Kaine Statement on Senate Passage of Bill to Reauthorize Older Americans Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded Senate passage of legislation to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA). The legislation authorizes and increases funding for a range of programs and services to help older Americans age in their homes and communities. It also includes key provisions secured by Kaine, including his bill to strengthen advocacy for residents of nursing homes and other long-term care (LTC) facilities.

"I'm glad that the Senate finally passed legislation I've been pushing for to reauthorize the Older Americans Act," said Kaine. "This bill will help more Americans stay in their own homes and communities as they age and do so with the dignity they deserve. I was proud to champion several provisions, including one that will strengthen advocacy for residents of long-term care facilities. I urge the House to pass this bill and send it to the President's desk."

Kaine successfully secured the following provisions:

• Strengthening Advocacy for Long-Term Care Residents Act: Includes his Strengthening Advocacy for Long-Term Care Residents Act to strengthen the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program by instructing the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to establish categories of duties for volunteers and appropriate training requirements for volunteers based on those categories, reaffirm Congress' intent that the Ombudsman program should be led by a full-time National Director, and require a study and report with a recommendation for the number of ombudsmen per LTC facility bed.
• Direct Care Workforce Training: Includes a provision of his Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act instructing ACL to create a technical assistance center to support the recruitment, training, and retention of direct care workers. In 2022, ACL established this center. This provision codifies the existence of this center in statute and expands its work to include supporting family caregivers.
• Support for Area Agencies on Aging: Includes language to ensure proper implementation of a statute that allows Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to contract with outside entities to bring in revenue that AAAs reinvest in their work to serve older Americans.

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