[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2762 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2762
To establish a commission on long-term care.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 10, 2025
Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission on long-term care.
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 ``Supporting Our Seniors Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON LONG-TERM CARE.
(a) In General.--There is established a commission to be known as
the ``Commission on Long-Term Care'' (referred to in this section as
the ``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--
(A) Members.--The Commission shall be composed of
12 members, of whom--
(i) 6 shall be appointed by the President;
(ii) 2 shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives;
(iii) 1 shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives;
(iv) 2 shall be appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate; and
(v) 1 shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate.
(B) Qualifications.--Each member appointed under
subparagraph (A) shall have experience in one or more
of the following areas:
(i) Palliative care.
(ii) Hospice care.
(iii) Home and community-based services
delivery.
(iv) Labor and workforce development.
(v) Aging and geriatrics.
(vi) Advocating for the disability
community.
(vii) Long-term care insurance.
(viii) Advocating for patients and
caregivers.
(ix) Senior housing, including varied
levels of assistance ranging from independent
living to nursing facilities.
(C) Diversity of qualifications.--
(i) In general.--In making appointments to
the Commission under subparagraph (A), the
President and the congressional leaders shall
make every effort to select individuals whose
qualifications are not already represented by
other members of the Commission.
(ii) Representation of all qualification
areas.--If no member of the Commission has
experience in an area identified in
subparagraph (B), the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall appoint an agency detailee
or stakeholder representative who has
experience in such area to be present for all
meetings of the Commission.
(2) Date of appointments.--The appointments of the members
of the Commission shall be made not later than 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act.
(3) Member terms; vacancies.--
(A) Member terms.--Members shall be appointed to
the Commission for terms of 6 years (in the case of
members appointed by the President) and 4 years (in the
case of all other members). There shall be no
limitation on the number of terms a member may be
appointed for.
(B) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall
not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointment.
(4) Chairperson.--The President shall select a Chairperson
for the Commission from among its members.
(c) Meetings.--
(1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date
on which a majority of the members of the Commission have been
appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting.
(2) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson.
(3) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
(d) Duties of the Commission.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, and on a yearly basis
thereafter, submit policy recommendations to Congress, the
President, appropriate Federal agencies, and the public with
respect to the following:
(A) Long-term care coverage for the non-Medicaid
eligible population.
(B) Considerations for aging in place.
(C) Financing options for long-term care for low-
and middle-income individuals.
(D) Caregiver supports and workforce stability and
preparedness.
(E) Access to comprehensive care, including
geriatric care as appropriate, coordination of medical
and personal care needs, and access to palliative care
as needed, including both concurrently with curative
treatment for serious illness or injury and as hospice
end-of-life care.
(F) Affordability of services.
(G) Considerations for children and non-senior
adults with disabilities.
(H) Support for adult children caring for aging
parents, including through health benefits, tax
credits, and other tax incentives for caregivers who
are not able to claim their parents as dependents for
tax purposes.
(I) Integrating meals, access to basic services,
and wraparound community services.
(J) Reducing hospitalization costs through
increased access to home-based services, including with
options through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
(2) Interaction with outside groups.--In developing the
recommendations under paragraph (1), the Commission shall
regularly consult with--
(A) a wide variety of stakeholder groups;
(B) the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and
the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission;
and
(C) State and county aging agencies.
(3) Federal agency response.--Not later than 6 months after
the submission of a report required under paragraph (1), any
Federal agency that is affected by a recommendation described
in the report shall submit to Congress a report containing the
response of the Federal agency to the recommendation and the
plans of the Federal agency to address the recommendation.
(e) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and
receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to
carry out this Act. The Commission shall have the authority to
exercise these powers via video conference or other remote
technology as it determines to be appropriate.
(2) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such
information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out
this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission,
the head of such department or agency shall furnish such
information to the Commission.
(3) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(4) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of
gifts or donations of services or property so long as such
gifts or donations are publicly disclosed.
(f) Commission Personnel Matters.--
(1) Travel expenses.--The members of the Commission shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Commission.
(2) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission
may, without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate an executive
director and such other additional personnel as may be
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its
duties. The employment of an executive director shall
be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
(B) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the
Commission may fix the compensation of the executive
director and other personnel without regard to chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United
States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of
pay for the executive director and other personnel may
not exceed the rate payable for level V of the
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(3) Detail of government employees.--At the discretion of
the relevant agency, any Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such
detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service
status or privilege.
(4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United
States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such
title.
(g) Termination of the Commission.--The Commission shall terminate
on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
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