The Senate passes the modernized version of the Older Americans Act
A reauthorized version of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which was originally passed Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 Senate and is now on its way to the House of Representatives.
This is evident from announcements from the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and co-sponsor Lisa Murkovsky (R-Alaska).
The new version of the bill includes provisions intended to provide resources for aging. These include support for home care workers, potential home modification needs for older Americans, improved technology literacy, expansion of broadband internet access and more.
The bill would reauthorize OAA funding and increase it to $2.76 billion in FY 2025, a 20% increase from the $2.3 billion it received in FY 2024.
“We are very proud that the Senate has come together — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — to expand and strengthen the Older Americans Act over the next five years,” Sanders and Cassidy said in a joint statement. “This legislation begins to address the urgent, unmet needs of millions of seniors in America, and what we must do as a society to reduce senior hunger and protect the health and well-being of some of our country’s most vulnerable people to improve.”
The couple added that there is also a cost-savings component, as the facilities could help keep more people out of potentially costly involvement in the health care system.
“Not only does the Older Americans Act save lives and alleviate human suffering, it also saves money by keeping seniors out of the hospital,” the senators noted. “We are actively working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to get this critical legislation into law this year.”
The reauthorized version also includes key provisions from Murkowski’s Native ELDER Act, which is designed to address federal programs and services for Native Alaskan, American Indian and Native Hawaiian elders.
“I heard directly from stakeholders who made clear what adjustments were needed to bridge significant gaps when it comes to meeting the physical, social and emotional health care needs of Native older adults, in Alaska and across the country,” Murkowski said. “We must ensure that older adults have the support they need to age in the communities they call home, surrounded by the people they know and love.”
Advocates praised the passage and urged the House to approve it without delay. It was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent, which did not require a tally vote.
“The Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) [and] Native ELDER Act will make changes to Title VI programs that reflect tribal priorities, including the creation of an Older Americans Tribal Advisory Committee and expanded technical assistance authority to help tribes keep their elders in their homes and age at their place,” said William Smith, chairman of the Native ELDER Act. National Indian Health Council (NIHB).
