Age-Friendly Communities Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1536 To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to support healthy aging and age-friendly communities. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 16, 2019 Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu- cation, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to support healthy aging and age-friendly communities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Age-Friendly Commu- 4 nities Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1536 IS SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON 1 HEALTHY AGING AND AGE-FRIENDLY COM- 2 MUNITIES. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 203(c) of the Older Amer- 4 icans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3013(c)) is amended to read 5 as follows: 6 ‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary, in collaboration with other 7 Federal officials specified in paragraph (2)(A), shall estab- 8 lish— 9 ‘‘(A) in accordance with paragraph (2), an 10 Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy 11 Aging and Age-Friendly Communities to develop a 12 national set of goals, in accordance with subpara- 13 graph (G) of such paragraph, to support the ability 14 of older individuals to age in place and access pre- 15 ventive health care, promote age-friendly commu- 16 nities, and address the ability of older individuals to 17 access long-term care supports, including access to 18 caregivers and home- and community-based health 19 services; and 20 ‘‘(B) in accordance with paragraph (3), a pub- 21 lic-private coordinating body to provide recommenda- 22 tions for implementing such goals and to develop 23 best practices for public sector stakeholders or pri- 24 vate sector stakeholders that are related to such 25 goals. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1536 IS ‘‘(2)(A) The officials referred to in paragraph (1) 1 shall be the members of the Committee, which shall in- 2 clude the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 3 Assistant Secretary for Aging, the Chief Executive Officer 4 of the Corporation for National and Community Service, 5 the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commis- 6 sion, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 7 Prevention, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare 8 & Medicaid Services, the Director of the National Institute 9 on Aging, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 10 Labor, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 11 the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Vet- 12 erans Affairs, and may include, at the direction of the 13 President, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the 14 Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Com- 15 missioner of Social Security, the Secretary of the Federal 16 Trade Commission, and such other Federal officials as the 17 President may direct. 18 ‘‘(B) An official described in subparagraph (A) may 19 appoint a designee to carry out the official’s duties under 20 this subsection. 21 ‘‘(C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services 22 shall serve as the first chairperson of the Committee for 23 1 term. After that term, the Committee shall select a 24 chairperson from among the members of the Committee, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1536 IS and any member may serve as the chairperson. No mem- 1 ber may serve as the chairperson for more than 1 consecu- 2 tive term. 3 ‘‘(D) The chairperson shall designate an executive of- 4 ficer who shall facilitate communication between the Com- 5 mittee and the public-private coordinating body estab- 6 lished under paragraph (1)(B). Each member of the Com- 7 mittee shall provide to the executive officer a designated 8 point of contact responsible for assisting in and carrying 9 out any functions and duties assigned to the Committee. 10 ‘‘(E) For purposes of this subsection, a term shall 11 be a period of 2 calendar years. The first term shall start 12 1 year after the date of enactment of the Age-Friendly 13 Communities Act of 2019. 14 ‘‘(F) The Committee shall meet not less often than 15 biannually. 16 ‘‘(G)(i) The goals required under paragraph (1)(A) 17 may include— 18 ‘‘(I) improving coordination among Federal 19 agencies with responsibility for programs and serv- 20 ices that impact older individuals; 21 ‘‘(II) identifying, promoting, and implementing 22 (as appropriate) best practices and evidence-based 23 program and service models to assist older individ- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1536 IS uals in meeting their housing, health care, and other 1 supportive service needs; 2 ‘‘(III) effectively collecting and disseminating 3 information about older individuals and the pro- 4 grams and services available to the individuals to en- 5 sure that the individuals can access comprehensive 6 information; 7 ‘‘(IV) adequately assisting States in better pro- 8 viding housing, health care, and other supportive 9 services to older individuals; 10 ‘‘(V) ensuring the continued collection of data 11 relating to the housing, health care, and other sup- 12 portive service needs of older individuals and sup- 13 porting efforts to identify and address unmet data 14 needs; and 15 ‘‘(VI) identifying any barriers and impediments, 16 including barriers and impediments in statutory and 17 regulatory law, to the access and use by older indi- 18 viduals of federally funded programs and services. 19 ‘‘(ii) Not later than the last day of the Committee’s 20 first term, the Committee shall publicly post and dissemi- 21 nate the goals required under paragraph (1)(A). Not later 22 than the last day of each term following the first term 23 of the Committee, the Committee shall update such goals 24 and publicly post and disseminate such updated goals. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1536 IS ‘‘(iii) In developing and updating such goals, the 1 Committee shall actively seek input from and consult with 2 public sector stakeholders and private sector stakeholders, 3 and shall coordinate with and consider recommendations 4 from other working groups, advisory boards, or inter- 5 agency entities established by law. 6 ‘‘(3)(A) Not later than 3 years after the date of en- 7 actment of the Age-Friendly Communities Act of 2019, 8 the Committee shall establish a public-private coordinating 9 body to provide recommendations for implementing the 10 goals developed and updated by the Committee under 11 paragraph (2) and to develop best practices for public sec- 12 tor stakeholders or private sector stakeholders related to 13 such goals. 14 ‘‘(B) The coordinating body shall be co-chaired by 15 one head or deputy of a Federal agency described in para- 16 graph (2)(A) who is appointed by the Committee, and 1 17 representative of a private sector stakeholder whom the 18 Committee invites to serve on the coordinating body. 19 ‘‘(C) Based on the goals developed and updated by 20 the Committee under paragraph (2), the Committee 21 shall— 22 ‘‘(i) determinate the structure of the coordi- 23 nating body; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1536 IS ‘‘(ii) invite public sector stakeholders to serve 1 on the coordinating body, including representatives 2 from the Federal Government and State and local 3 governments; and 4 ‘‘(iii) invite private sector stakeholders to serve 5 on the coordinating body, aiming for diversity in 6 stakeholders serving on the coordinating body, in- 7 cluding geographic diversity of stakeholders. 8 ‘‘(D) Not later than 2 years after the coordinating 9 body is established under this paragraph, and every year 10 thereafter, the coordinating body shall provide to the Com- 11 mittee, and the public, a report on implementing the goals 12 developed and updated by the Committee under paragraph 13 (2), on ways for updating such goals, and on best practices 14 for public sector stakeholders and private sector stake- 15 holders related to such goals. 16 ‘‘(E) The coordinating body shall not be subject to 17 the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 18 U.S.C. App.) if the coordinating body establishes a proce- 19 dure approved by the Committee for avoiding conflicts of 20 interest. 21 ‘‘(4) In this subsection— 22 ‘‘(A) the term ‘age-friendly community’ means 23 a community that— 24 ‘‘(i) is taking measurable steps to— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1536 IS ‘‘(I) include adequate and accessible 1 housing, accessible spaces and buildings, 2 safe and secure paths, variable route trans- 3 portation services, and programs and serv- 4 ices designed to maintain health and well- 5 being; 6 ‘‘(II) respect and include older indi- 7 viduals in social opportunities, civic partici- 8 pation, volunteerism, and employment; and 9 ‘‘(III) facilitate access to supportive 10 services for older individuals; 11 ‘‘(ii) is not an assisted living facility or a 12 long-term care facility; and 13 ‘‘(iii) has a plan in place to meet local 14 needs for housing, transportation, civic partici- 15 pation, social connectedness, and accessible 16 spaces; 17 ‘‘(B) the term ‘Committee’ means the Inter- 18 agency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging 19 and Age-Friendly Communities established under 20 paragraph (1)(A); 21 ‘‘(C) the term ‘private sector stakeholder’— 22 ‘‘(i) means a stakeholder with an interest 23 in aging and that is not a representative of the 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 1536 IS Federal Government or a State or local govern- 1 ment agency or office; and 2 ‘‘(ii) includes an entity, meeting the re- 3 quirements under clause (i), that is a nonprofit 4 organization, academic or research institution, 5 faith- or community-based organization, philan- 6 thropic organization, or other entity supporting 7 age-friendly communities; and 8 ‘‘(D) the term ‘public sector stakeholder’ means 9 a stakeholder with an interest in aging and that is 10 a representative of the Federal Government or a 11 State or local government agency or office.’’. 12 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REGARDING AGE- 13 FRIENDLY INITIATIVES.—Section 205(a)(2) of such Act 14 (42 U.S.C. 3016(a)(2)) is amended— 15 (1) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub- 16 paragraph (D); and 17 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol- 18 lowing: 19 ‘‘(C) The Assistant Secretary may provide technical 20 assistance, including through the regional offices of the 21 Administration, to State agencies, area agencies on aging, 22 local government agencies, or leaders in age-friendly com- 23 munities (as defined in section 203(c)(4)) regarding— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 1536 IS ‘‘(i) support for public sector stakeholders and 1 private sector stakeholders in building partnerships 2 to promote such age-friendly communities; 3 ‘‘(ii) dissemination of, or consideration of ways 4 to implement, best practices and recommendations 5 from the public-private coordinating body established 6 under section 203(c)(1)(B); and 7 ‘‘(iii) methods of leveraging resources to meet 8 the needs of growing age-friendly communities.’’. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1536.IS S1536 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS