News
President Signs OAA Into Law!
- By: USAging
- On: 04/21/2016 09:31:46
- In: Policy & Advocacy
This week President Obama signed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016, S. 192, into law (P. L. 114-144), finalizing a six-year reauthorization process.
The House approved the three-year reauthorization bill last month and the Senate followed suit in early April. n4a is happy to see this bipartisan success following years of tireless advocacy from many stakeholders, and pleased that the law provides three years of stability for OAA programs.
In a statement about the signing, Assistant Secretary on Aging Kathy Greenlee said, “The OAA underpins a promise to preserve the right to live independently, with dignity, making everyday decisions according to our individual preferences and goals across our lifespan. This promise is more important than ever.”
However, the need to advocate for increased funding for OAA is pressing, and we encourage members and local advocates to continue to press lawmakers to boost funds for aging programs in FY 2017—with a particular attention to Titles of the Act that have not received restoration from sequester cuts, including Title III B. Use n4a's FY 2017 Appropriations Toolkit to assist your advocacy efforts.