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Older Americans Act Reauthorization Passes House |
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H.R. 4334, the Dignity in Aging Act of 2019, which reauthorizes the Older Americans Act and its programs and services, passed the full House of Representatives yesterday unanimously by voice vote. The Elder Justice Coalition supported this bill.
EJC National Coordinator Bob Blancato said, “The bill retains the all-important Title VII of the Older Americans Act, especially maintaining funding for the work of the long-term care ombudsman program. We support a new provision in the bill which updates elder justice activities to include community outreach and education and ensures innovative projects capture programs and materials for developing partnerships in communities.”
Blancato continued, “Further, we are hopeful that the 35 percent increase in authorization provided for the five-year life of the bill will be followed by adequate appropriations to allow this new initiative to go forward without reducing any existing funding related to elder abuse prevention.”
The EJC also appreciates the continued authority contained in the bill for the National Center on Elder Abuse and the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, as well as the new codification of the National Resource Center on Women and Retirement.
Other new provisions in the bill include first-time social isolation screening, further coordination of services to address this issue, and creation of an advisory council on social isolation. Since social isolation is a leading risk factor for elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, these interventions are critical to preventing abuse and neglect.
Blancato also had special praise for the Education and Labor Committee’s Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Chair Suzanne Bonamici for her leadership on this bill and noted that she is also the co-chair of the House Elder Justice Caucus.
Important links:
· Elder Justice Coalition statement of support · Bill text · Bill section-by-section · Bill fact sheet |
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