OLDER AMERICANS ACT (OAA) REGULATIONS – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the primary federal legislation supporting community-based social and nutrition services for adults age 60 and older, as well as their families and caregivers. This law receives annual federal funding and is reauthorized – or updated and amended – about every five years by Congress. To help implement the details of the law, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) – the federal agency that administers the OAA – develops regulations, which are official written rules that serve as a form of guidance for federal services and programs. Unlike laws, regulations do not have to be updated on a regular basis. In fact, the current OAA regulations were last updated in 1988, while the Act itself has been reauthorized five times since then!

Without up-to-date regulations, there is potential for misinterpretation of laws and/or variation in how laws are implemented. As such, renewing regulations is an important opportunity to improve them and ensure they include crucial priorities. We are excited to share that ACL is leading an effort to update existing regulations for OAA Title III, VI and VII programs and services, so they better reflect the law as currently authorized and the reality of the experiences of the people who rely on them. The current regulations are below:

• Title III: Grants to State and Community Programs on Aging
• Title VI: Grants for Indian Tribes for Support and Nutrition Services and Grants for Supportive and Nutritional Services to Older Hawaiian Natives
• Title VII: Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities (including Subpart A—State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program)

Below is an overview of this process and ways you can take action to strengthen these regulations. ACL created a slide deck to help you learn more about this opportunity here.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED TO IMPROVE OAA REGULATIONS

ACL is gathering information from stakeholders across the country on how OAA regulations can be updated. As a first step in this process, ACL released a Request for Information (RFI) and encouraged stakeholders at all levels to submit their public input. The RFI is posted here on the Federal Register and public comments were due on June 6, 2022.  Meals on Wheels America submitted comments based on the helpful information provided to us by you through a variety of ways, including pulse surveys, meetings, emails, Membership Monday calls, learning events and more. You can read the comments here.

ACL also joined us for an in-person listening session at the Annual Meals on Wheels Conference and Expo in Baltimore, MD on August 17 where our Members had the opportunity to hear from and share their comments and questions about the OAA regulations directly with ACL administrators and staff.

We will continue to share opportunities for the Meals on Wheels network to share your frontline expertise and observations in delivering OAA services under these Titles!