II 

Calendar No. 285 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 705 

[Report No. 109–178] 

To establish the Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Service 

Needs of Seniors, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 5, 2005 

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. REED, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. 

SCHUMER, Mr. CARPER, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. ALLARD, and Mr. JOHNSON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

NOVEMBER 15, 2005 

Reported by Mr. SHELBY, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To establish the Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing 

and Service Needs of Seniors, 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 ‘‘Meeting the Housing 

5 and Service Needs of Seniors Act of 2005’’. 
2 

•S 705 RS

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The senior population (persons 65 or older) 

4 in this country is rapidly growing, and is expected 

5 to increase from 34,700,000 in 2000 to nearly 

6 40,000,000 by 2010, and then will dramatically in7 crease to over 50,000,000 by 2020. 

8 (2) By 2020, the population of ‘‘older’’ seniors, 

9 those over age 85, is expected to double to 

10 7,000,000, and then double again to 14,000,000 by 

11 2040. 

12 (3) As the senior population increases, so does 

13 the need for additional safe, decent, affordable, and 

14 suitable housing that meets their unique needs. 

15 (4) Due to the health care, transportation, and 

16 service needs of seniors, issues of providing suitable 

17 and affordable housing opportunities differ signifi18 cantly from the housing needs of other families. 

19 (5) Seniors need access to a wide array of hous20 ing options, such as affordable assisted living, in21 home care, supportive or service-enriched housing, 

22 and retrofitted homes and apartments to allow sen23 iors to age in place and to avoid premature place24 ment in institutional settings. 

25 (6) While there are many programs in place to 

26 assist seniors in finding and affording suitable hous-
3 

•S 705 RS

1 ing and accessing needed services, these programs 

2 are fragmented and spread across many agencies, 

3 making it difficult for seniors to access assistance or 

4 to receive comprehensive information. 

5 (7) Better coordination among Federal agencies 

6 is needed, as is better coordination at State and 

7 local levels, to ensure that seniors can access govern8 ment activities, programs, services, and benefits in 

9 an effective and efficient manner. 

10 (8) Up to date, accurate, and accessible statis11 tics on key characteristics of seniors, including con12 ditions, behaviors, and needs, are required to accu13 rately identify the housing and service needs of sen14 iors. 

15 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) The term ‘‘housing’’ means any form of res18 idence, including rental housing, homeownership, as19 sisted living, group home, supportive housing ar20 rangement, nursing facility, or any other physical lo21 cation where a person can live. 

22 (2) The term ‘‘service’’ includes transportation, 

23 health care, nursing assistance, meal, personal care 

24 and chore services, assistance with daily activities, 

25 mental health care, physical therapy, case manage-
4 

•S 705 RS

1 ment, and any other services needed by seniors to 

2 allow them to stay in their housing or find alter3 native housing that meets their needs. 

4 (3) The term ‘‘program’’ includes any Federal 

5 or State program providing income support, health 

6 benefits or other benefits to seniors, housing assist7 ance, mortgages, mortgage or loan insurance or 

8 guarantees, housing counseling, supportive services, 

9 assistance with daily activities, or other assistance 

10 for seniors. 

11 (4) The term ‘‘Council’’ means the Interagency 

12 Council on Meeting the Housing and Service Needs 

13 of Seniors. 

14 (5) The term ‘‘senior’’ means any individual 65 

15 years of age or older. 

16 SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON MEETING THE HOUS17 ING AND SERVICE NEEDS OF SENIORS. 

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the ex19 ecutive branch an independent council to be known as the 

20 Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Service 

21 Needs of Seniors. 

22 (b) OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the Council are 

23 as follows: 

24 (1) To promote coordination and collaboration 

25 among the Federal departments and agencies in-
5 

•S 705 RS

1 volved with housing, health care, and service needs 

2 of seniors in order to better meet the needs of senior 

3 citizens. 

4 (2) To identify the unique housing and service 

5 needs faced by seniors around the country and to 

6 recommend ways that the Federal Government, 

7 States, State and local governments, and others can 

8 better meet those needs, including how to ensure 

9 that seniors can find and afford housing that allows 

10 them to access health care, transportation, nursing 

11 assistance, and assistance with daily activities where 

12 they live or in their communities. 

13 (3) To facilitate the aging in place of seniors, 

14 by identifying and making available the programs 

15 and services necessary to enable seniors to remain in 

16 their homes as they age. 

17 (4) To improve coordination among the housing 

18 and service related programs and services of Federal 

19 agencies for seniors and to make recommendations 

20 about needed changes with an emphasis on— 

21 (A) maximizing the impact of existing pro22 grams and services; 

23 (B) reducing or eliminating areas of over24 lap and duplication in the provision and accessi25 bility of such programs and services; and 
6 

•S 705 RS

1 (C) making access to programs and serv2 ices easier for seniors around the country. 

3 (5) To increase the efficiency and effectiveness 

4 of existing housing and service related programs and 

5 services which serve seniors. 

6 (6) To establish an ongoing system of coordina7 tion among and within such agencies or organiza8 tions so that the housing and service needs of sen9 iors are met in a more efficient manner. 

10 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be composed of 

11 the following: 

12 (1) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel13 opment or a designee of the Secretary. 

14 (2) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv15 ices or a designee of the Secretary. 

16 (3) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee 

17 of the Secretary. 

18 (4) The Secretary of Transportation or a des19 ignee of the Secretary. 

20 (5) The Secretary of Labor or a designee of the 

21 Secretary. 

22 (6) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs or a des23 ignee of the Secretary. 

24 (7) The Secretary of the Treasury or a designee 

25 of the Secretary. 
7 

•S 705 RS

1 (8) The Commissioner of the Social Security 

2 Administration or a designee of the Commissioner. 

3 (9) The Administrator of the Centers for Medi4 care and Medicaid Services or a designee of the Ad5 ministrator. 

6 (10) The Administrator of the Administration 

7 on Aging or a designee of the Administrator. 

8 (11) The head (or designee) of any other Fed9 eral agency as the Council considers appropriate. 

10 (12) State and local representatives knowledge11 able about the needs of seniors as chosen by the 

12 Council members described in paragraphs (1) 

13 through (11). 

14 (d) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Council 

15 shall alternate between the Secretary of Housing and 

16 Urban Development and the Secretary of Health and 

17 Human Services on an annual basis. 

18 (e) VICE CHAIR.—Each year, the Council shall elect 

19 a Vice Chair from among its members. 

20 (f) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet at the call 

21 of its Chairperson or a majority of its members at any 

22 time, and no less often than quarterly. The Council shall 

23 hold meetings with stakeholders and other interested par24 ties at least twice a year, so that the opinions of such par-
8 

•S 705 RS

1 ties can be taken into account and so that outside groups 

2 can learn of the Council’s activities and plans. 

3 SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.. 

4 (a) RELEVANT ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out its ob5 jectives, the Council shall— 

6 (1) review all Federal programs and services 

7 that assist seniors in finding, affording, and rehabili8 tating housing, including those that assist seniors in 

9 accessing health care, transportation, supportive 

10 services, and assistance with daily activities, where 

11 or close to where seniors live; 

12 (2) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improve13 ments in existing programs and services adminis14 tered, funded, or financed by Federal, State, and 

15 local agencies to assist seniors in meeting their hous16 ing and service needs and make any recommenda17 tions about how agencies can better work to house 

18 and serve seniors; and 

19 (3) recommend ways— 

20 (A) to reduce duplication among programs 

21 and services by Federal agencies that assist 

22 seniors in meeting their housing and service 

23 needs; 

24 (B) to ensure collaboration among and 

25 within agencies in the provision and availability 
9 

•S 705 RS

1 of programs and services so that seniors are 

2 able to easily access needed programs and serv3 ices; 

4 (C) to work with States to better provide 

5 housing and services to seniors by— 

6 (i) holding individual meetings with 

7 State representatives; 

8 (ii) providing ongoing technical assist9 ance to States in better meeting the needs 

10 of seniors; and 

11 (iii) working with States to designate 

12 State liaisons to the Council; 

13 (D) to identify best practices for programs 

14 and services that assist seniors in meeting their 

15 housing and service needs, including model— 

16 (i) programs linking housing and serv17 ices; 

18 (ii) financing products offered by gov19 ernment, quasi-government, and private 

20 sector entities; 

21 (iii) land use, zoning, and regulatory 

22 practices; and 

23 (iv) innovations in technology applica24 tions that give seniors access to informa25 tion on available services; 
10 

•S 705 RS

1 (E) to collect and disseminate information 

2 about seniors and the programs and services 

3 available to them to ensure that seniors can ac4 cess comprehensive information; 

5 (F) to hold biannual meetings with stake6 holders and other interested parties (or to hold 

7 open Council meetings) to receive input and 

8 ideas about how to best meet the housing and 

9 service needs of seniors; 

10 (G) to maintain an updated website of 

11 policies, meetings, best practices, programs, 

12 services, and any other helpful information to 

13 keep people informed of the Council’s activities; 

14 and 

15 (H) to work with the Federal Interagency 

16 Forum on Aging Statistics, the Census Bureau, 

17 and member agencies to collect and maintain 

18 data relating to the housing and service needs 

19 of seniors so that all data can be accessed in 

20 one place and to identify and address unmet 

21 data needs. 

22 (b) REPORTS.— 

23 (1) BY MEMBERS.—Each year, the head of each 

24 agency that is a member of the Council shall prepare 
11 

•S 705 RS

1 and transmit to the Council a report that de2 scribes— 

3 (A) each program and service administered 

4 by the agency that serves seniors and the num5 ber of seniors served by each program or serv6 ice, the resources available in each, as well as 

7 a breakdown of where each program and service 

8 can be accessed; 

9 (B) the barriers and impediments, includ10 ing statutory or regulatory, to the access and 

11 use of such programs and services by seniors; 

12 (C) the efforts made by each agency to in13 crease opportunities for seniors to find and af14 ford housing that meet their needs, including 

15 how the agency is working with other agencies 

16 to better coordinate programs and services; and 

17 (D) any new data collected by each agency 

18 relating to the housing and service needs of 

19 seniors. 

20 (2) BY THE COUNCIL.—Each year, the Council 

21 shall prepare and transmit to the President, the 

22 Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 

23 Affairs, the Senate Committee on Health, Edu24 cation, Labor, and Pensions, the House Financial 
12 

•S 705 RS

1 Services Committee, and the House Committee on 

2 Education and the Workforce a report that— 

3 (A) summarizes the reports required in 

4 paragraph (1); 

5 (B) utilizes recent data to assess the na6 ture of the problems faced by seniors in meet7 ing their unique housing and service needs; 

8 (C) provides a comprehensive and detailed 

9 description of the programs and services of the 

10 Federal Government in meeting the needs and 

11 problems described in subparagraph (B); 

12 (D) describes the activities and accomplish13 ments of the Council in working with Federal, 

14 State, and local governments, and private orga15 nizations in coordinating programs and services 

16 to meet the needs described in subparagraph 

17 (B) and the resources available to meet those 

18 needs; 

19 (E) assesses the level of Federal assistance 

20 required to meet the needs described in sub21 paragraph (B); and 

22 (F) makes recommendations for appro23 priate legislative and administrative actions to 

24 meet the needs described in subparagraph (B) 
13 

•S 705 RS

1 and for coordinating programs and services de2 signed to meet those needs. 

3 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.. 

4 (a) HEARINGS.—The Council may hold such hear5 ings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testi6 mony, and receive such evidence as the Council considers 

7 advisable to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

8 (b) INFORMATION FROM AGENCIES.—Agencies which 

9 are members of the Council shall provide all requested in10 formation and data to the Council as requested. 

11 (c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Council may use the 

12 United States mails in the same manner and under the 

13 same conditions as other departments and agencies of the 

14 Federal Government. 

15 (d) GIFTS.—The Council may accept, use, and dis16 pose of gifts or donations of services or property. 

17 SEC. 7. COUNCIL PERSONNEL MATTERS.. 

18 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—All members of 

19 the Council who are officers or employees of the United 

20 States shall serve without compensation in addition to that 

21 received for their services as officers or employees of the 

22 United States. 

23 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Coun24 cil shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in 

25 lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of 
14 

•S 705 RS

1 agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

2 United States Code, while away from their homes or reg3 ular places of business in the performance of services for 

4 the Council. 

5 (c) STAFF.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall, without 

7 regard to civil service laws and regulations, appoint 

8 and terminate an Executive Director and such other 

9 additional personnel as may be necessary to enable 

10 the Council to perform its duties. 

11 (2) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Council shall 

12 appoint an Executive Director at its initial meeting. 

13 The Executive Director shall be compensated at a 

14 rate not to exceed the rate of pay payable for level 

15 V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 

16 title 5, United States Code. 

17 (3) COMPENSATION.—With the approval of the 

18 Council, the Executive Director may appoint and fix 

19 the compensation of such additional personnel as 

20 necessary to carry out the duties of the Council. The 

21 rate of compensation may be set without regard to 

22 the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter II of 

23 chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating 

24 to classification of positions and General Schedule 

25 pay rates, except that the rate of pay may not ex-
15 

•S 705 RS

1 ceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 

2 Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 

3 (d) TEMPORARY AND INTERMITTENT SERVICES.—In 

4 carrying out its objectives, the Council may procure tem5 porary and intermittent services of consultants and ex6 perts under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, 

7 at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily 

8 equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 

9 level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 

10 such title. 

11 (e) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Upon 

12 request of the Council, any Federal Government employee 

13 may be detailed to the Council without reimbursement, 

14 and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of 

15 civil service status or privilege. 

16 (f) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary of 

17 Housing Urban Development and the Secretary of Health 

18 and Human Services shall provide the Council with such 

19 administrative and supportive services as are necessary to 

20 ensure that the Council can carry out its functions. 

21 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.. 

22 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

23 this Act, $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 

24 2010. 
16 

•S 705 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Meeting the Housing 

3 and Service Needs of Seniors Act of 2005’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The senior population (persons 65 or older) 

7 in this country is rapidly growing, and is expected to 

8 increase from 34,700,000 in 2000 to nearly 

9 40,000,000 by 2010, and then will dramatically in10 crease to over 50,000,000 by 2020. 

11 (2) By 2020, the population of ‘‘older’’ seniors, 

12 those over age 85, is expected to double to 7,000,000, 

13 and then double again to 14,000,000 by 2040. 

14 (3) As the senior population increases, so does 

15 the need for additional safe, decent, affordable, and 

16 suitable housing that meets their unique needs. 

17 (4) Due to the health care, transportation, and 

18 service needs of seniors, issues of providing suitable 

19 and affordable housing opportunities differ signifi20 cantly from the housing needs of other families. 

21 (5) Seniors need access to a wide array of hous22 ing options, such as affordable assisted living, in23 home care, supportive or service-enriched housing, 

24 and retrofitted homes and apartments to allow seniors 

25 to age in place and to avoid premature placement in 

26 institutional settings. 
17 

•S 705 RS

1 (6) While there are many programs in place to 

2 assist seniors in finding and affording suitable hous3 ing and accessing needed services, these programs are 

4 fragmented and spread across many agencies, making 

5 it difficult for seniors to access assistance or to receive 

6 comprehensive information. 

7 (7) Better coordination among Federal agencies 

8 is needed, as is better coordination at State and local 

9 levels, to ensure that seniors can access government 

10 activities, programs, services, and benefits in an effec11 tive and efficient manner. 

12 (8) Up to date, accurate, and accessible statistics 

13 on key characteristics of seniors, including conditions, 

14 behaviors, and needs, are required to accurately iden15 tify the housing and service needs of seniors. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) HOUSING.—The term ‘‘housing’’ means any 

19 form of residence, including rental housing, home20 ownership, assisted living, group home, supportive 

21 housing arrangement, nursing facility, or any other 

22 physical location where a person can live. 

23 (2) SERVICE.—The term ‘‘service’’ includes 

24 transportation, health care, nursing assistance, meal, 

25 personal care and chore services, assistance with daily 
18 

•S 705 RS

1 activities, mental health care, physical therapy, case 

2 management, and any other services needed by seniors 

3 to allow them to stay in their housing or find alter4 native housing that meets their needs. 

5 (3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ includes 

6 any Federal or State program providing income sup7 port, health benefits or other benefits to seniors, hous8 ing assistance, mortgages, mortgage or loan insurance 

9 or guarantees, housing counseling, supportive services, 

10 assistance with daily activities, or other assistance for 

11 seniors. 

12 (4) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 

13 Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and 

14 Service Needs of Seniors. 

15 (5) SENIOR.—The term ‘‘senior’’ means any in16 dividual 65 years of age or older. 

17 SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON MEETING THE HOUSING 

18 AND SERVICE NEEDS OF SENIORS. 

19 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the exec20 utive branch an independent council to be known as the 

21 Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Service 

22 Needs of Seniors. 

23 (b) OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the Council are as 

24 follows: 
19 

•S 705 RS

1 (1) To promote coordination and collaboration 

2 among the Federal departments and agencies involved 

3 with housing, health care, and service needs of seniors 

4 in order to better meet the needs of senior citizens. 

5 (2) To identify the unique housing and service 

6 needs faced by seniors around the country and to rec7 ommend ways that the Federal Government, States, 

8 State and local governments, and others can better 

9 meet those needs, including how to ensure that seniors 

10 can find and afford housing that allows them to ac11 cess health care, transportation, nursing assistance, 

12 and assistance with daily activities where they live or 

13 in their communities. 

14 (3) To facilitate the aging in place of seniors, by 

15 identifying and making available information related 

16 to the programs and services necessary to enable sen17 iors to remain in their homes as they age. 

18 (4) To improve coordination among the housing 

19 and service related programs and services of Federal 

20 agencies for seniors and to make recommendations 

21 about needed changes with an emphasis on— 

22 (A) maximizing the impact of existing pro23 grams and services; 
20 

•S 705 RS

1 (B) reducing or eliminating areas of over2 lap and duplication in the provision and acces3 sibility of such programs and services; and 

4 (C) making access to programs and services 

5 easier for seniors around the country. 

6 (5) To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of 

7 existing housing and service related programs and 

8 services which serve seniors. 

9 (6) To establish an ongoing system of coordina10 tion among and within such agencies or organiza11 tions so that the housing and service needs of seniors 

12 are met in a more efficient manner. 

13 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be composed of 

14 the following: 

15 (1) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel16 opment. 

17 (2) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv18 ices. 

19 (3) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee of 

20 the Secretary. 

21 (4) The Secretary of Transportation or a des22 ignee of the Secretary. 

23 (5) The Secretary of Labor or a designee of the 

24 Secretary. 
21 

•S 705 RS

1 (6) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs or a des2 ignee of the Secretary. 

3 (7) The Secretary of the Treasury or a designee 

4 of the Secretary. 

5 (8) The Commissioner of the Social Security Ad6 ministration or a designee of the Commissioner. 

7 (9) The Administrator of the Centers for Medi8 care and Medicaid Services or a designee of the Ad9 ministrator. 

10 (10) The Administrator of the Administration on 

11 Aging or a designee of the Administrator. 

12 (11) The head (or designee) of any other Federal 

13 agency as the Council considers appropriate. 

14 (12)(A) 3 additional members, as appointed by 

15 the President to serve terms not to exceed 4 years, of 

16 whom— 

17 (i) one shall be a Governor of a State; 

18 (ii) one shall be a Mayor of a political sub19 division of a State; 

20 (iii) one shall be a county, town, township, 

21 parish, village, hamlet, or other general purpose 

22 local official of a political subdivision of a State. 

23 (B) Of the members appointed by the President 

24 under subparagraph (A)— 
22 

•S 705 RS

1 (i) no more than 2 members may be affili2 ated with the same political party; and 

3 (ii) none shall be considered a Federal em4 ployee. 

5 (d) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Council 

6 shall alternate between the Secretary of Housing and Urban 

7 Development and the Secretary of Health and Human Serv8 ices every 2 years. 

9 (e) VICE CHAIR.—Every 2 years, the Council shall 

10 elect a Vice Chair from among its members. 

11 (f) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet at the call of 

12 its Chairperson or a majority of its members at any time, 

13 and no less often than quarterly. The Council shall hold 

14 meetings with stakeholders and other interested parties at 

15 least twice a year, so that the opinions of such parties can 

16 be taken into account and so that outside groups can learn 

17 of the Council’s activities and plans. 

18 SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL. 

19 (a) RELEVANT ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out its objec20 tives, the Council shall— 

21 (1) review all Federal programs and services 

22 that assist seniors in finding, affording, and rehabili23 tating housing, including those that assist seniors in 

24 accessing health care, transportation, supportive serv-
23 

•S 705 RS

1 ices, and assistance with daily activities, where or 

2 close to where seniors live; 

3 (2) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improve4 ments in existing programs and services adminis5 tered, funded, or financed by Federal, State, and local 

6 agencies to assist seniors in meeting their housing 

7 and service needs and make any recommendations 

8 about how agencies can better work to house and serve 

9 seniors; and 

10 (3) recommend ways to— 

11 (A) reduce duplication among programs 

12 and services by Federal agencies that assist sen13 iors in meeting their housing and service needs; 

14 (B) ensure collaboration among and within 

15 agencies in the provision and availability of pro16 grams and services so that seniors are able to 

17 easily access needed programs and services; 

18 (C) work with States to better provide hous19 ing and services to seniors by— 

20 (i) holding individual meetings with 

21 State representatives; 

22 (ii) providing ongoing technical assist23 ance to States in better meeting the needs of 

24 seniors; and 
24 

•S 705 RS

1 (iii) working with States to designate 

2 State liaisons to the Council; 

3 (D) identify best practices for programs and 

4 services that assist seniors in meeting their hous5 ing and service needs, including model— 

6 (i) programs linking housing and serv7 ices; 

8 (ii) financing products offered by gov9 ernment, quasi-government, and private sec10 tor entities; 

11 (iii) land use, zoning, and regulatory 

12 practices; and 

13 (iv) innovations in technology applica14 tions that give seniors access to information 

15 on available services or that help in pro16 viding services to seniors; 

17 (E) collect and disseminate information 

18 about seniors and the programs and services 

19 available to them to ensure that seniors can ac20 cess comprehensive information; 

21 (F) hold biannual meetings with stake22 holders and other interested parties (or to hold 

23 open Council meetings) to receive input and 

24 ideas about how to best meet the housing and 

25 service needs of seniors; 
25 

•S 705 RS

1 (G) maintain an updated website of poli2 cies, meetings, best practices, programs, services, 

3 and any other helpful information to keep people 

4 informed of the Council’s activities; and 

5 (H) work with the Federal Interagency 

6 Forum on Aging Statistics, the Census Bureau, 

7 and member agencies to collect and maintain 

8 data relating to the housing and service needs of 

9 seniors so that all data can be accessed in one 

10 place and to identify and address unmet data 

11 needs. 

12 (b) REPORTS.— 

13 (1) BY MEMBERS.—Each year, the head of each 

14 agency who is a member of the Council shall prepare 

15 and transmit to the Council a report that describes— 

16 (A) each program and service administered 

17 by the agency that serves a substantial number 

18 of seniors and the number of seniors served by 

19 each program or service, the resources available 

20 in each, as well as a breakdown of where each 

21 program and service can be accessed; 

22 (B) the barriers and impediments, includ23 ing statutory or regulatory, to the access and use 

24 of such programs and services by seniors; 
26 

•S 705 RS

1 (C) the efforts made by each agency to in2 crease opportunities for seniors to find and af3 ford housing that meet their needs, including 

4 how the agency is working with other agencies to 

5 better coordinate programs and services; and 

6 (D) any new data collected by each agency 

7 relating to the housing and service needs of sen8 iors. 

9 (2) BY THE COUNCIL.—Each year, the Council 

10 shall prepare and transmit to the President, the Com11 mittee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 

12 the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, 

13 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Special Com14 mittee on Aging of the Senate, the Financial Services 

15 Committee of the House of Representatives, the Com16 mittee on Education and the Workforce of the House 

17 of Representatives, a report that— 

18 (A) summarizes the reports required in 

19 paragraph (1); 

20 (B) utilizes recent data to assess the nature 

21 of the problems faced by seniors in meeting their 

22 unique housing and service needs; 

23 (C) provides a comprehensive and detailed 

24 description of the programs and services of the 
27 

•S 705 RS

1 Federal Government in meeting the needs and 

2 problems described in subparagraph (B); 

3 (D) describes the activities and accomplish4 ments of the Council in working with Federal, 

5 State, and local governments, and private orga6 nizations in coordinating programs and services 

7 to meet the needs described in subparagraph (B) 

8 and the resources available to meet those needs; 

9 (E) assesses the level of Federal assistance 

10 required to meet the needs described in subpara11 graph (B); and 

12 (F) makes recommendations for appropriate 

13 legislative and administrative actions to meet 

14 the needs described in subparagraph (B) and for 

15 coordinating programs and services designed to 

16 meet those needs. 

17 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL. 

18 (a) HEARINGS.—The Council may hold such hearings, 

19 sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, 

20 and receive such evidence as the Council considers advisable 

21 to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

22 (b) INFORMATION FROM AGENCIES.—Agencies which 

23 are represented on the Council shall provide all requested 

24 information and data to the Council as requested. 
28 

•S 705 RS

1 (c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Council may use the 

2 United States mails in the same manner and under the 

3 same conditions as other departments and agencies of the 

4 Federal Government. 

5 (d) GIFTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Council may accept, use, 

7 and dispose of gifts or donations of services or prop8 erty. 

9 (2) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—The Council 

10 shall adopt internal regulations governing the receipt 

11 of gifts or donations of services or property similar to 

12 those described in part 2601 of title 5, Code of Fed13 eral Regulations. 

14 SEC. 7. COUNCIL PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

15 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.— 

16 (1) NON-FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of 

17 the Council who is not an officer or employee of the 

18 Federal Government shall serve without compensa19 tion. 

20 (2) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of the 

21 Council who is an officer or employee of the United 

22 States shall serve without compensation in addition 

23 to the compensation received for services of the mem24 ber as an officer or employee of the Federal Govern25 ment. 
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•S 705 RS

1 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Council 

2 shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 

3 of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 

4 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

5 Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 

6 business in the performance of services for the Council. 

7 (c) STAFF.— 

8 (1) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Council shall 

9 appoint an Executive Director at its initial meeting. 

10 The Executive Director shall be compensated at a rate 

11 not to exceed the rate of pay payable for level V of 

12 the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, 

13 United States Code. 

14 (2) COMPENSATION.—With the approval of the 

15 Council, the Executive Director may appoint and fix 

16 the compensation of such additional personnel as nec17 essary to carry out the duties of the Council. The rate 

18 of compensation may be set without regard to the pro19 visions of chapter 51 and subchapter II of chapter 53 

20 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classifica21 tion of positions and General Schedule pay rates, ex22 cept that the rate of pay may not exceed the rate pay23 able for level V of the Executive Schedule under sec24 tion 5316 of such title. 
30 

•S 705 RS

1 (d) TEMPORARY AND INTERMITTENT SERVICES.—In 

2 carrying out its objectives, the Council may procure tem3 porary and intermittent services of consultants and experts 

4 under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 

5 for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of 

6 the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the 

7 Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 

8 (e) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Upon re9 quest of the Council, any Federal Government employee 

10 may be detailed to the Council without reimbursement, and 

11 such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 

12 service status or privilege. 

13 (f) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary of 

14 Housing Urban Development and the Secretary of Health 

15 and Human Services shall provide the Council with such 

16 administrative (including office space), supportive services, 

17 and technical supports as are necessary to ensure that the 

18 Council can carry out its functions. 

19 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

20 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

21 this Act, $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 

22 2010. 

Calendar No. 285 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 705 

[Report No. 109–178] 

A BILL 

To establish the Interagency Council on Meeting 

for other purposes. the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors, and 

NOVEMBER 15, 2005 

Reported with an amendment