U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, on July 15, 2026, praised the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act, which would renew and strengthen federal programs that provide nutrition, social, and health services to older Americans.
In a statement, Gillibrand said the OAA has been “a lifeline for American seniors” and urged the U.S. House to take up and pass the measure without delay. Gillibrand reintroduced the reauthorization bill in 2025 and the legislation would reauthorize key programs through fiscal year 2030.
Programs reauthorized and priorities
The reauthorization would renew funding and support for a range of elder services, including:
- the national Eldercare Locator service;
- regional aging and disability resource centers;
- grants for counseling and assistance on pensions and other retirement benefits;
- grants to support home-delivered nutrition services such as Meals on Wheels;
- programs to facilitate supportive services to tribal organizations; and
- programs aimed at preventing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The bill also proposes modifications intended to promote innovation and flexibility, strengthen program integrity, and better support family caregivers and direct care workers. The full text of the bill is available from the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee: https://www.help.senate.gov/oaa-text.
Background: the OAA was last reauthorized in 2020 and lapsed in the 118th Congress. The Senate’s July 15 action sends the measure to the House, where further consideration is required before it can become law.
