Older Americans Act: FY2015 Appropriations Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised April 20, 2015 |
| Report Number |
R43887 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Angela Napili, Information Research Specialist; Kirsten J. Colello, Specialist in Health and Aging Policy |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the major federal vehicle for the delivery of social and nutrition services for individuals aged 60 and older. These include supportive services, congregate nutrition services (i.e., 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 and research, training, and demonstration activities.
The Administration on Aging (AOA), which is 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, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Funding for OAA programs is provided through the annual Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Education) Appropriations Act.
Since the enactment of OAA in 1965, Congress has reauthorized and amended the act numerous times. The last OAA reauthorization occurred in 2006, when Congress enacted the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 (P.L. 109-365), which extended the act's authorizations of appropriations for FY2007 through FY2011. The authorizations of appropriations for most OAA programs expired at the end of FY2011. However, Congress has continued to appropriate funding for OAA-authorized activities.
The FY2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-235) funded OAA programs at $1.878 billion, which was $6.5 million (0.3%) more than FY2014 funding. The increase was due to new OAA funding for supportive services for Holocaust survivors ($2.5 million) and an Elder Justice Initiative ($4.0 million).
Title III programs received the largest proportion of OAA funding, with 70.7% of funding appropriated to congregate and home-delivered nutrition programs (commonly referred to as "meals on wheels"), supportive services, family caregivers, and health promotion activities. Almost one-fourth of OAA funding (23.1%) was allocated to Title V, the CSEOA Program. The remainder was allocated to AOA-administered activities under Titles II (Administration on Aging), IV (Activities for Health, Independence, and Longevity), VI (Grants for Native Americans), and VII (Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities).
