The bill encourages easier access to caregiver services, removes barriers to obtaining help, and ensures supports are both accessible and practical. It specifically requires trauma-informed services and elder abuse prevention programs to be available, helping caregivers better manage challenges in their roles.

On elder abuse prevention, S. 2120 authorizes a clearinghouse for best practices, focusing on legal and protective services to strengthen state ombudsman programs, adult protective services, and related legal supports.

Bipartisan Support and Legislative Momentum

“The Older Americans Act is crucial in helping American seniors live healthy and independent lives in the settings they choose,” said Chairman Cassidy. “This legislation strengthens these programs, ensuring they meet the needs of older Americans now and in the future,” he says.

Sen. Scott also underscored the urgency of passing S. 2120 in a released statement. “I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation to strengthen support for America’s older adults and reaffirm our commitment to helping them enjoy their golden years with dignity and independence,” he said. “As Chair of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, I understand how essential it is that more than 59 million older Americans have access to critical services made possible through the Older Americans Act. Our seniors have spent their lives building and serving this country, and this bill is one way we ensure they continue to be supported, respected, and valued,” he added.

“The OAA has been a lifeline for American seniors since its passage over half a century ago,” said Sen. Gillibrand in a statement on June 18. “This landmark legislation helps our nation’s seniors thrive by supporting programs that provide nutrition assistance, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, caregiver support, disease prevention, and more. We owe it to seniors to continue funding these programs so they can age with dignity and respect. As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, I am firmly committed to getting this bill passed with bipartisan support.”

Sen. Sanders’s statement echoed that message, highlighting the broad scope of OAA-funded services: “The Older Americans Act provides federal funding for many essential programs, including combating loneliness and isolation, job training, protections from abuse, rides to the doctor and grocery store, disease prevention, caregiver support, and help for older adults to live independently at home. Not only does the Act save lives and ease human suffering, it saves money. We can waste billions on emergency room visits and unnecessary hospital stays, or we can provide seniors with the resources they need to live healthier, more dignified lives.”

“The failure to reauthorize the OAA in 2024 had tragic consequences in 2025. One in particular was the elimination of the Administration of Community Living which runs OAA programs.  Also proposals (since rejected) to end funding for Adult Protective Services and ombudsman programs. When you are in legislative limbo bad stuff can happen. It’s time for that to end,” says Robert “Bob” Blancato, serving as National Coordinator of the bipartisan 3,000-member Elder Justice Coalition, the Executive Director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs and National Coordinator of the Defeat Malnutrition.

Advocacy and the Call to Action

National advocacy groups—including Consumer Voice, Argentum, the National Council on Aging, the National Association of Development Organizations, USAging, and the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs—are urging swift passage of S. 2120. These organizations stress that delaying re-authorization would put millions of vulnerable seniors at risk of losing essential supports.

With the many benefits the OAA delivers to Rhode Island’s older adults—and considering that the late Rep. John Fogarty of Rhode Island played a pivotal role in securing passage of the original legislation in 1965—it is only fitting that the state’s current senators take a leading role today. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) should cosponsor S. 2120 and work closely with their Senate colleagues to ensure its passage. Since there is currently no companion measure in the House, Rhode Island’s Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo must take the initiative—by urging their colleagues to introduce one, or by stepping forward themselves to lead the effort.

Congress must act before September 30 to prevent a lapse in funding. The well-being of millions of older Americans—and their ability to age in place at home with dignity — depends on it.

Seniors would benefit in President Biden’s $6 trillion budget

Published in RINewsToday on June 14, 2021

On May 28, with the release of a $6 trillion budget for fiscal year (FY) 2022, President Joe Biden outlined his values and vision as to how he proposes to revive the nation’s sputtering economic engine as it emerges from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 72-page budget document, “Budget of the United States,” (with more than a 1,400-page appendix) details his spending priorities that begin next Oct. 1. Biden’s generous budget depends on increasing taxes on America’s corporations (from 21 to 28 percent) and high earners, who received significant tax breaks from the President Trump/GOP tax cuts of 2017.

With the FY 2022 Budget pushing federal debt to the highest levels since World War 1I, Republican lawmakers quickly called the proposal “dead on arrival” in Congress.  However, Cecilia Rouse, chair of President Biden’s Council of Economic Advisors says the Biden Administration is willing to live with a budget deficit to invest in the economy now, especially with low interest rates to borrow; deficits can be reduced later. 

President Biden’s new spending under the just released proposed FY 2022 budget, recognizing his Administration’s priorities, reflects the major proposals already outlined under the administration’s $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan and $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. Provisions in these two proposals would overhaul the nation’s aging infrastructure and invest in education, childcare, paid family and medical leave, fight climate change. 

President Biden’s spending plan also recognizes priorities outlined in the American Rescue Plan passed earlier this year as well as the Administration’s “skinny” discretionary budget request released in April. Most importantly, it reflects a commitment from the president to safeguard Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Loving It or Hating It Depends on Where You Sit

In remarks delivered Thursday in Cleveland, President Biden made the case for his budget request and what he describes as an investment in the country’s future. “Now is the time to build [on] the foundation that we’ve laid to make bold investments in our families and our communities and our nation,” he said. “We know from history that these kinds of investments raise both the floor and the ceiling over the economy for everybody.”

In the FY 2020 Budget proposal’s “Message from the President”, Biden says, “The Budget invests directly in the American People and will strengthen the nation’s economy and improve our long run fiscal health. It reforms our broken tax code to reward work instead of wealth while fully paying for the American Jobs and American Family Plans over a 15- year period. It will help us build a recovery that is broad-based, inclusive, sustained, and strong,”

Of course, response to Biden’s Spending plan depends on which side of the aisle you are sitting.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released a statement strongly endorsing Biden’s fiscal blueprint. “Congressional Democrats look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration to enact this visionary budget, which will pave the path to opportunity and prosperity for our nation. The Biden Budget is a budget for the people,” she said.

On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell strongly opposing Biden’s Budget proposal. “Americans are already hurting from far-left economics that ignores reality,” said McConnell, in a statement. “The Administration’s counterproductive ‘COVID relief bill’ has slowed rehiring. Families are facing painful inflation, just as experts warned the Democrats’ plans might cause. And the Administration wants to triple down on the same mistakes?” said the six-term Republican Kentucky Senator.

With the Democrats holding the slim majorities in the House and Senate and controlling the White House, Biden’s FY 2022 Budget proposal will have more weight than if the Republicans were in the majority, says Dan Adcock, Government Relations and Policy Director at the Washington, DC-based National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM).

According to Adcock, Biden’s funding numbers will change as his FY 2022 budget proposal goes through the appropriation process in the upcoming months. With its release, Congress can now begin negotiating funding levels and spending bills. Competition for a finite amount of funding will ultimately result in funding level ultimately allotted to programs and agencies by each of the 12 appropriations under their jurisdiction. Funding for most programs important to older Americans is under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.

“With 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day – and the number of seniors projected to double by 2050 – it’s clear that President Biden understands the need to safeguard the older Americans he calls ‘pillars of every community – now and into the future.” Says Max Richtman, NCPSSM’s President and CEO.

Slashing Drug Costs to Pay for Expanding Medicare Coverage

Richtman says that Biden’s fiscal blueprint calls on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate prices for certain high-cost, life-saving drugs that many seniors currently cannot afford and to require manufacturers to pay rebates when drug prices rise faster than inflation. These reforms could yield over half a trillion in federal savings over 10 years, which could help pay for coverage expansions and improvements, including access to dental, hearing, and vision coverage in Medicare,” he notes. Today, traditional Medicare does not cover routine care like dental checkups or hearing aids.

According to Richtman, President Biden’s budget also includes more than $400 billion in new spending over ten years to expand Home and Community-based Services (HCBS) for low-income seniors and people with disabilities who prefer to receive skilled care in the comfort of their homes and communities, even moreso after the devastation COVID wrought on nursing homes.  

In states that have not taken advantage of Affordable Care Act (ACA) opportunities to expand Medicaid, the budget proposes providing premium-free, Medicaid-like coverage through a federal public option, along with incentives for states to maintain their existing expansions. 

Biden’s FY 2022 budget also urges Congress to improve customer service for Social Security beneficiaries to prescription drug pricing reform to expanded HCBS, adds Richtman.  It also proposes a $1.3 billion (or 9.7%) funding increase for the Social Security Administration.  The increase seeks to improve customer service, including services at SSA’s field offices, state disability determination services, and teleservice centers.

 The Older Americans Act (OAA) provides funding for a wide range of home and community-based services, such as meals-on-wheels and other nutrition programs, in-home services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention and caregivers’ support. These programs help seniors stay as independent as possible in their homes and communities. 

For details about Biden’s FY 2022 Budget proposal and OAA funding levels, made available from the Washington, DC-based National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, go to: https://www.n4a.org//Files/FY22%20PresBudget%20and%20historical%20Labor-HHS%20Appropriations%20Chart.pdf

 Stay Tuned 

The House continues its work on hammering out appropriation bills through subcommittees in June and in the full House in July.  The Senate’s work is expected to begin in mid-Summer and to continue well into September. If the appropriate bills are not passed and signed into law by Oct. 1, Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government into the first months of FY 2022.

Like most Budget proposals, especially in a partisan Congress, Biden’s spending plan will need to be rewritten to win support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However, it will serve as a roadmap for a Democratic controlled Congress in crafting 12 appropriation spending bills. Partisan bickering during the appropriations process may well force passage of a continuing resolution before Oct. 1 to block a government shutdown.