November 25, 2024 Advocacy Alert
OAA Reauthorization to Advance, Contact Your Senators to Urge Support
November 25, 2024
Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)
- Next week, the Senate will attempt to advance the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 through a process reserved for non-controversial legislation only.
- Action Needed: Please contact your Senators and urge them to support passing the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024! Use our email template below.
After several months of quiet negotiations between the House and Senate OAA committees, and intensive lobbying by USAging this fall, we are thrilled to share that OAA reauthorization is well-positioned to move forward in the Senate—and then likely in the House—next month!
When the Senate returns to Capitol Hill next week, we expect they will advance an amended OAA reauthorization bill that reflects negotiations between the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over OAA. USAging has learned that the Senate intends to “hotline” the bill immediately after the Thanksgiving recess. This means that Senators are informed that leadership intends to move the bill under a process reserved for non-controversial legislation—then Senators are given a short period of time during which to object to use of that “unanimous consent” process.
If no Senators object to advancing the bill under that process, then the bill can move quickly to the floor. Such unanimous consent bills don’t require much Senate floor time and are often dealt with in batches when the Senate isn’t focused on more high-profile, recorded-vote measures.
This amendment to the first Senate bill comes after months of lobbying by USAging’s policy team and dozens of meetings with House offices to encourage the reauthorization of OAA in the 118th Congress.
However, despite this promising news, we still need your advocacy to get the bill across the finish line! Please use the email template below to contact your Senators and urge them to support the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
When the Senate returns to Capitol Hill next week, we expect they will advance an amended OAA reauthorization bill that reflects negotiations between the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over OAA. USAging has learned that the Senate intends to “hotline” the bill immediately after the Thanksgiving recess. This means that Senators are informed that leadership intends to move the bill under a process reserved for non-controversial legislation—then Senators are given a short period of time during which to object to use of that “unanimous consent” process.
If no Senators object to advancing the bill under that process, then the bill can move quickly to the floor. Such unanimous consent bills don’t require much Senate floor time and are often dealt with in batches when the Senate isn’t focused on more high-profile, recorded-vote measures.
This amendment to the first Senate bill comes after months of lobbying by USAging’s policy team and dozens of meetings with House offices to encourage the reauthorization of OAA in the 118th Congress.
However, despite this promising news, we still need your advocacy to get the bill across the finish line! Please use the email template below to contact your Senators and urge them to support the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Take Action Now
STEP 1: Send an email to your Senators requesting their support of the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024! Use our email template below to get started and be sure to customize it to your agency/community. Send your email to their DC and district offices (you can find the contact information on your Senators’ websites). Send your email to their DC and district offices (you can find the contact information on your Senators’ websites). Please be sure to send an email to each of your state’s two Senators!
Email Template to Your Senators
Note: Areas with yellow highlighting require customization.
Dear [Senator NAME]:
On behalf of [AGENCY NAME] in [AGENCY LOCATION AND STATE], we are writing to urge you to support advancing the bipartisan Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.4776), which we expect to be considered by the Senate in early December.
The bipartisan Senate bill, amended with the House’s input, includes critical updates to the law that help agencies like ours better serve older adults and their family caregivers. Because the Act expired in September, it’s imperative that Congress act quickly this year to ensure the continued health and well-being of the 11 million older adults and family caregivers who receive OAA services in communities across the country.
Sincerely,
[NAME, affiliation, address, etc.]
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to your state’s Senators. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA in their community! Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates. Your advocacy will help to ensure OAA is reauthorized before the new year!
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.