Capitol Hill was the destination . . . of more than 125 aging advocates last week at the annual Washington D.C. policy briefing of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.  Representatives from Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) across the country learned from the experts about the intricacies of issues affecting older Americans.

 

But celebrating was top of mind for the advocates, with the recent three-year reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) just signed by President Obama.  It was a long six-year struggle to get the Act renewed, and at several points it appeared to be permanently stymied.  One stumbling block - the funding formula used to divvy up the $1+ billion in funding to the 50 states and 6 territories.  States with faster-growing aging populations (like North Carolina) objected to special provisions that protected slower-growing states (like Michigan).  In the end, a clever compromise allowed states like North Carolina to get more OAA funding, while limiting cuts to 1% a year or less for states like Michigan.

 

Other than the formula change, the OAA renewal mostly tweaks the last version by updating definitions, clarifying meanings, and directing the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to attend to specific Congressional priorities.  Among the noteworthy changes . . .

 

Speaking of Congress . . . are they making progress in developing next year's federal budget?  Yes - albeit in an unconventional way.  The process usually begins with Congress developing a Budget Resolution that sets broad parameters for funding levels.  But this year, some conservatives in the House objected to an earlier deal relaxing budget caps, prompting Congressional leaders to decide to skip the Budget Resolution entirely.  Nevertheless, Appropriation Committees have jumpstarted their work and some budget bills are moving.  One budget not making as much progress is the massive Health & Human Services (HHS) spending plan, which is usually contentious.  N4A is predicting that the HHS budget will not be completed before the fiscal year begins on October 1, and a continuing resolution will be needed at least until after the election.