I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2312 

To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish the Office of 

Inclusivity and Sexual Health and a rural outreach grant program carried 

out by that Office, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2019 

Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. MENG, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. 

NORTON, Mr. PAPPAS, and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish 

the Office of Inclusivity and Sexual Health and a rural 

outreach grant program carried out by that Office, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Elder Pride Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 Section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 

7 U.S.C. 3002) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (24)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘and’’ 

3 at the end, 

4 (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii) by striking the 

5 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and 

6 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(D) status as an LGBT individual and 

8 HIV status’’.’’, 

9 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (34) through 

10 (54) as paragraphs (35) through (55), respectively, 

11 and 

12 (3) by inserting after paragraph (33) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(34) The term ‘LGBT’ means lesbian, gay, bi15 sexual, or transgender.’’. 

16 SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INCLUSIVITY AND SEXUAL HEALTH. 

17 Section 201 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 

18 U.S.C. 3011) is amended by adding at the end the fol19 lowing: 

20 ‘‘(g)(1) There is established in the Administration an 

21 Office of Inclusivity and Sexual Health (referred to in this 

22 subsection as the ‘Office’). 

23 ‘‘(2)(A) The Office shall be headed by a Director of 

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1 section as the ‘Director’) who shall be appointed by the 

2 Secretary. 

3 ‘‘(B) The Office shall include an Assistant Director 

4 of LGBT Policy (referred to in this subsection as the ‘As5 sistant Director’) who shall be appointed by the Director 

6 to assist the Director in carrying out this subsection, in7 cluding by carrying out the activities under paragraph (4). 

8 ‘‘(3) The Director shall— 

9 ‘‘(A) coordinate activities within the Depart10 ment of Health and Human Services, and between 

11 other Federal departments and agencies, to assure a 

12 continuum of improved services for LGBT older in13 dividuals and older individuals of a protected class; 

14 ‘‘(B) promote a continuum of improved sexual 

15 health services for older individuals, including by en16 suring access to services for LGBT older individuals 

17 and older individuals of a protected class; 

18 ‘‘(C) collect and disseminate information related 

19 to the challenges experienced by older individuals of 

20 a protected class and all older individuals trying to 

21 seek sexual health services, including information on 

22 the rise of sexually transmitted diseases among the 

23 population of older individuals; and 

24 ‘‘(D) administer and evaluate grants that will 

25 help LGBT older individuals, older individuals of a 


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1 protected class, and all older individuals seeking sex2 ual health services, including grants under section 

3 423. 

4 ‘‘(4) The Assistant Director shall— 

5 ‘‘(A) serve as the effective and visible advocate 

6 on behalf of LGBT older individuals— 

7 ‘‘(i) within the Department of Health and 

8 Human Services and with other departments 

9 and agencies of the Federal Government re10 garding all Federal policies affecting such indi11 viduals; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) in the States to promote the enhanced 

13 delivery of services and implementation of pro14 grams, under this Act and other Federal Acts, 

15 for the benefit of such individuals; 

16 ‘‘(B) support, conduct, and arrange for re17 search in the field of LGBT aging with a special em18 phasis on gathering statistics on LGBT older indi19 viduals; 

20 ‘‘(C) collect and disseminate information related 

21 to challenges experienced by LGBT older individuals 

22 with an emphasis on the challenges experienced by 

23 LGBT older individuals residing in rural areas and 

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1 deficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syn2 drome (HIV/AIDS); and 

3 ‘‘(D) recommend policies and priorities bene4 ficial to LGBT older individuals and promote the 

5 implementation and adoption of culturally competent 

6 care and services for such individuals. 

7 ‘‘(5) Not later than 5 years after the date of enact8 ment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the Director 

9 shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities 

10 carried out under this subsection during the preceding 5 

11 years.’’. 

12 SEC. 4. RURAL OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM. 

13 Part A of title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 

14 (42 U.S.C. 3032 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 423. RURAL OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM. 

17 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 ‘‘(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 

19 the Director of the Office of Inclusivity and Sexual 

20 Health established under section 201(g). 

21 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en22 tity’— 

23 ‘‘(A) means an entity that submits an ap24 plication to the Director in accordance with 

25 subsection (c), and is— 


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1 ‘‘(i) a State; 

2 ‘‘(ii) an Indian tribe or tribal organi3 zation; or 

4 ‘‘(iii) an agency, nonprofit organiza5 tion, or institution that— 

6 ‘‘(I) focuses on serving the needs 

7 of older individuals, LGBT individ8 uals, or individuals of a protected 

9 class; or 

10 ‘‘(II) focuses on providing sexual 

11 health services to all older individuals; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(B) may include an area agency on aging 

14 for a rural area or a multipurpose senior cen15 ter. 

16 ‘‘(3) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 

17 means an area that is not designated by the United 

18 States Census Bureau as an urbanized area or 

19 urban cluster. 

20 ‘‘(b) AUTHORITY FOR GRANTS.—The Director may 

21 make grants to eligible entities to carry out activities de22 scribed in subsection (d) that are designed— 

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1 dividuals of a protected class, residing in rural areas 

2 and the eligible entity receiving the grant; 

3 ‘‘(2) to meet the needs of the individuals de4 scribed in paragraph (1); and 

5 ‘‘(3) to provide comprehensive sexual health 

6 services to all older individuals residing in rural 

7 areas. 

8 ‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seeking a 

10 grant under this section shall submit an application 

11 to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 

12 containing such information as the Director may 

13 reasonably require, including the contents described 

14 in paragraph (2). 

15 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—An application for a grant 

16 under this section shall contain— 

17 ‘‘(A) a description of the proposed activi18 ties to be supported by the grant; 

19 ‘‘(B) a description of the size and charac20 teristics of the population in a rural area to be 

21 served by such proposed activities; 

22 ‘‘(C) a description of the public and private 

23 resources expected to be made available in con24 nection with such activities; 


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1 ‘‘(D) a demonstrated intent to partner 

2 with local organizations in rural areas in car3 rying out such activities; 

4 ‘‘(E) evidence in a form acceptable to the 

5 Director that such activities will meet urgent 

6 needs that are not met by available public and 

7 private sources; and 

8 ‘‘(F) such other information or certifi9 cations that the Director determines necessary 

10 to achieve the purposes described in paragraphs 

11 (1) through (3) of subsection (b). 

12 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may use 

13 funds made available by a grant under this section to 

14 carry out activities that include initiates that— 

15 ‘‘(1) engage in education and training relating 

16 to community outreach to LGBT older individuals, 

17 or older individuals of a protected class, residing in 

18 rural areas; 

19 ‘‘(2) reduce isolation and improve access to care 

20 for LGBT older individuals, or older individuals of 

21 a protected class, residing in rural areas by building 

22 relationships between such individuals and the local 

23 community; 


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1 ‘‘(3) foster relationships between local service 

2 providers and LGBT older individuals, or older indi3 viduals of a protected class, residing in rural areas; 

4 ‘‘(4) improve cultural competency with respect 

5 to LGBT individuals, and older individuals of a pro6 tected class, among organizations and personnel pro7 viding services to older individuals residing in rural 

8 areas; 

9 ‘‘(5) expand the use of non-discrimination poli10 cies that— 

11 ‘‘(A) protect sexual orientation and gender 

12 identity; and 

13 ‘‘(B) create community spaces that are in14 clusive to LGBT older individuals and older in15 dividuals of a protected class; and 

16 ‘‘(6) focus on providing sexual health services to 

17 older individuals residing in rural areas. 

18 ‘‘(e) STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.—The Director 

19 shall establish standards and guidelines for activities sup20 ported by a grant under this section. Such standards and 

21 guidelines shall permit an eligible entity receiving such a 

22 grant to refine or adapt the standards and guidelines for 

23 an individual project, where such a refinement or adapta24 tion is made necessary by a local circumstance. 

25 ‘‘(f) COORDINATION WITH LOCAL ENTITIES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) COOPERATION.—An eligible entity receiv2 ing a grant under this section shall, in carrying out 

3 activities supported by the grant, agree to cooperate 

4 and coordinate with— 

5 ‘‘(A) the agencies of the relevant State and 

6 local governments responsible for providing 

7 services to LGBT older individuals, or older in8 dividuals of a protected class, in the area served 

9 by such activities; and 

10 ‘‘(B) other public and private organizations 

11 and agencies providing services to LGBT older 

12 individuals, or older individuals of a protected 

13 class, in such area. 

14 ‘‘(2) PRIORITIZATION.—An eligible entity re15 ceiving a grant under this section shall prioritize co16 operating and coordinating with public and private 

17 organizations and agencies that primarily serve pop18 ulations of older individuals with the greatest social 

19 need. 

20 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

21 of enactment of the Elder Pride Act, and every 2 years 

22 thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a report 

23 describing the activities carried out under this section dur24 ing the preceding 2 years.’’. 

Æ 


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