Title: POWER Act
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Promoting Opportunity for Women Entering Retirement Act of 2019 or the POWER Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the National Resource Center on Women and Retirement Planning, which conducts research on, and disseminates information about, women and retirement security. Specifically, the Administration on Aging shall award a grant or contract to an entity to carry out the center's activities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1672 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1672

  To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the National 
    Resource Center on Women and Retirement Planning, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

Mr. Jones (for himself and Ms. McSally) 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 authorize the National 
    Resource Center on Women and Retirement Planning, 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 ``Promoting Opportunity for Women 
Entering Retirement Act of 2019'' or the ``POWER Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON WOMEN AND RETIREMENT PLANNING.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3011 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 215 the 
following:

``SEC. 215A. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON WOMEN AND RETIREMENT PLANNING.

    ``(a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall operate the 
National Resource Center on Women and Retirement Planning (in this 
section referred to as the `Center') in accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Assistant Secretary, in operating the Center, 
shall--
            ``(1) annually compile, publish, and disseminate a summary 
        of recently conducted outreach to and research on women and 
        retirement security;
            ``(2) develop and maintain an information clearinghouse on 
        all programs (including private programs) showing promise of 
        success for providing retirement and financial information to 
        women;
            ``(3) develop, maintain, and disseminate consumer 
        information and public education materials regarding retirement 
        and financial security for women;
            ``(4) compile, publish, and disseminate training materials 
        for personnel who are engaged or intend to engage in outreach, 
        with respect to retirement and financial information, to women, 
        particularly to groups such as caregivers, racial and ethnic 
        minorities, and low-income women, who are traditionally more 
        difficult to reach;
            ``(5) provide technical assistance to State agencies and to 
        other public and nonprofit private agencies and organizations 
        to assist the agencies and organizations in planning, 
        improving, developing, and carrying out programs and activities 
        relating to providing women with the necessary financial 
        management tools for secure retirement;
            ``(6) work in collaboration with other national and local 
        organizations serving the elderly to make efficient use of 
        resources related to women and retirement; and
            ``(7) conduct research and demonstration projects regarding 
        the most effective methods and tools to assist women in 
        preparing for secure retirement.
    ``(c) Grants and Contracts.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary shall carry out 
        the activities under subsection (b) through awarding grants or 
        contracts in accordance with this subsection.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--
                    ``(A) Criteria.--The Assistant Secretary shall 
                establish criteria for eligibility for a grant or 
                contract under this subsection, including a requirement 
                for demonstrated experience in carrying out the 
                activities under subsection (b).
                    ``(B) Application.--An entity seeking a grant or 
                contract under this subsection shall submit an 
                application to the Assistant Secretary at such time, in 
                such manner, and containing such information as the 
                Assistant Secretary may reasonably require.
    ``(d) Funding.--The Assistant Secretary shall make available to the 
Center--
            ``(1) such resources as are necessary for the Center to 
        carry out effectively the functions of the Center; and
            ``(2) not less than--
                    ``(A) for fiscal year 2020, $500,000; and
                    ``(B) for each fiscal year thereafter, the amount 
                made available for the Center for fiscal year 2020.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 216 of the Older 
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3020f) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        ``;'';
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) to carry out section 215A, $750,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.
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