II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1225 

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

LGBT Policy and a rural outreach grant program carried out by such 

Office, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 29, 2019 

Mr. CASEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish 

the Office of Older LGBT Policy and a rural outreach 

grant program carried out by such 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 of 

5 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

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

8 U.S.C. 3002) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (34) through 

2 (40) and paragraphs (41) through (54) as para3 graphs (35) through (41) and paragraphs (43) 

4 through (56), respectively; 

5 (2) by inserting after paragraph (33) the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(34) The term ‘LGBT’ means lesbian, gay, bi8 sexual, or transgender.’’; and 

9 (3) by inserting after paragraph (41), as so re10 designated, the following: 

11 ‘‘(42) The term ‘older LGBT individual’ means 

12 an older individual that identifies as LGBT.’’. 

13 SEC. 3. OFFICE OF OLDER LGBT POLICY. 

14 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 201 of the Older 

16 Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3011) is amend17 ed by adding at the end the following: 

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

19 Office of Older LGBT Policy (referred to in this sub20 section as the ‘Office’). 

21 ‘‘(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director of the 

22 Office of Older LGBT Policy (referred to in this sub23 section as the ‘Director’) who shall be appointed by the 

24 Assistant Secretary. 

25 ‘‘(3) The Director shall— 


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1 ‘‘(A) coordinate activities within the Depart2 ment of Health and Human Services, and between 

3 other Federal departments and agencies, to assure a 

4 continuum of improved services for older LGBT in5 dividuals; 

6 ‘‘(B) serve as the effective and visible advocate 

7 on behalf of older LGBT individuals— 

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

9 Human Services and with other departments 

10 and agencies of the Federal Government re11 garding all Federal policies affecting such indi12 viduals; and 

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

14 delivery of services and implementation of pro15 grams, under this Act and other Federal Acts, 

16 for the benefit of such individuals; 

17 ‘‘(C) support, conduct, and arrange for research 

18 in the field of LGBT aging with a special emphasis 

19 on gathering statistics on older LGBT individuals; 

20 ‘‘(D) collect and disseminate information re21 lated to challenges experienced by older LGBT indi22 viduals with an emphasis on the challenges experi23 enced by older LGBT individuals residing in rural 

24 areas and older LGBT individuals living with human 


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1 immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune defi2 ciency syndrome (HIV/AIDS); 

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

5 implementation and adoption of culturally competent 

6 care and services for such individuals; and 

7 ‘‘(F) administer and evaluate grants that will 

8 help older LGBT individuals, including grants under 

9 section 423. 

10 ‘‘(4) Not later than 5 years after the date of enact11 ment of the Elder Pride Act of 2019, and every 5 years 

12 thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a report 

13 describing the activities carried out under this subsection 

14 during the preceding 5 fiscal years.’’. 

15 SEC. 4. RURAL OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM. 

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

17 (42 U.S.C. 3032 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

18 the following: 

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

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

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

22 the Director of the Office of Older LGBT Policy, es23 tablished under section 201(g). 

24 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en25 tity’— 


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1 ‘‘(A) means an entity that submits an ap2 plication to the Director in accordance with 

3 subsection (d), and is— 

4 ‘‘(i) a State; or 

5 ‘‘(ii) an agency, organization, or insti6 tution that focuses on serving the needs of 

7 older individuals or LGBT individuals; and 

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

9 for a rural area or a multipurpose senior cen10 ter. 

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

12 means an area that is not designated by the United 

13 States Census Bureau as an urbanized area or 

14 urban cluster. 

15 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 

16 provide eligible entities with resources and incentives to 

17 devise a long-term comprehensive strategy for connecting 

18 with older LGBT individuals residing in rural areas and 

19 meeting the needs of such individuals. 

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

21 for the purpose described in subsection (b), make grants 

22 to eligible entities to carry out activities approved by the 

23 Director in accordance with subsection (e). 

24 ‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.— 


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

2 grant under this section shall submit an application 

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

4 containing such information as the Director may 

5 reasonably require, including the contents described 

6 in paragraph (2). 

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

8 under this section shall contain— 

9 ‘‘(A) a description of the proposed activi10 ties to be supported by the grant; 

11 ‘‘(B) a description of the size and charac12 teristics of the population in a rural area served 

13 by such activities; 

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

15 resources expected to be made available in con16 nection with such activities; 

17 ‘‘(D) a demonstrated intent to partner 

18 with local organizations in rural areas in car19 rying out such activities; 

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

21 Director that such activities will meet urgent 

22 needs that are not met by available public and 

23 private sources; and 

24 ‘‘(F) such other information or certifi25 cations that the Director determines necessary 


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1 to achieve the purpose described in subsection 

2 (b). 

3 ‘‘(e) APPROVED ACTIVITIES.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this section 

5 shall be available only for activities approved by the 

6 Director to carry out a strategy designed to create 

7 a cooperative and lasting partnership between older 

8 LGBT individuals residing in rural areas and the el9 igible entity receiving the grant. 

10 ‘‘(2) APPROVED ACTIVITIES.—Activities ap11 proved by the Director may include initiatives that— 

12 ‘‘(A) engage in education and training 

13 around community outreach to older LGBT in14 dividuals residing in rural areas; 

15 ‘‘(B) reduce isolation and improve access 

16 to care for older LGBT individuals residing in 

17 rural areas by building relationships between 

18 such individuals and the local community; 

19 ‘‘(C) foster relationships between local 

20 LGBT-affirming service providers and older 

21 LGBT individuals residing in rural areas; 

22 ‘‘(D) improve LGBT cultural competency 

23 among organizations and personnel providing 

24 services to older individuals residing in rural 

25 areas; and 


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1 ‘‘(E) expand the use of nondiscrimination 

2 policies that— 

3 ‘‘(i) protect sexual orientation and 

4 gender identity; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) create community spaces that are 

6 inclusive to older LGBT individuals. 

7 ‘‘(f) STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.—The Director 

8 shall establish standards and guidelines for approved ac9 tivities supported by a grant under this section. Such 

10 standards and guidelines shall permit an eligible entity re11 ceiving such a grant to refine or adapt the standards and 

12 guidelines for an individual project, where such a refine13 ment or adaptation is made necessary by a local cir14 cumstance. 

15 ‘‘(g) COORDINATION WITH LOCAL ENTITIES.— 

16 ‘‘(1) COOPERATION.—An eligible entity receiv17 ing a grant under this section shall, in carrying out 

18 the approved activities supported by the grant, agree 

19 to cooperate and coordinate with— 

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

21 local governments responsible for providing 

22 services to older LGBT individuals in the area 

23 served by such activities; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) other public and private organizations 

2 and agencies providing services for older LGBT 

3 individuals in such area. 

4 ‘‘(2) PRIORITIZATION.—An eligible entity re5 ceiving a grant under this section shall prioritize co6 operating and coordinating with public and private 

7 organizations and agencies that primarily serve eco8 nomically underserved populations, as determined by 

9 the Director. 

10 ‘‘(h) REPORTS.—Not later than 2 years after the 

11 date of enactment of the Elder Pride Act of 2019, and 

12 every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall submit to Con13 gress a report describing the activities carried out under 

14 this section during the preceding 2 fiscal years.’’. 

Æ 


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