On June 7, 2016, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education approved a draft fiscal 2017 spending bill covering home- and community-based services under the Older Americans Act. While we expect the full Appropriations Committee to approve the bill later in the week, its ultimate prospects for enactment are uncertain.
The draft bill provides level funding for most home- and community-based services programs, including senior nutrition and low-income home energy assistance. Elder justice programs would receive a $2 million increase, to $10 million, and Alzheimer's disease research under the National Institutes of Health would get $400 million over the 2016 funding level.
Community service employment for older workers would be cut by $34.371 million.
We expect the full Senate Appropriations Committee to approve the measure later in the week, which would tee the bill up for a floor vote. The measure's ultimate prospects for enactment are uncertain, however, given the brief time left before fiscal 2017 begins on October 1.