Older Americans Act: Funding

Angela Napili
Information Research Specialist

Kirsten J. Colello
Specialist in Health and Aging Policy

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the major federal vehicle for the delivery of social and nutrition services for older persons. These include supportive services, congregate nutrition services (meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, community service employment, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older persons. The OAA also supports grants to older Native Americans and research, training, and demonstration activities. Funding for most OAA programs is provided through appropriations legislation for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Education). 

The FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117), signed into law December 16, 2009, provides $2.328 billion for Older Americans Act programs in FY2010. 

The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8) provided $2.052 billion for Older Americans Act programs for FY2009. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) provided $220.0 million in additional FY2009 funding ($100.0 million for nutrition programs and $120.0 million for the Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program). Total FY2009 Older Americans Act funding was $2.272 billion. 

The FY2010 funding level for OAA programs is a 13% increase over the funding provided by the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, and a 2% increase over total FY2009 funding (including both the Omnibus and ARRA). The Title V Community Service Employment for Older Americans Program received the bulk of this increased funding. Congress appropriated $825.4 million to Title V Community Service Employment for Older Americans in FY2010, compared with $691.9 million in FY2009 funding ($571.9 million from the FY2009 Omnibus, and $120.0 million from ARRA). 

In February 2010, the President's FY2011 Budget and a new report of the White House Task Force on the Middle Class are expected to be released. Full details are not yet available, but an early press release indicates that the Middle Class Task Force report will recommend a "Caregiver Initiative" that would increase funds to federal caregiver support programs. 

This report provides details of FY2010 funding for OAA as well as FY2010 funding for programs such as the Alzheimer's Disease Supportive Services Program (ADSSP) and Lifespan Respite Care Program which are administered by the Administration on Aging (AOA), but authorized under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Finally, it provides information about legislation that has been considered in the 111th Congress with respect to health reform proposals that have been passed by the House (H.R. 3962) and the Senate (H.R. 3590, as amended). Provisions in these bills would increase authorizations or funding to certain OAA programs, such as the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) and the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) initiative. .


Date of Report: January 27, 2010
Number of Pages: 25
Order Number: RL33880
Price: $29.95

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