I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3625 
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide equal treatment 
of LGBTQI older individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2023 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Ms. BALINT, Mr. FROST, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. 
TOKUDA, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. POCAN, Ms. NOR-
TON, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. TITUS, Mr. PANETTA, 
Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. JACOBS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. 
DESAULNIER, Ms. MENG, Mr. MOSKOWITZ, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, 
Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. GARCIA of 
Texas, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SWALWELL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Ms. BUSH, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mrs. 
HAYES, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. 
LEE of Pennsylvania, and Mr. CARSON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide 
equal treatment of LGBTQI older individuals, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ruthie and Connie 
LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 102 of the Older Ameri-
cans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (24)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) status as an LGBTQI individual and 
status as an HIV individual.’’; 
(2) by redesignating— 
(A) paragraphs (36) through (56) as para-
graphs (38) through (59), respectively; and 
(B) paragraphs (34) and (35) as para-
graphs (36) and (37), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (33) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(34) The term ‘HIV’, used with respect to an 
individual, means living with human immuno-
deficiency virus; 
‘‘(35) The term ‘LGBTQI’, used with respect to 
an individual, means a lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer, or intersex individual.’’; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (37), as so re-
designated, the following: 
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‘‘(38) The term ‘minority’, used with respect to 
an individual, includes a lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer, or intersex individual.’’. 
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
215(e)(1)(J) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3020e–1(e)(1)(J)) is amended by striking ‘‘minori-
ties’’ and inserting ‘‘minority individuals’’. 
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION ON AGING. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADMINISTRATION; OFFICE 
OF THE LBGTQ INCLUSION.—Section 201 of the Older 
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3011) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(3)(J), by inserting before 
the semicolon the following: ‘‘, including the effec-
tiveness of such services in meeting the needs of 
LGBTQI older individuals’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) The Assistant Secretary is authorized to des-
ignate within the Administration a person to have respon-
sibility for addressing issues affecting LGBTQI older indi-
viduals. 
‘‘(i)(1) There is established in the Administration an 
Office of LGBTQI Inclusion (referred to in this subsection 
as the ‘Office’). 
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‘‘(2)(A) The Office shall be headed by a Director of 
LGBTQI Inclusion (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Director’) who shall be appointed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) The Office shall include an Assistant Director 
of LGBTQI Policy (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Assistant Director’) who shall be appointed by the Direc-
tor to assist the Director in carrying out this subsection, 
including by carrying out the activities under paragraph 
(4). 
‘‘(3) The Director shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate activities within the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services, and between 
other Federal departments and agencies, to assure a 
continuum of improved services for LGBTQI older 
individuals; 
‘‘(B) promote access to aging services and sup-
ports for LGBTQI older individuals; 
‘‘(C) collect and disseminate information related 
to the challenges experienced by LGBTQI older indi-
viduals; and 
‘‘(D) administer and evaluate grants that will 
expand access to aging services and supports for 
LGBTQI older individuals. 
‘‘(4) The Assistant Director shall— 
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carried out under this subsection during the preceding 5 
years.’’. 
(b) FUNCTIONS OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—Section 
202 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (16)(A)(ii), by inserting 
‘‘, and separately specifying the number of such 
individuals who are LGBTQI individuals’’ be-
fore the semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (33), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(C) in paragraph (34), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(35) conduct studies and collect data to deter-
mine the services that are needed by LGBTQI older 
individuals.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(j)(1) The Assistant Secretary shall, directly or by 
grant or contract, establish and operate the National Re-
source Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, 
Queer, and Intersex Aging (in this subsection referred to 
as the ‘Center’). 
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‘‘(2) To address the unique challenges faced by 
LGBTQI older individuals, the Center shall provide na-
tional, State, and local organizations, including those with 
a primary mission of serving LGBTQI individuals and 
those with a primary mission of serving older individuals, 
with the information and technical assistance the organi-
zations need to effectively serve LGBTQI older individ-
uals. 
‘‘(3) The Center shall have 3 primary objectives, con-
sisting of— 
‘‘(A) educating aging services organizations 
about the existence and special needs of LGBTQI 
older individuals; 
‘‘(B) sensitizing LGBTQI organizations about 
the existence and special needs of older individuals; 
and 
‘‘(C) 
providing 
educational 
resources 
to 
LGBTQI older individuals and their caregivers. 
‘‘(4)(A) To be eligible to receive funds under this sub-
section, an entity— 
‘‘(i) shall have demonstrated expertise in work-
ing with organizations or individuals on issues af-
fecting LGBTQI individuals; 
‘‘(ii) shall have documented experience in pro-
viding training and technical assistance on a na-
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tional basis or a formal relationship with an organi-
zation that has that experience; and 
‘‘(iii) shall meet such other criteria as the As-
sistant Secretary shall issue. 
‘‘(B) To be eligible to receive funds under this sub-
section, an entity shall submit an application to the Assist-
ant Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Assistant Secretary may 
require. 
‘‘(5) The Assistant Secretary shall make available to 
the Center on an annual basis such resources as are nec-
essary for the Center to carry out effectively the functions 
of the Center under this Act and not less than the amount 
of resources made available to the National Resource Cen-
ter on LGBTQI Aging, existing on the day before the date 
of enactment of the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder 
Americans Act of 2023, for fiscal year 2024. 
‘‘(6) The Assistant Secretary shall develop and issue 
operating standards and reporting requirements for the 
Center.’’. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR STATE AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 
ON AGING. 
Section 301(a)(2) of the Older Americans Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3021(a)(2)) is amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub-
paragraph (G); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(F) organizations that serve LGBTQI in-
dividuals; and’’. 
SEC. 5. ACTIVITIES FOR HEALTH, INDEPENDENCE, AND 
LONGEVITY. 
Section 411(a)(11) of the Older Americans Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3032(a)(11)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(11) conducting activities of national signifi-
cance to promote quality and continuous improve-
ment in the support and services provided to individ-
uals with greatest social need, through activities that 
include needs assessment, program development and 
evaluation, training, technical assistance, and re-
search, concerning— 
‘‘(A) addressing physical and mental 
health, disabilities, and health disparities; 
‘‘(B) providing long-term care, including 
in-home and community-based care; 
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‘‘(C) providing informal care, and formal 
care in a facility setting; 
‘‘(D) providing access to culturally respon-
sive health and human services; and 
‘‘(E) addressing other gaps in assistance 
and issues that the Assistant Secretary deter-
mines are of particular importance to older in-
dividuals with greatest social need.’’. 
SEC. 6. DATA ON DISCRIMINATION. 
Section 712 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3058g) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) 
through (J) as subparagraphs (G) through (K); 
and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (E) 
the following: 
‘‘(F) collect and analyze data, relating to 
discrimination against LGBTQI older individ-
uals on the basis of actual or perceived sexual 
orientation, gender identity, or sex characteris-
tics (including intersex traits) in the admission 
to, transfer or discharge from, or lack of ade-
quate care provided in long-term care settings, 
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and shall include the analyses in the reports de-
scribed in subsection (h)(1);’’; and 
(2) in subsection (h)(6), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(A) through 
(G)’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) through (H)’’. 
Æ 
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