SEC. 2. INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING 
STRUCTURAL COMPETENCY IN PROVIDING 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
Part II of subtitle B of title XX of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1397m–1397m-5) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2047. INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPING AND SUS-
TAINING STRUCTURAL COMPETENCY IN PRO-
VIDING HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS
AND TRAINING TO SUPPORT AREA 
AGENCIES ON AGING OR OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED OR-
GANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG 
VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DIS-
ABILITIES.— 
‘‘(1) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall make 
grants to eligible area agencies on aging or other 
community-based organizations for the purpose of— 
‘‘(A) conducting outreach to individuals at 
risk for, or already experiencing, social isolation 
or loneliness, through established screening 
tools or other methods identified by the Sec-
retary; 
‘‘(B) developing community-based interven-
tions for the purposes of mitigating loneliness 
or social isolation (including evidence-based pro-
grams, as defined by the Secretary, developed 
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with multi-stakeholder input for the purposes of 
promoting social connection, mitigating social 
isolation or loneliness, or preventing social iso-
lation or loneliness) among at-risk individuals; 
‘‘(C) connecting at-risk individuals with 
community social and clinical supports; and 
‘‘(D) evaluating the effect of programs de-
veloped and implemented under subparagraphs 
(B) and (C). 
‘‘(2) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall establish 
programs to provide and improve training for area 
agencies on aging or community-based organizations 
with respect to addressing and preventing social iso-
lation and loneliness among older adults and people 
with disabilities. 
‘‘(3) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of the enactment of this section and 
every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Congress a written report which assesses the 
extent to which the programs established under this 
subsection address social isolation and loneliness 
among older adults and people with disabilities. 
‘‘(4) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money in 
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are 
appropriated to the Secretary $62,500,000 for each 
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of fiscal years 2022 through 2025 to carry out this 
subsection. 
‘‘(5) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall co-
ordinate with resource centers, grant programs, or 
other funding mechanisms established under section 
411(a)(18) of the Older Americans Act (42 U.S.C. 
3032(a)(18)), section 417(a)(1) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 3032F(a)(1)), or other programs as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) AREA AGENCY ON AGING.—The term ‘area 
agency on aging’ means an area agency on aging 
designated under section 305 of the Older Ameri-
cans Act of 1965. 
‘‘(2) SOCIAL ISOLATION.—The term ‘social iso-
lation’ means objectively being alone, or having few 
relationships or infrequent social contact. 
‘‘(3) 
LONELINESS.—The 
term 
‘loneliness’ 
means subjectively feeling alone, or the discrepancy 
between one’s desired level of social connection and 
one’s actual level of social connection. 
‘‘(4) SOCIAL
CONNECTION.—The term ‘social 
connection’ means the variety of ways one can con-
nect to others socially, through physical, behavioral, 
social-cognitive, and emotional channels. 
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‘‘(5) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘community-based organization’ includes, ex-
cept as otherwise provided by the Secretary, a non-
profit community-based organization, a consortium 
of nonprofit community-based organizations, a na-
tional nonprofit organization acting as an inter-
mediary for a community-based organization, or a 
community-based organization that has a fiscal 
sponsor that allows the organization to function as 
an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.’’. 
Æ 
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