[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4733 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4733

To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to make grants to develop or expand in-person 
        and virtual peer support programs for family caregivers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 23, 2024

Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Duckworth, and 
  Mr. Welch) 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 authorize the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to make grants to develop or expand in-person 
        and virtual peer support programs for family caregivers.

    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 ``Family Caregiver Peer Support Act''.

SEC. 2. PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS.

    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. PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Disability.--The term `disability' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities 
        Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a State;
                    ``(B) a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(C) an institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));
                    ``(D) an aging and disability network entity;
                    ``(E) a junior or community college (as defined in 
                section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1058(f));
                    ``(F) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of 
                the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); or
                    ``(G) a Tribal organization (as defined in section 
                4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
                Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).
            ``(3) Family caregiver.--The term `family caregiver' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 2 of the RAISE Family 
        Caregivers Act (42 U.S.C. 3030s note) and includes paid and 
        unpaid family caregivers.
            ``(4) Immigrant.--The term `immigrant' has the meaning 
        given the term `alien' in section 101(a) of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
            ``(5) Peer support program.--The term `peer support 
        program' includes a program, to assist family caregivers, 
        that--
                    ``(A) is carried out with the best practices 
                identified under section 373(e);
                    ``(B) consists of activities of national 
                significance described in or conducted under section 
                373(i); or
                    ``(C) consists of activities described in or 
                conducted under section 411(a)(11) or 417(a)(1)(F).
    ``(b) Grants.--The Secretary may make grants to eligible entities 
to develop or expand in-person and virtual peer support programs for 
family caregivers.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
this section may use the funds awarded through such grant--
            ``(1) to develop or expand in-person and virtual peer 
        support programs, including programs under which family 
        caregivers assist other family caregivers with navigating 
        administrative or financial forms, policies, and processes and 
        provide emotional support;
            ``(2) to carry out workforce development, recruitment, and 
        retention activities to train, recruit, and retain certified 
        peer support specialists; and
            ``(3) to develop, expand, or improve virtual, peer, mental, 
        and behavioral health support services for family caregivers 
        carried out by the entity, including language access services, 
        including translation and interpretation services for family 
        caregivers--
                    ``(A) for whom English is not their primary 
                language; or
                    ``(B) who use American Sign Language.
    ``(d) Identification of Underserved Communities.--The Secretary 
shall identify regions and populations that are underserved with 
respect to peer support programs for family caregivers.
    ``(e) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to eligible entities that propose to serve or 
currently serve--
            ``(1) underserved regions and populations identified under 
        subsection (d);
            ``(2) low-income communities;
            ``(3) underserved racial and ethnic communities;
            ``(4) communities with a high number of immigrants;
            ``(5) communities with a high number of individuals for 
        whom English is not their primary language;
            ``(6) the LGBTQ+ community;
            ``(7) family caregivers younger than age 35; or
            ``(8) family caregivers with a disability.
    ``(f) Outreach Program.--The Secretary shall conduct outreach to 
family caregivers to increase awareness about the availability of 
grants under this section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $10,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.''.
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