Congressional Research Service

Older Americans ACT Congressional Research Service

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the major federal vehicle for the delivery of social and nutrition services for older persons. These include supportive services, congregate nutrition services (meals served at group sites such as senior centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, community service employment, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons. The OAA also supports grants to older Native Americans as well as research, training, and demonstration activities. The Administration on Aging (AOA)-a program office under the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)-administers most OAA programs. The exception is the Community Service Employment for Older Americans (CSEOA) program, also known as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which is administered by the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL). Title I of the OAA sets out broad social policy objectives oriented toward improving the lives of all older Americans. Title II establishes AOA within HHS as the chief federal agency advocating for older persons and sets out the responsibilities of AOA and the Assistant Secretary for Aging. It also establishes State and Territorial Units on Aging (SUAs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), which, along with local providers, comprise the Aging Network. Title III authorizes grants to SUAs and AAAs to act as advocates on behalf of, and to coordinate programs for, older persons, including nutrition services programs to seniors. Title IV authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Aging to award funds for training, research, and demonstration projects in the field of aging. Title V, CSEOA, has as its purpose the promotion of useful part-time opportunities in community service activities for unemployed low-income older individuals. Title VI authorizes funds for supportive and nutrition services to older Native Americans. Funds are awarded directly by ACL to Indian tribal organizations, Native Alaskan organizations, and nonprofit groups representing Native Hawaiians. Title VII authorizes the Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program as well as Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Prevention Programs. The OAA has been reauthorized and amended numerous times since it was first enacted in 1965. P. L. 114-144 (S. 192, 114th Congress), the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016, was signed into law on April 19, 2016. The act authorizes appropriations for OAA programs through FY2019. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P. L. 115-31) provided discretionary appropriations for OAA programs, projects, and activities under ACL's Aging and Disability Services Programs budget authority and the Department of Labor budget authority at an estimated total of $1.888 billion for FY2017, which is $26.8 million (1.4%) less than FY2016 levels. This report provides an overview of the Older Americans Act. It briefly describes the act's titles, highlighting selected provisions followed by FY2017 appropriations and a funding history.