In June 2025, Senators Cassidy (R-LA) and Sanders (I-VT), along with leading members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation closely mirrors S.4776, which would have reauthorized the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 2024.
The Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act (OAA), enacted in 1965, is the primary federal law that supports a wide range of services for adults age 60 and older, including home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, legal assistance, elder abuse prevention, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. The OAA is due for reauthorization every four years to ensure that its programs remain responsive to the changing needs of an aging population, to adjust funding levels, and to strengthen or modernize services based on current evidence and priorities.
Notable revisions within the bill
The current bill proposes to strengthen the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) by requiring a full-time National Director position for the program. It calls for a study of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which includes an assessment of program effectiveness, any related challenges, recommendations, and an assessment of the current recommended staff-to-bed ratio for programs. It also directs a review and update of training standards for long-term care ombudsman volunteers.
The bill strengthens the National Family Caregiver Support Program by adding language that encourages easier access to services and supports, including removing barriers caregivers may have to obtain help and ensuring services are accessible and useful. The bill also requires that trauma-informed services and elder abuse prevention is made available to assist caregivers in making and solving problems relating to their caregiving roles. .
On elder-abuse prevention, the legislation authorizes a clearinghouse for best practices, particularly for legal and protective services to support State Long Term Care Ombudsman programs, adult protective services, and related legal services.
The current proposal extends authorization through 2029 and provides an 18% increase in funding authorization over four years.
Contact your member of Congress today and encourage them to support the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act! Remind them how essential programs the Long-Term Care Ombudsman are in protecting the rights and well-being of older adults across the county.
