[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6302 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6302
To provide for the establishment of a program at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention with respect to healthy aging and to
authorize grants to health departments to carry out healthy aging
programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2021
Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mrs.
Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of a program at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention with respect to healthy aging and to
authorize grants to health departments to carry out healthy aging
programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting the Health of America's
Older Adults Act''.
SEC. 2. HEALTHY AGING PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish a program
for the purpose of promoting the health and wellbeing of older adults
to be known as the Healthy Aging Program (referred to in this section
as the ``Program'') by--
(1) improving the coordination of public health
interventions that promote the health and wellbeing of older
adults;
(2) disseminating and implementing evidence-based best
practices and programs with respect to promoting the health and
wellbeing of older adults; and
(3) coordinating multisectoral efforts to promote the
health and wellbeing of older adults across governmental and
nongovernmental health and related agencies.
(b) Activities.--For the purpose described in subsection (a), the
Secretary shall design and implement the Program to carry out the
following activities:
(1) Regularly conduct assessments of the health-related
needs of older adults and promote policies addressing those
needs through evidence-based public health interventions to
promote overall health and wellbeing among older adults and
reduce health care and long-term care costs, and report to the
Secretary the results of those assessments.
(2) Identify health outcome disparities in older adults,
including differences by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
disability status, or geography.
(3) Identify gaps in existing public health programs and
policies that focus on older adults.
(4) Promote public health partnerships with aging and other
sector stakeholders to ensure nonduplication of efforts and
increase efficiency by working collaboratively across sectors.
(5) Work with multisectoral agencies to improve emergency
preparedness plans and activities for older adults at increased
risk during disasters, including older adults with
disabilities.
(6) Coordinate efforts to promote the health of older
adults with the Administration for Community Living, other
Federal departments and agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
(7) Identify resources and evidence-based programs
available to local and State health departments, including
resources and programs that could be coordinated across
sectors, to address the health and wellbeing of older adults.
(c) Grants to Health Departments and Nonprofit Community-Based
Organizations.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants or
cooperative agreements to eligible health departments, and to nonprofit
community-based organizations, to carry out any of the following
activities:
(1) Improving availability of data on the older adult
population, including through data-sharing with State units on
aging.
(2) Linking the health care sector with the community
services sector (including aging services and supports and
disability services and supports) to coordinate and promote
community-based prevention and management services.
(3) Ensuring that State and local emergency preparedness
plans and activities address the special needs of older adults,
particularly the most vulnerable populations.
(4) Training State and local public health personnel to
implement or adapt evidence-based and innovative health
promotion and disease prevention programs and policies.
(5) Improving community conditions and addressing social
determinants to promote health and wellbeing and foster
independence among older adults, such as efforts to advance
age-friendly communities and dementia-friendly communities.
(d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall (directly or through
grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts) provide technical
assistance to eligible health departments, and to nonprofit community-
based organizations, in carrying out activities described in subsection
(c).
(e) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall (directly or through grants,
cooperative agreements, or contracts) provide for the evaluation of
activities carried out under subsections (a), (b), and (c) in order to
determine the extent to which such activities have been effective in
carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a), including the
effects of such activities on addressing health disparities.
(f) Reports to Congress.--Beginning three years after the date of
enactment, and at least once every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary,
acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall submit to Congress a report that contains the results
of the assessments conducted pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
(g) Definition.--In this section, the term ``eligible health
department'' means a health department of a State, the District of
Columbia, a territory of the United States, a Tribe (as defined in
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 5304)), or a local or municipal government.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to
carry out this section, including for grants under subsection (c), to
remain available until September 30, 2027.
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