President Obama signed S. 192, the Older Americans Reauthorization Act of 2016 bill, into law Tuesday.
The underlying Older Americans Act (OAA) statute, which was passed in 1965, created the federal Administration on Aging (AoA) and the current federal framework for providing services for older Americans.
The reauthorization bill, which was introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., sailed through the House and Senate on voice votes.
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The reauthorization bill adds definitions of the terms “elder justice” and “aging and disability resource center.” It also rewords the provision, in OAA Section 721, that talks about state use of federal elder ombudsman funding to fight financial exploitation of older Americans.
Kathy Greenlee, the assistant secretary in charge of the AoA, put out a statement welcoming OAA reauthorization.