Originally enacted in 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a wide range of social services and programs for individuals aged 60 years or older. These services and programs include supportive services, congregate nutrition services (i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, community service employment, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons. Except for Title V, Community Service Employment for Older Americans (CSEOA), all programs are administered by the Administration on Aging (AOA) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Title V is administered by the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration. The OAA has been reauthorized and amended numerous times since it was first enacted in 1965. On April 19, 2016, President Barack Obama signed P.L. 114-144 , the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016. P.L. 114-144 authorizes appropriations for OAA programs through FY2019, among other changes to act. Prior to the 2016 reauthorization, the last OAA reauthorization occurred in 2006, when the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 ( P.L. 109-365 ) was enacted, which extended the act's authorizations of appropriations through FY2011 (authorizations of appropriations for most OAA programs expired on September 30, 2011). OAA-authorized activities have continued to receive funding for FY2012 through FY2016. This report provides information on bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the OAA, including a discussion of key issues, followed by a brief summary of that act's historical development. Next, it provides a section-by-section summary of P.L. 114-144 , The Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016. OAA reauthorization bills have been introduced in the past two Congresses, with legislative action in the 113 th and 114 th Congresses. In the 112 th Congress, only the Senate introduced legislation, the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2012 ( S. 3562 ); however, no action was taken. In the 113 th Congress, OAA reauthorization bills were introduced in the House ( H.R. 3850 and H.R. 4122 ) and Senate ( S. 1028 and S. 1562 ), with legislative action in the Senate HELP Committee on a bipartisan bill, S. 1562 . On October 30, 2013, the Senate HELP Committee ordered S. 1562 , the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2014, reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The bill was subsequently placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar but was not considered on the Senate floor. In the House, OAA reauthorization bills were referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce but saw no further legislative action. In the 114 th Congress, both the House and the Senate have considered bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the OAA. The Senate first introduced a bipartisan bill, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 ( S. 192 ), on January 20, 2015, which would authorize appropriations for most OAA programs for a three-year period through FY2018. The bill would also make various amendments to existing OAA authorities, including changes to the statutory funding formula for certain programs under Title III of the act. On February 3, 2015, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee reported the bill favorably. S. 192 passed the Senate on July 16, 2015, and was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The House took up S. 192 and passed the bill with an amendment on March 21, 2016. S. 192 , as amended, would authorize appropriations for OAA programs through FY2019, among other modifications. The Senate passed S. 192 , as amended by the House on April 7, 2016. On April 19, 2016, President Barack Obama signed P.L. 114-144 , the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016. Similar to past OAA reauthorizations, the Title III funding formula became a point of contention in the most recent reauthorization debate. After much deliberation, the Senate revisited the FY2006 "hold harmless" requirement, which ensures that every state and U.S. territory receives at least its FY2006 amount. The hold harmless requirement has divided lawmakers from states with relatively faster-growing older populations from those representing states with relatively slower growth in their older populations. High-growth states have argued that the "hold harmless" provision in current law protects states whose populations are not increasing as quickly as others, resulting in an inequitable distribution of funds that disadvantage high-growth states. To address this issue, P.L. 114-144 changes the Title III statutory funding formula for four programs by reducing the effect of the FY2006 hold harmless provision over a three-year period. These changes affect the following programs: (1) supportive services and centers, (2) congregate nutrition services, (3) home-delivered nutrition services, and (4) disease prevention and health promotion services. This legislative change was introduced in the bipartisan Senate bill ( S. 192 ). The House amended S. 192 but did not change the hold harmless reduction as proposed in the Senate's version. Rather, it amended the effective dates for the hold harmless reduction, from FY2016 through FY2019 to FY2017 through FY2020. Prior to the 2016 OAA reauthorization, the statutory language for most OAA discretionary authorizations of appropriations provided for "such sums as may be necessary" for a given fiscal year rather than identifying a discrete amount of funding authorized to be appropriated. P.L. 114-144 specifies certain amounts that are authorized to be appropriated for OAA programs and activities for FY2017 through FY2019. This change to the statutory language was included in the House amendment to S. 192 and reflects House protocols established by the majority leadership that are intended to guide legislation considered on the House floor. These protocols include "Elimination of 'Such Sums' Discretionary Authorizations" and "Cut-Go for Discretionary Authorizations." One challenge for OAA reauthorization has been balancing the interests of policymakers and stakeholders in establishing new programs and activities that would expand authorities or create new requirements under the act with competing interests to consolidate or streamline certain authorities. In addition, much of the reauthorization debate has been framed in the context of constraints on discretionary appropriations in the current budgetary climate. As a result, there has been little interest among policymakers and stakeholders in seeking new or significant program expansions under a reauthorization. Certain provisions under P.L. 114-144 provide some additional flexibility to states, area agencies on aging, and social service providers in addressing modernization of senior centers, falls prevention, and behavioral health screening, for example. The law codifies existing practices, such as requiring "evidence-based" disease prevention and health promotion services. It also aligns related programs, such as the workforce programs under Title V and those under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, P.L. 113-128 ) while establishing new Title V performance measures and providing states with the option to establish a combined state plan for Title V under WIOA. Furthermore, the act repeals certain sections under Title IV that do not receive funding, such as grants for Computer Training, Multidisciplinary Centers and Multidisciplinary Systems, and Ombudsman and Advocacy Demonstration Projects. Other provisions clarify policy for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and address coordination among Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and other home and community-based service organizations providing information and referral. For a section-by-section summary see " The Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2016 ." First enacted in 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) was created in response to concern by policymakers about a lack of community social services for older individuals. The original legislation established authority for grants to states for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training in the field of aging. The law also established the Administration on Aging (AOA) within the then-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) to administer the newly created grant programs and to serve as the federal focal point on matters concerning older persons. Although older persons may receive services under many other federal programs, today the act is considered to be the major vehicle for the organization and delivery of social and nutrition services to this population. It authorizes a wide array of service programs through a nationwide network of State Units on Aging (SUAs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and tribal organizations, as well as thousands of aging and social service providers in local communities. The act also supports the sole federal job program targeting low-income older workers and funds training, research, and demonstration activities in the field of aging. Prior to the creation of the act in 1965, older persons were eligible for limited social services through some federal programs. However, with the recognition that older individuals were becoming an increasing proportion of the population and that their needs were not being formally addressed through existing programs, many groups began advocating on their behalf. Their actions led President Truman to initiate the first National Conference on Aging in 1950. Conferees called for government and voluntary agencies to accept greater responsibility for the problems and welfare of older persons. Further interest in the field of aging led President Eisenhower to create the Federal Council on Aging in 1956 to coordinate the activities of the various units of the federal government related to aging.