[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2242-S2243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Kaine):
  S. 1017. A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 in order to 
address the needs of caregivers, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1017

       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 ``Supporting America's 
     Caregivers and Families Act''.

     SEC. 2. ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF CAREGIVERS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations for Family Caregiver 
     Support.--Section 303(e) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 
     (42 U.S.C. 3023(e)) is amended by striking ``$154,336,482'' 
     and all that follows through the period at the end and 
     inserting ``$360,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
     through 2024''.
       (b) Improving Caregiver Assessment.--
       (1) Increasing use of caregiver assessment tools.--Section 
     202 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(h) By not later than January 1, 2021, the Assistant 
     Secretary shall--
       ``(1) in consultation with caregivers, older individuals, 
     the aging network, and other experts and stakeholders, 
     develop and implement a strategy to increase the use of 
     comprehensive caregiver assessment tools that--
       ``(A) are standardized across a planning and service area;
       ``(B) assess the specific problems, needs, strengths, and 
     resources of caregivers--
       ``(i) as identified by a recognized caregiver, as 
     appropriate, through voluntary participation;
       ``(ii) through direct contact with the caregiver, which may 
     include in-person, phone, or online contact; and
       ``(iii) at appropriate intervals, including to accommodate 
     significant changes in the caregiving situation;
       ``(C) determine whether a caregiver would benefit from 
     support services; and
       ``(D) lead to providing targeted caregiver support services 
     to best benefit caregivers, where appropriate and available 
     based upon identified unmet needs, including through 
     referrals;
       ``(2) conduct a study on the best practices and potential 
     considerations regarding mandatory use of comprehensive 
     caregiver assessment tools standardized across a planning and 
     service area by an area agency on aging, which shall 
     examine--
       ``(A) the current use of caregiver assessments, as of the 
     date of the study;
       ``(B) the efficacy and feasibility of mandatory use of 
     comprehensive caregiver assessment tools standardized across 
     a planning and service area, including the value to 
     caregivers and the older individuals to whom they provide 
     care; and
       ``(C) the potential impact on the aging network of using 
     such assessments; and
       ``(3) prepare and submit to Congress a report regarding the 
     study under paragraph (2) that provides recommendations for 
     the appropriate use of comprehensive caregiver assessments 
     standardized across a planning and service area by an area 
     agency on aging, and a proposed budget, based on the 
     Assistant Secretary's professional judgment, for 
     appropriately implementing the recommendations.''.
       (2) Assessing needs of caregivers.--Section 373(e)(3) of 
     the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030s-1(e)(3)) is 
     amended by inserting ``assess the needs of family caregivers 
     or older relative caregivers and'' before ``provide''.
       (3) Family caregiver resource center and technical 
     assistance.--Section 202(b) of the Older Americans Act of 
     1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012(b)) is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
       ``(11) establish and operate the National Family Caregiver 
     Resource and Technical Assistance Center, which will--
       ``(A) by grant or contract with a public or private 
     nonprofit entity, provide information and assistance to State 
     agencies, area agencies on aging, and community-based service 
     providers funded under this Act, including--
       ``(i) through technical assistance, research, training, 
     program analysis, and data collection;
       ``(ii) activities described in section 411(a)(11); and
       ``(iii) dissemination of best practices, including best 
     practices for conducting assessments of caregiver needs using 
     comprehensive assessment tools standardized across a planning 
     and service area; and
       ``(B) directly or through grant or contract, provide 
     information, education, and assistance to family caregivers 
     in a manner that is accessible and understandable to the 
     family caregivers.''.
       (c) Business Acumen Provisions.--
       (1) Assistance relating to growing and sustaining 
     capacity.--Section 202(b)(9) of the Older Americans Act of 
     1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012(b)(9)) is amended--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) business acumen, capacity building, organizational 
     development, innovation, and other methods of growing and 
     sustaining the capacity of the aging network to serve older 
     adults and caregivers most effectively;''.
       (2) Clarifying partnerships for area agencies on aging.--
     Section 306 of the Older

[[Page S2243]]

     Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3026) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:
       ``(g) Nothing in this Act shall restrict an area agency on 
     aging from providing services not provided or authorized 
     under this Act, including through--
       ``(1) contracts with health care payers;
       ``(2) consumer private pay programs; or
       ``(3) other arrangements with entities or individuals that 
     increase the availability of home and community-based 
     services and supports in the planning and service area 
     supported by the area agency on aging.''.
                                 ______