HR 4151
Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2025
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Bill overview
This bill, the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2025, aims to improve services for older LGBTQI individuals by amending the Older Americans Act. It establishes an Office of LGBTQI Inclusion within the Administration on Aging to coordinate services and promote access for this population. The bill also creates a National Resource Center to provide information and technical assistance, mandates data collection on discrimination in long-term care, and requires studies to better understand the needs of LGBTQI older adults.
Key provisions
- Establishes an Office of LGBTQI Inclusion within the Administration on Aging to coordinate services and promote access for LGBTQI older adults.
- Creates a National Resource Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Aging to provide information and technical assistance.
- Requires states to collect and analyze data on discrimination against LGBTQI older individuals in long-term care settings.
- Mandates studies and reports on issues affecting LGBTQI older individuals, including their service needs.
- Expands the definition of ‘greatest social need’ to include LGBTQI status and HIV status.
- Authorizes grants to organizations serving LGBTQI individuals.
- Requires the Assistant Secretary to conduct studies and collect data on the services needed by LGBTQI older individuals.
- Designates a person within the Administration to have responsibility for addressing issues affecting LGBTQI older individuals.
Who is affected
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Becca [D-VT-At Large] Balint
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 4151
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide equal treatment of LGBTQI older individuals, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2025
.
Section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002) is amended—
in paragraph (24)—
in subparagraph (B), by striking and
at the end;
in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking the period and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
status as an LGBTQI individual and status as an HIV individual.
by redesignating—
paragraphs (36) through (56) as paragraphs (38) through (59), respectively; and
paragraphs (34) and (35) as paragraphs (36) and (37), respectively;
by inserting after paragraph (33) the following:
HIV, used with respect to an individual, means living with human immunodeficiency virus;
by inserting after paragraph (37), as so redesignated, the following:
Section 215(e)(1)(J) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3020e–1(e)(1)(J)) is amended by striking minorities
and inserting minority individuals
.
Section 201 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3011) is amended—
in subsection (d)(3)(J), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including the effectiveness of such services in meeting the needs of LGBTQI older individuals
; and
by adding at the end the following:
The Assistant Secretary is authorized to designate within the Administration a person to have responsibility for addressing issues affecting LGBTQI older individuals.
There is established in the Administration an Office of LGBTQI Inclusion (referred to in this subsection as the Office
).
The Office shall be headed by a Director of LGBTQI Inclusion (referred to in this subsection as the Director
) who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
The Office shall include an Assistant Director of LGBTQI Policy (referred to in this subsection as the Assistant Director
) who shall be appointed by the Director to assist the Director in carrying out this subsection, including by carrying out the activities under paragraph (4).
The Director shall—
coordinate activities within the Department of Health and Human Services, and between other Federal departments and agencies, to assure a continuum of improved services for LGBTQI older individuals;
promote access to aging services and supports for LGBTQI older individuals;
collect and disseminate information related to the challenges experienced by LGBTQI older individuals; and
administer and evaluate grants that will expand access to aging services and supports for LGBTQI older individuals.
The Assistant Director shall—
serve as the effective and visible advocate on behalf of LGBTQI older individuals—
within the Department of Health and Human Services and with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government regarding all Federal policies affecting such individuals; and
in the States to promote the enhanced delivery of services and implementation of programs, under this Act and other Federal Acts, for the benefit of such individuals;
support, conduct, and arrange for research in the field of LGBTQI aging with a special emphasis on gathering statistics on LGBTQI older individuals;
collect and disseminate information related to challenges experienced by LGBTQI older individuals; and
recommend policies and priorities beneficial to LGBTQI older individuals and promote the implementation and adoption of culturally competent care and services for such individuals.
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this subsection during the preceding 5 years.
Section 202 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (16)(A)(ii), by inserting , and separately specifying the number of such individuals who are LGBTQI individuals
before the semicolon;
in paragraph (33), by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
in paragraph (34), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
conduct studies and collect data to determine the services that are needed by LGBTQI older individuals.
by adding at the end the following:
To address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQI older individuals, the Center shall provide national, State, and local organizations, including those with a primary mission of serving LGBTQI individuals and those with a primary mission of serving older individuals, with the information and technical assistance the organizations need to effectively serve LGBTQI older individuals.
The Center shall have 3 primary objectives, consisting of—
educating aging services organizations about the existence and special needs of LGBTQI older individuals;
sensitizing LGBTQI organizations about the existence and special needs of older individuals; and
providing educational resources to LGBTQI older individuals and their caregivers.
To be eligible to receive funds under this subsection, an entity—
shall have demonstrated expertise in working with organizations or individuals on issues affecting LGBTQI individuals;
shall have documented experience in providing training and technical assistance on a national basis or a formal relationship with an organization that has that experience; and
shall meet such other criteria as the Assistant Secretary shall issue.
To be eligible to receive funds under this subsection, an entity shall submit an application to the Assistant Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Assistant Secretary may require.
The Assistant Secretary shall make available to the Center on an annual basis such resources as are necessary for the Center to carry out effectively the functions of the Center under this Act and not less than the amount of resources made available to the National Resource Center on LGBTQI Aging, existing on the day before the date of enactment of the
Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2025
, for fiscal year 2026.The Assistant Secretary shall develop and issue operating standards and reporting requirements for the Center.
Section 301(a)(2) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3021(a)(2)) is amended—
in subparagraph (E), by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (G); and
by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
organizations that serve LGBTQI individuals; and
Section 411(a)(11) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3032(a)(11)) is amended to read as follows:
conducting activities of national significance to promote quality and continuous improvement in the support and services provided to individuals with greatest social need, through activities that include needs assessment, program development and evaluation, training, technical assistance, and research, concerning—
addressing physical and mental health, disabilities, and health disparities;
providing long-term care, including in-home and community-based care;
providing informal care, and formal care in a facility setting;
providing access to culturally responsive health and human services; and
addressing other gaps in assistance and issues that the Assistant Secretary determines are of particular importance to older individuals with greatest social need.
Section 712 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3058g) is amended—
in subsection (a)(3)—
by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (J) as subparagraphs (G) through (K); and
by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
in subsection (h)(6), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking (A) through (G)
and inserting (A) through (H)
.