[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4729 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4729

 To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish a pilot program 
  for family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a 
   related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 23, 2024

  Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish a pilot program 
  for family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a 
   related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Convenient Care for Caregivers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH 
              ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE OR A RELATED DISORDER WITH 
              NEUROLOGICAL AND ORGANIC BRAIN DYSFUNCTION.

    Title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after section 414 (42 U.S.C. 3032c) the following:

``SEC. 415. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH 
              ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE OR A RELATED DISORDER WITH 
              NEUROLOGICAL AND ORGANIC BRAIN DYSFUNCTION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Family caregiver for an individual with alzheimer's 
        disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic 
        brain dysfunction.--The term `family caregiver for an 
        individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with 
        neurological and organic brain dysfunction'--
                    ``(A) means an adult family member, or another 
                individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and 
                community care to an individual of any age who is an 
                individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related 
                disorder with neurological and organic brain 
                dysfunction; and
                    ``(B) does not include an individual, providing 
                care to an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a 
                related disorder with neurological and organic brain 
                dysfunction, whose primary relationship with the 
                indivdual is based on a financial or professional 
                agreement.
            ``(2) Qualified entity.--The term `qualified entity' 
        means--
                    ``(A) an area agency on aging;
                    ``(B) a multipurpose senior center;
                    ``(C) an institution of higher education; or
                    ``(D) a tribal organization.
    ``(b) Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary, in consultation 
        with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the 
        Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, shall 
        establish and carry out a pilot program to assist family 
        caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a 
        related disorder with neurological and organic brain 
        dysfunction to access health care services and other supports 
        in order to improve the health outcomes of the family 
        caregivers and the individuals.
            ``(2) Projects.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out the program, the 
                Assistant Secretary shall make grants to qualified 
                entities meeting the requirements under subsection (c) 
                to carry out projects that assist family caregivers for 
                individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related 
                disorder with neurological and organic brain 
                dysfunction in addressing the health care needs of such 
                caregivers and individuals by offering evidence-
                informed, or evidence-based, health care services and 
                other supports to such caregivers and individuals at 
                the same time and the same location.
                    ``(B) Accessibility.--Each qualified entity 
                receiving a grant under this section shall carry out a 
                project described in subparagraph (A) in an easily 
                accessible space and in accordance with applicable 
                requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act 
                of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).
    ``(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a qualified entity shall submit an application at such time 
and in such manner as the Assistant Secretary may require, including--
            ``(1) information on how the entity located an appropriate 
        space described in subsection (b)(2)(B) to carry out a project, 
        including any consideration of a converted retail mall or other 
        accessible space with proximity to public transportation and 
        ample parking, and any collaboration with a State or local 
        economic development organization to identify that appropriate 
        space;
            ``(2) an assurance that the entity--
                    ``(A) will cooperate with efforts in which the 
                Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
                Services will submit data to the Assistant Secretary on 
                the payment indicators described in subsection (e)(1); 
                and
                    ``(B) will submit data to the Assistant Secretary 
                on the health indicators described in subsection 
                (e)(2); and
            ``(3) a description of how the entity will share 
        information on family caregivers of individuals with 
        Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and 
        organic brain dysfunction, and such individuals, among 
        providers in the project.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--A qualified entity that receives a grant under 
this section may use the grant funds to provide--
            ``(1) cognitive health screenings;
            ``(2) family consultations and other care consultations;
            ``(3) education;
            ``(4) family caregiver support groups;
            ``(5) conversation groups for individuals with Alzheimer's 
        disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic 
        brain dysfunction;
            ``(6) specialized bereavement services;
            ``(7) ongoing support by phone or person-to-person 
        conferencing;
            ``(8) insurance support; and
            ``(9) social and cultural activities.
    ``(e) Outcome Data.--A qualified entity that receives a grant under 
this section for a project shall--
            ``(1) on the date of the enrollment of the family caregiver 
        of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder 
        with neurological and organic brain dysfunction, and such 
        individual, in the project, notify the Administrator of the 
        Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the enrollment and 
        request that the Administrator send to the Assistant 
        Secretary--
                    ``(A) an estimated amount on an indicator 
                consisting of the payments made by the Centers, through 
                programs under the jurisdiction of the Centers, on 
                behalf of the caregiver and individual during the last 
                full fiscal year preceding the enrollment; and
                    ``(B) not later than 60 days after each fiscal year 
                for which the caregiver and individual are enrolled in 
                the project, a calculated amount on that payment 
                indicator for that fiscal year;
            ``(2)(A) submit to the Assistant Secretary, after the first 
        appointments of the family caregiver of an individual with 
        Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and 
        organic brain dysfunction, and the individual, with the 
        project, initial data on health indicators of the caregiver and 
        individual consisting of--
                    ``(i) cholesterol levels;
                    ``(ii) body mass index;
                    ``(iii) weight;
                    ``(iv) glucose levels;
                    ``(v) self-reported data, including data on 
                emotional stress, physical strain, loneliness, and 
                feelings of isolation; and
                    ``(vi) such other health indicators as the 
                Assistant Secretary may establish; and
            ``(B) submit to the Assistant Secretary, not later than 60 
        days after each fiscal year for which the caregiver and 
        individual are so enrolled, subsequent data on the health 
        indicators.
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than 120 days after each such fiscal year, 
the Assistant Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Special 
Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Administrator of the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a report containing 
information on the outcome data collected under subsection (e), 
including the differences between the estimated and calculated amounts 
on the payment indicators reported under subsection (e)(1) and the 
differences between the initial and subsequent data on the health 
indicators reported under subsection (e)(2).
    ``(g) Administration.--The Assistant Secretary shall work with the 
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to 
develop the indicator described in subsection (e)(1), and means of 
collecting data on that indicator.''.
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