Older Americans Act: Summary in Brief

Older Americans Act: Summary in Brief

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Updated May 6, 2024
Older Americans Act: Summary in Brief
Overview
• Title IV, Activities for Health, Independence, and
The Older Americans Act (OAA; P.L. 89-73, as amended;
Longevity: authorizes grants for research, innovation,
42 U.S.C. Ch. 35) supports a wide range of social and
training, and related projects in the field of aging.
health-related services and programs for older adults,
• Title V, the Community Service Senior
including supportive services (i.e., personal care, chore
Opportunities Act: authorizes grants to states, U.S.
services, and transportation); congregate nutrition services
territories, and national organizations to promote part-
(i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers,
time opportunities in community service for
schools, and senior housing complexes); home-delivered
unemployed low-income older adults aged 55 and older.
nutrition services (commonly referred to as “meals on
wheels”); family caregiver support; the long-term care
• Title VI, Grants for Native Americans: authorizes
ombudsman program; and services to prevent the abuse,
grants to tribal organizations for supportive and nutrition
neglect, and exploitation of older persons. The OAA also
services to older Native Americans.
provides part-time opportunities in community service for
•
unemployed low-income older adults. These programs and
Title VII, Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection
services focus on supporting older Americans to live in
Activities: authorizes grants to states and U.S. territories
their homes and communities.
for vulnerable elder rights protection activities,
including the long-term care ombudsman program.
Background and Legislative History
Funding
The OAA was created in response to concerns by
OAA funding is provided in annual appropriations through
policymakers about a lack of community social services for
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
older adults. Proposals discussed in the early 1960s called
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Total
for a federal agency in the field of aging to be established in
funding was almost $2.4 billion in FY2024 (see Figure 1).
statute, with adequate funding for coordinating federal
efforts in aging, including federal grants for community
Figure 1. Older Americans Act, FY2024 Funding
services specifically for older adults. In response,
Funding as a percentage of OAA total, $2.372 bil ion
legislation was introduced in Congress to create the
Administration on Aging (AOA) and a grants program for
social services, research, and training that would benefit
older adults. Sponsors of the OAA said the agency would
provide resources necessary for public and private social
service providers to meet the social service needs of older
adults. Since it was enacted in 1965, the OAA has been
reauthorized and amended numerous times. Most recently,
the 116th Congress extended OAA authorizations of
appropriations through FY2024 (P.L. 116-131; Supporting
Older Americans Act of 2020).
Current Law
The OAA statutory language contains the following seven
titles, which authorize various programs and activities:

• Title I, Declaration of Objectives: sets policy
Source: CRS Report R43414, Older Americans Act: Overview and
objectives and defines terms under the act.
Funding.
•
Aging Network
Title II, Administration on Aging: establishes
administrative functions for the executive branch under
Most OAA programs are administered by AOA within the
AOA headed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging.
Administration for Community Living (ACL), which is an
operating agency under the Department of Health and
• Title III, Grants for State and Community Programs
Human Services (HHS). Title V is administered by the
on Aging: authorizes grants to states and U.S. territories
Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employment and Training
that provide supportive services, nutrition services
Administration (ETA). In addition to the federal agencies
(home-delivered and congregate nutrition), disease
that administer OAA programs and activities (HHS/ACL
prevention, and family caregiver services and supports
and DOL/ETA), the OAA establishes a national network of
for adults aged 60 and older.
states, tribal organizations, local agencies, service providers
and volunteers that plan and provide services, referred to as
the “Aging Network.”
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Older Americans Act: Summary in Brief
In order to receive OAA Title III and VII formula grant
• Greatest economic need means the need resulting from
funding, states must establish a state agency, referred to as
an income level at or below the poverty line.
State and Territorial Units on Aging (SUAs). This entity is
• Greatest social need means the need caused by
primarily responsible for planning and policy development
noneconomic factors, which include physical and mental
as well as administration of OAA activities. The OAA also
disabilities; language barriers; and cultural, social, or
requires states to designate Area Agencies on Aging
geographical isolation, including isolation caused by
(AAAs) that operate within one or more planning and
racial or ethnic status that restricts the ability of an
service areas (PSAs) designated by the SUA. AAAs serve
individual to perform normal daily tasks or threatens
as local entities that, either directly or through contract with
their capacity to live independently.
local service providers (LSPs), oversee the delivery of
social, nutrition, and long-term services and supports to
In targeting OAA funding, states are required to develop an
older adults in the community. SUAs are responsible for
intrastate funding formula (IFF) for distribution of certain
developing and administering a multiyear State Plan that
Title III program allocations. The IFF takes into account the
provides goals and objectives, as well as assurances, under
geographical distribution of older adults in the state as well
the act. Similarly, AAAs are responsible for developing
as the distribution of older adults with greatest economic
Area Plans that are submitted to states.
and social need (with particular attention to low-income
minority older individuals) among specified PSAs. The
Types of Grants
state formula for distribution of Title III allocations must be
Based on annual appropriated funding, ACL provides
developed in accordance with AOA guidelines and
funding for two types of grants to various entities to
approved by the Assistant Secretary for Aging.
conduct research or provide services and supports to older
adults under OAA-authorized programs and activities.
Cost-Sharing and Contributions
States have the option to impose cost-sharing on some
Formula Grants
services. However, states are prohibited from implementing
For most OAA program funding, entities such as states,
cost-sharing for older adults whose incomes are at or below
U.S. territories, and tribal organizations are allotted funding
the federal poverty level and certain services. These
through federal statutory formulas, sometimes referred to as
prohibited services are
mandatory grants. In general, statutory requirements for
•
allocating program funding are based on a population-based
information, benefits counseling, case management;
formula factor (e.g., share of population aged 55 and over,
• ombudsman, elder abuse prevention, legal assistance, or
aged 60 and over, or aged 70 and over) with a minimum
other consumer protection activities;
grant allocation. Some statutory requirements include a
“hold harmless” provision,
•
designed to guarantee that
congregate and home-delivered nutrition services; and
states’ or other entities’ allotments (or portions of
• any services delivered through tribal organizations.
allotments) will be no less than the amount allotted in a
certain fiscal year (e.g., FY2000 or FY2019). For certain
LSPs may solicit voluntary contributions from older adults
formula grant programs, states are required to provide a
toward the costs of services. Older adults may not be denied
matching share. For supportive services, congregate, and
a service because they will not or cannot make a
home-delivered nutrition programs, states are required to
contribution. Funds collected through voluntary
provide a 15% matching share. A matching share of 25% is
contributions are to be used to expand services.
required for the family caregiver program.
Issues Facing Congress
Competitive Grants
The 118th Congress may consider extending authorizations
The OAA also authorizes various programs and activities
of appropriations, which expire September 30, 2024, for
that ACL funds through grants or cooperative agreements to
FY2025 and beyond in the next reauthorization of the act.
state and local governments, nonprofit organizations,
Policymakers may also consider the extent to which OAA
institutions of higher education, and small businesses
funding can sustain the innovation necessitated by COVID-
through a discretionary or competitive grants process. ACL
19 in a post-pandemic era, as well as the funding
often has discretion in determining the projects to fund and
implications of the potential growth in demand for services
award amounts. Grantees may have some flexibility and
due to the increasing number and proportion of older adults.
control over achieving the grant’s objectives within the
Congress may also consider whether the next OAA
scope of the approved grant application.
reauthorization is an opportunity to update or expand
existing programs and activities and/or authorize new
Participant Eligibility
activities. On February 14, 2024, ACL published a final
In general, older adults must be aged 60 and older to
rule that updated regulations for implementing OAA
participate in OAA programs and activities. However,
programs and activities, the first substantial update in over
depending on the program, other demographic and
35 years. These final regulations may have implications for
eligibility criteria may apply. There is no means test (i.e.,
the ongoing legislative discourse.
income or asset test) for OAA program eligibility. Rather,
states must target programs and services to individuals with
Kirsten J. Colello, Specialist in Health and Aging Policy
greatest economic and greatest social need, which are
IF12530
defined in statute as follows:

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Older Americans Act: Summary in Brief

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