Title: Elder Pride Act of 2019
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Elder Pride Act of 2019
This bill establishes the Office of Older LGBT Policy and a related rural outreach grant program.
The office shall coordinate research and services for older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
The office shall oversee a program, and may award grants, for addressing the needs of older LGBT individuals in rural areas. Some of the approved activities for the grant program include education and outreach, reducing isolation and improving access to care, and expanding the use of nondiscrimination policies.
The office shall be a part of the Administration on Aging.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1225 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

    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 ``Elder Pride Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (34) through (40) and 
        paragraphs (41) through (54) as paragraphs (35) through (41) 
        and paragraphs (43) through (56), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (33) the following:
            ``(34) The term `LGBT' means lesbian, gay, bisexual, or 
        transgender.''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (41), as so redesignated, 
        the following:
            ``(42) The term `older LGBT individual' means an older 
        individual that identifies as LGBT.''.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF OLDER LGBT POLICY.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Section 201 of the Older Americans Act of 
        1965 (42 U.S.C. 3011) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
    ``(g)(1) There is established in the Administration an Office of 
Older LGBT Policy (referred to in this subsection as the `Office').
    ``(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director of the Office of 
Older LGBT Policy (referred to in this subsection as the `Director') 
who shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary.
    ``(3) The Director shall--
            ``(A) coordinate activities within the Department of Health 
        and Human Services, and between other Federal departments and 
        agencies, to assure a continuum of improved services for older 
        LGBT individuals;
            ``(B) serve as the effective and visible advocate on behalf 
        of older LGBT individuals--
                    ``(i) within the Department of Health and Human 
                Services and with other departments and agencies of the 
                Federal Government regarding all Federal policies 
                affecting such individuals; and
                    ``(ii) in the States to promote the enhanced 
                delivery of services and implementation of programs, 
                under this Act and other Federal Acts, for the benefit 
                of such individuals;
            ``(C) support, conduct, and arrange for research in the 
        field of LGBT aging with a special emphasis on gathering 
        statistics on older LGBT individuals;
            ``(D) collect and disseminate information related to 
        challenges experienced by older LGBT individuals with an 
        emphasis on the challenges experienced by older LGBT 
        individuals residing in rural areas and older LGBT individuals 
        living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune 
        deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS);
            ``(E) recommend policies and priorities beneficial to older 
        LGBT individuals and promote the implementation and adoption of 
        culturally competent care and services for such individuals; 
        and
            ``(F) administer and evaluate grants that will help older 
        LGBT individuals, including grants under section 423.
    ``(4) Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of the 
Elder Pride Act of 2019, and every 5 years thereafter, the Director 
shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities carried out 
under this subsection during the preceding 5 fiscal years.''.

SEC. 4. RURAL OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

    Part A of title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
3032 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 423. RURAL OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
        the Office of Older LGBT Policy, established under section 
        201(g).
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'--
                    ``(A) means an entity that submits an application 
                to the Director in accordance with subsection (d), and 
                is--
                            ``(i) a State; or
                            ``(ii) an agency, organization, or 
                        institution that focuses on serving the needs 
                        of older individuals or LGBT individuals; and
                    ``(B) may include an area agency on aging for a 
                rural area or a multipurpose senior center.
            ``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means an area that 
        is not designated by the United States Census Bureau as an 
        urbanized area or urban cluster.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide eligible 
entities with resources and incentives to devise a long-term 
comprehensive strategy for connecting with older LGBT individuals 
residing in rural areas and meeting the needs of such individuals.
    ``(c) Authority for Grants.--The Director may, for the purpose 
described in subsection (b), make grants to eligible entities to carry 
out activities approved by the Director in accordance with subsection 
(e).
    ``(d) Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under 
        this section shall submit an application to the Director at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Director may reasonably require, including the contents 
        described in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Contents.--An application for a grant under this 
        section shall contain--
                    ``(A) a description of the proposed activities to 
                be supported by the grant;
                    ``(B) a description of the size and characteristics 
                of the population in a rural area served by such 
                activities;
                    ``(C) a description of the public and private 
                resources expected to be made available in connection 
                with such activities;
                    ``(D) a demonstrated intent to partner with local 
                organizations in rural areas in carrying out such 
                activities;
                    ``(E) evidence in a form acceptable to the Director 
                that such activities will meet urgent needs that are 
                not met by available public and private sources; and
                    ``(F) such other information or certifications that 
                the Director determines necessary to achieve the 
                purpose described in subsection (b).
    ``(e) Approved Activities.--
            ``(1) In general.--A grant under this section shall be 
        available only for activities approved by the Director to carry 
        out a strategy designed to create a cooperative and lasting 
        partnership between older LGBT individuals residing in rural 
        areas and the eligible entity receiving the grant.
            ``(2) Approved activities.--Activities approved by the 
        Director may include initiatives that--
                    ``(A) engage in education and training around 
                community outreach to older LGBT individuals residing 
                in rural areas;
                    ``(B) reduce isolation and improve access to care 
                for older LGBT individuals residing in rural areas by 
                building relationships between such individuals and the 
                local community;
                    ``(C) foster relationships between local LGBT-
                affirming service providers and older LGBT individuals 
                residing in rural areas;
                    ``(D) improve LGBT cultural competency among 
                organizations and personnel providing services to older 
                individuals residing in rural areas; and
                    ``(E) expand the use of nondiscrimination policies 
                that--
                            ``(i) protect sexual orientation and gender 
                        identity; and
                            ``(ii) create community spaces that are 
                        inclusive to older LGBT individuals.
    ``(f) Standards and Guidelines.--The Director shall establish 
standards and guidelines for approved activities supported by a grant 
under this section. Such standards and guidelines shall permit an 
eligible entity receiving such a grant to refine or adapt the standards 
and guidelines for an individual project, where such a refinement or 
adaptation is made necessary by a local circumstance.
    ``(g) Coordination With Local Entities.--
            ``(1) Cooperation.--An eligible entity receiving a grant 
        under this section shall, in carrying out the approved 
        activities supported by the grant, agree to cooperate and 
        coordinate with--
                    ``(A) the agencies of the relevant State and local 
                governments responsible for providing services to older 
                LGBT individuals in the area served by such activities; 
                and
                    ``(B) other public and private organizations and 
                agencies providing services for older LGBT individuals 
                in such area.
            ``(2) Prioritization.--An eligible entity receiving a grant 
        under this section shall prioritize cooperating and 
        coordinating with public and private organizations and agencies 
        that primarily serve economically underserved populations, as 
        determined by the Director.
    ``(h) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of the Elder Pride Act of 2019, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
Director shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities 
carried out under this section during the preceding 2 fiscal years.''.
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