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Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020

Public Law 116-131 · H.R. 4334 · 116th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Mar 25, 2020 · Social Welfare

Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1)

Cosponsors (25): Rep. Elise Stefanik,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020

This bill reauthorizes through FY2024, modifies, and establishes programs under the Older Americans Act, which supports social services and activities for individuals aged 60 years or older. It also requires various reports and evaluations, including on social isolation.

TITLE I--MODERNIZING DEFINITIONS AND PROGRAMS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION ON AGING

This title reauthorizes and revises various activities, and modifies the duties and functions, of the Administration on Aging. It also (1) provides statutory authority for the National Resource Center for Women and Retirement; (2) authorizes a demonstration project for recruiting and retaining direct care workers; and (3) includes immunizations, malnutrition screenings, and certain other activities within the scope of health promotion and disease prevention activities supported by the administration.

TITLE II--IMPROVING GRANTS FOR STATE AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ON AGING

This title reauthorizes grants for supportive services, nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion activities, and caregiver supports. It also modifies grant funding formulas, eligibility criteria, and other related requirements.

TITLE III--MODERNIZING ACTIVITIES FOR HEALTH, INDEPENDENCE, AND LONGEVITY

This title reauthorizes and revises activities that support health, independence, and longevity for older adults, including by allowing certain grants to support fall prevention and chronic disease self-management programs.

TITLE IV--SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

This title reauthorizes employment and volunteer programs for older adults and designates older adults who have been recently incarcerated as a priority population for some of these programs.

TITLE V--ENHANCING GRANTS FOR NATIVE AMERICANS

This title reauthorizes programs for older adults in tribal populations and establishes a competitive grant program for support services to help maintain the health and independence for members of this population.

TITLE VI--MODERNIZING ALLOTMENTS FOR VULNERABLE ELDER RIGHTS PROTECTION ACTIVITIES AND OTHER PROGRAMS

This title reauthorizes and revises elder justice programs and the long-term care ombudsman program.

TITLE VII--MISCELLANEOUS

This title makes technical corrections, such as by replacing outdated statutory references.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

9 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3782Related bill

    Supporting Family Caregivers Act of 2019

  • H.R. 4833Related bill

    Multigenerational Engagement Act of 2019

  • H.R. 4846Related bill

    Fair Opportunities for Seniors Act

  • H.R. 4853Related bill

    National Family Caregiver Support Program Cap Elimination Act of 2019

  • H.R. 4859Related bill

    Protecting Older Americans from Social Isolation Act of 2019

  • H.R. 5323Related bill

    Tribal Elder Care Improvement Act of 2019

  • S. 1671Related bill

    Aging Together Act

  • S. 2696Related bill

    Strengthening Services for Native Elders Act of 2019

  • S. 3057Related bill

    Modernization of the Older Americans Act Amendments

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Mar 25, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-131.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 16, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Mar 11, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Ms. Bonamici asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and agree to the Senate amendment.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  8. Mar 4, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  9. Mar 3, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Oct 30, 2019CalendarCalendar · Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 280.
  12. Oct 29, 2019CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
  13. Oct 28, 2019FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  15. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4334.
  16. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  17. FloorFloor · Ms. Bonamici moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  18. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 206.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 116-258.
  20. Sep 18, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  22. Sep 16, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1461SenateSen. Susan CollinsR-ME· offered Mar 3, 2020Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Mar 3, 2020: Amendment SA 1461 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.