June 28, 2025 - Washington, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues in introducing the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act, legislation that renews funding and strengthens services for American seniors. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the bill, and she was a member of the bipartisan working group that authored this legislation. 

Since 1965, the OAA has supported and improved the lives of seniors—particularly those who are low-income—through programs that promote nutrition, improve transportation options, support caregivers, offer employment and community service opportunities, and prevent abuse and neglect. This critical law was last reauthorized in 2020.

“Programs established by the Older Americans Act play a vital role in supporting the health, well-being, and independence of our nation’s seniors,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill reaffirms our commitment to older Americans and ensures that these critical programs will continue to meet their needs.”

Specifically, this legislation would reauthorize OAA programs through Fiscal Year 2030 and make improvements to promote innovation and flexibility, strengthen program integrity, and better support family caregivers and direct care workers. The bill also takes steps to better serve Tribal seniors and those with disabilities in their communities.  

The OAA authorizes an array of services through a network of 56 State Units on Aging and more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging serving older Americans throughout the nation. In the last year alone, OAA programs served more than 12 million caregivers and older adults, including providing more than 2.4 million seniors with at-home or congregate meals.
 
In addition to Senator Collins, the bill was introduced by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Edward Markey (D-MA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

The complete text of the bill can be read here.
Source: Senator Susan Collins