[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10770-S10771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 OLDER AMERICANS ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2006

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6197 which was received 
from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 6197) to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 
     to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2007 through 
     2011, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to the consideration 
of the bill.


                           Funds Distribution

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, today I would like to talk about a very 
important piece of legislation sent over by the House of 
Representatives to the Senate last night. The Older Americans Act 
Amendments of 2006 will reauthorize the vital programs to assist the 
quickly growing elder population. During the reauthorization it became 
apparent that the elderly population is growing more quickly in certain 
areas than others. This was highlighted in newspaper articles this week 
and has been a key issue for my colleague from North Carolina.
  In light of this, I propose that the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor and Pensions hold hearings during the coming Congress to review 
formulas for federal programs and how those formulas are developed to 
determine the fair and equitable distribution of funds. The committee 
will focus its attention on how funds must follow the people and the 
need. In other words, how do we make sure that federal monies are going 
to the areas of greatest need which are in many instances the fast 
growing areas of our country and how do we eliminate inequities in 
funding that exist under current formulas and which in many instances 
disadvantage high-growth states. Finally, I propose that the committee 
begin its reauthorization of the Older Americans Act no later than 3 
years after the passage of this bill.
  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I thank the chairman of the HELP Committee 
and strongly support his proposals to focus the attention of the 
committee on how formulas for federal programs, like the Older 
Americans Act, are developed. The money should follow the people and 
their need. With respect to the Older Americans Act, I represent the 
seventh fastest growing state in the Nation and among that growing 
population is a quickly growing elderly population. The funds from this 
act are vital to supporting the services and infrastructure to assist 
North Carolina to serve our elderly population today and in the future. 
I also thank the chairman for addressing the next reauthorization 
within the 3 years after we pass this bill before us.
  Mr. ENZI. I would like to thank my colleague from North Carolina for 
his support of our bill. He was very important in the drafting of this 
legislation. I urge my colleagues to support us in this important 
legislation for our growing elderly population and to work with Senator 
Burr and me, in the coming Congress, to ensure that federal funds 
follow the need and their intended recipients.
  Mr. President, I rise today in support of the passage of the Older 
Americans Act Amendments of 2006. I am pleased at the support that this 
bill has received in the Senate and in the House. I especially want to 
thank Senator Kennedy, the ranking member of the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions. In particular, I thank Senator DeWine, 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Retirement Security and Aging. 
Senator DeWine provided immeasurable leadership in the passage of these 
amendments, as did Senator Mikulski, the subcommittee ranking member. 
In addition, I thank the members of the House Committee on Education 
and the Workforce for their diligence in moving forward with this 
legislation: Representative Buck McKeon, Chairman; Representative 
George Miller, ranking member; Representative Patrick J. Tiberi, 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education; and Representative 
Ruben Hinojosa, subcommittee ranking member.
  The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 is the primary source for 
the delivery of social and nutrition services for older individuals. 
Enacted in 1965, the act's programs include supportive services, 
congregate and home-delivered nutrition services, community service 
employment, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to 
prevent the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older individuals. The 
act also provides grants to Native Americans and research, training, 
and demonstration activities.
  Title I of the Older Americans Act sets broad social policy 
objectives to improve the lives of all older Americans. It recognizes 
the need for an adequate income in retirement, and the importance of 
physical and mental health, employment in community services for older 
individuals and long-term care services.
  Title II establishes the Administration on Aging, AOA, within the 
Department of Health and Human Services to be fhe primary Federal 
advocate for older individuals and to administer the provision of the 
Older Americans Act. It also establishes the National Eldercare Locator 
Service to provide nationwide information with regard to resources for 
older individuals; the National Long-term Care Ombudsman Resource 
Center; the National Center on Elder Abuse; the National Aging 
Information Center; and the Pension Counseling and Information Program. 
The

[[Page S10771]]

2006 amendments authorize the designation of a person to have 
responsibility for elder abuse prevention to develop a long-term plan 
and national response to elder abuse prevention, detection, treatment, 
and intervention. It also authorizes the Assistant Secretary to 
designate an individual to be responsible for administration of mental 
health services and authorizes Aging and Disability Resource Centers. 
Further, the 2006 Amendments strengthen the leadership of the 
Department of Health and Human Services through an interagency 
coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across 
the Federal Government with respect to aging and demographic changes.
  Title III authorizes grants to fund 655 area agencies on aging and 
more than 29,000 service providers nationwide. Title III services are 
targeted to those with the greatest economic and social need, 
particularly low-income minority persons and older individuals residing 
in rural communities. The 2006 amendments will authorize organizations 
with experience in providing volunteer opportunities for older 
individuals to be eligible to enter cooperative arrangements; require 
state agencies to promote the development and implementation of state 
systems that enable older individuals to receive long-term care and 
community-based settings in accordance with needs and preferences; 
encourage both States and area agencies on aging to plan for population 
changes; improve access to supportive services that help foster 
independence; require nutrition projects to prepare meals that comply 
with the most recent Dietary Guidelines; and reauthorize the National 
Family Caregiver Support Program.
  Title IV supports a wide range of ongoing research and demonstration 
activities that will enhance innovation, identify best practices and 
provide technical assistance for older individuals. The 2006 Amendments 
will permit competitive grants for planning activities that will 
benefit the aging population; assessment of technology-based models to 
aid in remote health monitoring systems, communication devices and 
assistive technologies. Further, it includes Hispanic serving 
institutions among those eligible to compete for grants to provide 
education and training in the field of aging; reauthorizes grants to 
improve transportation services for older individuals; ensures 
increased awareness of mental health disorders among older individuals; 
and authorizes development of innovative models of service delivery to 
ensure older individuals may age in place, as they are able and as they 
choose.

  Title V authorizes the community service employment program for older 
Americans--known as the Senior Community Service Employment, or SCSEP--
to promote part-time opportunities in community service for unemployed, 
low-income persons who are 55 years or older and who have poor 
employment prospects. It is administered by the Department of Labor. 
This program represents approximately one-quarter of Older Americans 
Act funds--$432 million out of $1.78 billion in fiscal year 2006. This 
program is operated by States and national grantees awarded competitive 
grants and supported 61,050 jobs and served approximately 91,500 
individuals in fiscal year 2005. The 2006 amendments establish 4-year 
grant cycles for the competitive program and prohibit poor performing 
grantees from competing during the next grant cycle. It expends 
participation for eligible individuals who are underemployed and 
establishes a 48-month time limit for participation in the program with 
a waiver for particularly hard-to-serve individuals. It establishes an 
overall grantee average participation cap of up to 27 months and 
authorizes a waiver of up to 36 months.
  Title VI provides funds for supportive and nutrition services for 
older Native Americans. The 2006 amendments will provide increase the 
Native American caregiver support program through 2011. Also, Title VII 
authorizes programs for the long-term care ombudsman, elder abuse, 
neglect and exploitation prevention, legal service developers and 
vulnerable Native American elder rights. The 2006 amendments will 
enhance the elder abuse prevention activities by awarding grants to 
States and Indian tribes to enable them to strengthen long-term care 
and provide assistance for elder justice and elder abuse prevention 
programs. It will create grants for prevention, detection, assessment, 
treatment of, intervention in, investigation of, and response to elder 
abuse; safe havens demonstrations for older individuals; volunteer 
programs; multidisciplinary activities; elder fatality and serious 
injury review teams; programs for underserved populations; incentives 
for longterm care facilities to train and retain employees; and other 
collaborative and innovative approaches.

  Finally, the National Resource Center for Women and Retirement is a 
highly successful program run by the Women's Institute for a Secure 
Retirement''--WISER--a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the 
security of women's retirement income through outreach, partnerships, 
and policy development. We know that many older Americans lack 
financial knowledge, and that financial education is needed. This 
program provides a helpful service and should continue to be funded so 
as to expand its various programs for older Americans, including 
financial literacy.
  The proportion of the population aged 60 and over will increase 
dramatically over the next 30 years as more than 78 million baby 
boomers approach, or have already reached, retirement. It is essential 
that in the coming years Congress and the Federal Government take a 
leadership role in assisting the States in addressing the needs of 
older Americans. The bill we offer today will ensure that our Nation's 
older Americans are healthy, fed, housed, able to get where they need 
to go and safe from abuse and scams. The number one resolution of the 
2005 White House Conference on Aging called upon Congress to 
reauthorize the Older Americans Act during the 109th Congress. I am 
pleased that the Senate and the House are accomplishing this goal on 
behalf of one of our Nation's greatest resources--our older Americans.
  Before closing, I want to thank certain staff of the committee for 
their hard work and long hours in making this reauthorization a 
reality. I would especially like to thank the following staff members: 
Katherine McGuire, Ilyse Schuman, Greg Dean, Lindsay Morris, Karla 
Carpenter, Kori Forster, Lauren Fuller, Michelle Dirst, Brittany Moore 
and Will Green. Also, I would like to thank the many others who have 
supported this effort, including Carol O'Shaughnessy and Richard 
Rimkunas of the Congressional Research Service, and most notably the 
work of Liz King in the Senate's Office of Legislative Counsel in 
supporting the drafting of this legislation. Also, I thank the work of 
the many staff on the other side of the aisle for their contributions 
toward passage of the bill.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation in light of the 
growing needs of our population to ensure that the services they need 
in the coming years are available to them.

                          ____________________