2016 Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-144) 

The 2016 OAA Act reauthorizes programs for FY 2017 through FY 2019. It includes provisions 

that aim to protect vulnerable elders by strengthening the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program 

and elder abuse screening and prevention efforts. It also promotes the delivery of evidence-based 

programs, such as falls prevention and chronic disease self-management programs. 

An overview of key changes follows. (Please note that this summary does not include changes 

related to the Title V “Community Service Senior Opportunities Act,” which is administered by 

the U.S. Department of Labor). The italicized citations refer to the section(s) where the 

highlighted change can be found in the OAA. The official compilation of the OAA of 1965, as 

amended through P.L. 114-144, can be found here. 

Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)

• Seeks to improve ADRC coordination with area agencies on aging and other communitybased entities in disseminating information regarding available home- and community-based 

services for individuals who are at risk for, or currently residing in, institutional settings. 

102(4); 202(a)(31); 202(b)(8)

• Updates the definition of “Aging and Disability Resource Center” to be consistent with 

current practice, including an emphasis on independent living and home and communitybased services. 102(4)

Authorization Levels

• Sets authorization levels approximately two percent above FY 2016 funding levels for FY 

2017; and approximately two percent increases above the previous year for FY 2018 and FY 

2019. 216(a)&(b); 303; 311(e); 411(b); 643(1)&(2); 702(a)&(b))

Care Coordination 

• Clarifies the Assistant Secretary’s responsibilities to provide technical assistance to, and 

coordinate sharing of best practices with, states, area agencies on aging, and service 

providers regarding coordination with health care entities, in order to improve care 

coordination for individuals with multiple chronic illnesses. 202(a)(31)

Demonstration Authority

• Authorizes the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program in Title IV. 411(a)(13) 

• Eliminates three Title IV demonstration programs: Computer Training; Multidisciplinary 

Centers & Multidisciplinary Systems; and Ombudsman & Advocacy Demonstration Projects. 

Repeals 415; 419; 421

Elder Abuse

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• Updates definitions of “adult protective services,” “abuse,” “exploitation and financial 

exploitation,” and “elder justice” to be consistent with the Elder Justice Act. 102(1),(3), 

(17)&(18)

• Promotes best practices for responding to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term 

care facilities through the Administration on Aging. 201(d)(3)(M)

• Promotes states’ submission of data concerning elder abuse. 102(3)(A); 721(b)(5)

• Directs the Administration on Aging to include, as appropriate, training on elder justice, 

including abuse prevention and screening, for states, area agencies on aging, and service 

providers. 202(d)(4)(g)

• Requires area plans to include efforts to increase public awareness of elder abuse, neglect, 

and exploitation. 306(a)(6)(H)

Funding Formula for Titles III B, C & D 

• No state shall be allotted less than: 99% of the allotment for the previous year for each of FY2017-

FY2019, or 100% of the FY2019 allotment for FY2020 and each subsequent fiscal year. 

304(a)(3)(D) 

Health and Economic Needs

• Clarifies the Assistant Secretary’s responsibilities for the development of plans, program 

implementation, and preparation and dissemination of educational materials on the health and 

economic needs of older individuals. 202(a)(5)&(7)

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

• Ensures that, in accordance with current practice, disease prevention and health promotion 

 programs funded under Title III-D are evidence-based. 361(a) 

• Adds “oral health” to the Title I definition of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 

services. This addition highlights the importance of oral health as an important component of 

older adult health. 102(a)(14)(B)

Holocaust Survivors 

• Directs the Assistant Secretary to develop guidance on serving Holocaust survivors through 

Older Americans Act programs. Section 10 of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act 

of 2016 (stand-alone provision)

Home Care

• Directs the Assistant Secretary to develop a consumer-friendly tool, when feasible, to assist 

older individuals and their families in choosing home- and community-based services, with a 

particular focus on ways for consumers to assess how providers protect the health, safety, 

welfare, and rights of older individuals. 202(b)(5)(D)

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

• Authorizes Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman programs to serve all LTC facility residents, 

regardless of their age. 711(6)

• Clarifies that the state LTC Ombudsman is responsible for the fiscal management of the 

Office of the State LTC Ombudsman. 712(a)(2) 

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• Clarifies that LTC Ombudsman programs may work to resolve complaints on behalf of 

residents unable to communicate their wishes, including those lacking an authorized 

representative. 712(a)(3)(A)(i)& (a)(5)(vi)

• Requires state LTC Ombudsmen to ensure that residents have private, unimpeded access to 

the program. 712(a)(3)(D) 

• Requires LTC Ombudsman programs to actively encourage, and assist in the development of, 

resident and family councils in long-term care facilities. 712(a)(3)(H)(iii) & (a)(5)(vii)

• Authorizes LTC Ombudsman programs to serve residents transitioning from a LTC facility 

to a home-care setting, when feasible. 712(a)(3)(I)

• Clarifies that the LTC Ombudsman program is considered a “health oversight agency” for 

purposes of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 712(b)(3) 

• Applies OAA disclosure provisions to all LTC Ombudsman program information (rather 

than only “files and records”) and clarifies exceptions for disclosure of information relating 

to residents unable to communicate their wishes, including those lacking an authorized 

representative. 712(d)(2)(c)

• Provides specific examples of individual and organizational conflicts of interest, requiring 

remediation or removal of such conflicts. 712(f)

• Requires that each state LTC Ombudsman or his/her designee participate in training provided 

by the National Ombudsman Resource Center. 712(h)(4)

• Requires the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs to collect and 

analyze promising practices related to responding to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in 

long-term care facilities. 201(d)(3)(M)

Mental Health

• Updates and clarifies references of mental health to also include “behavioral health,” as 

appropriate, to reflect the Aging Network’s current practice of including substance abuse and 

suicide prevention in these topics. 102(a)(14)(G); 102(a)(36)&(47); 201(f)(1); 202(a)(5);

306(a)(2)(A); 306(a)(6)(F); 321(a)(1)&(8); 321(a)(14)(B); 321(a)(23) 

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) 

• Clarifies current law that older adults caring for adult children with disabilities and older 

adults raising children under 18 are eligible to participate in the National Family Caregiver 

Support Program. These new definitions allow the NFCSP to be more inclusive in serving 

older-relative caregivers, including people who are age 55 or older and parents of individuals 

with disabilities. 372(a)

• Clarifies that a state may use not more than 10 percent of the total (federal and non-federal 

share) available to the state to provide support services to older-relative caregivers. 373 

(g)(2)(C)

Nutrition Services

 Clarifies that, as appropriate, supplemental foods may be part of a home-delivered meal at 

the option of a nutrition services provider. 336(1)

 Clarifies that a state shall utilize the expertise of a dietician or other individual with 

equivalent education and training in nutrition science. 339(1)

• Where feasible, encourages the use of locally grown foods in meals programs. 339(2) (L) 

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Senior Centers

• Directs the Assistant Secretary to provide information and technical assistance to support 

identification of best practices for the modernization of multipurpose senior centers. 

202(a)(30)

• Encourages efforts to modernize multipurpose senior centers and promote intergenerational 

shared-site models in area agency on aging plans. 306(a)(1); 321(b)&(c)

Supportive Services

• Clarifies that supportive services funding can be used for referral, chronic condition self-care 

management, and falls prevention services. 321(a)(1)

• Clarifies that health screening includes mental and behavioral health screening and falls 

prevention screening to detect or prevent illnesses and injuries that occur most frequently in 

older individuals. 321(a)(8)

Transportation Services

• Directs the Assistant Secretary to provide information and technical assistance to states, area 

agencies on aging, and service providers on providing efficient, person-centered 

transportation services, including across geographic boundaries. 202(a)(29)

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