Older Americans Act: Nutrition Services Program (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised May 4, 2020 |
| Report Number |
IF10633 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Kirsten J. Colello |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The Nutrition Services Program, authorized under Title III
of the Older Americans Act (OAA), provides grants to
states and U.S. territories to support nutrition services
programs for seniors. As stipulated in the law, the purposes
of the program are to (1) reduce hunger and food insecurity,
(2) promote the socialization of older individuals, and (3)
promote the health and well-being of older individuals by
assisting them to access nutrition and other disease
prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset
of adverse health conditions resulting from poor nutrition or
sedentary behavior. According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), 7.8% of U.S. households with an
elderly member were food insecure in 2016, defined as
households reporting low or very low food security.
Households in which elderly lived alone reported a higher
rate of food insecurity, at 8.9%. As the largest OAA
program, the Title III Nutrition Services Program received
$897 million in FY2018, accounting for 44% of the actâs
total funding ($2.0 billion). The Older Americans Act
Reauthorization Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-144) extended
authorized appropriations through FY2019.
