Addressing SILO Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5005 | Sponsor: Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. (D-CA)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults Act of 2021 or the Addressing SILO Act of 2021
This bill provides funding through FY2025 for grants to prevent and address social isolation or loneliness among older adults and individuals with disabilities through education, outreach, and interventions. The Department of Health and Human Services must award these grants to area agencies on aging and community-based organizations.

To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide grants and 
  training to support area agencies on aging or other community-based 
organizations to address social isolation among vulnerable older adults 
                     and people with disabilities.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Addressing Social Isolation and 
Loneliness in Older Adults Act of 2021'' or the ``Addressing SILO Act 
of 2021''.

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 SUSTAINING STRUCTURAL 
              COMPETENCY IN PROVIDING HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

    ``(a) Grants and Training To Support Area Agencies on Aging or 
Other Community-Based Organizations To Address Social Isolation Among 
Vulnerable Older Adults and People With Disabilities.--
            ``(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 Secretary;
                    ``(B) developing community-based interventions for 
                the purposes of mitigating loneliness or social 
                isolation (including evidence-based programs, as 
                defined by the Secretary, developed with multi-
                stakeholder input for the purposes of promoting social 
                connection, mitigating social isolation or loneliness, 
                or preventing social isolation or loneliness) among at-
                risk individuals;
                    ``(C) connecting at-risk individuals with community 
                social and clinical supports; and
                    ``(D) evaluating the effect of programs developed 
                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 isolation 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 of fiscal years 2022 through 2025 to carry 
        out this subsection.
            ``(5) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate 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 determined 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 Americans Act of 1965.
            ``(2) Social isolation.--The term `social isolation' 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 connect to others socially, 
        through physical, behavioral, social-cognitive, and emotional 
        channels.
            ``(5) Community-based organization.--The term `community-
        based organization' includes, except as otherwise provided by 
        the Secretary, a nonprofit community-based organization, a 
        consortium of nonprofit community-based organizations, a 
        national nonprofit organization acting as an intermediary 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.''.
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