A federal bill introduced this spring, The Strategic Plan for Aging Act, aims to create a new nationwide grant program under the Older Americans Act to incentivize states’ efforts to develop a blueprint for aging programs.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), member of the Senate Committee on Aging, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), chair of the Senate Committee on Aging.
More than 20 states including California, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Nevada, are already implementing, developing, or initiating these plans, commonly referred to as master plans or multisector plans for aging, according to an announcement on the bill.
Under the proposed bill, states, territories, and tribes could receive grants worth up to $500,000 to create or continue to develop their own plans.
Additionally, awardees would be provided resources to coordinate and evaluate cross-agency and private sector strategies. The initiative could provide resources and solutions to help older Americans navigate everything from housing and food insecurity to healthcare costs and insufficient retirement savings, Senator Gillibrand said in a press release.
