Combating Hunger for Older Americans During Coronavirus Crisis Act of 2020

Combating Hunger for Older Americans During Coronavirus Crisis Act of 2020

This bill makes changes to nutrition services for older adults as part of the response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Specifically, it (1) expands eligibility for home-delivered meals to eligible individuals who are unable to obtain nutrition as a result of COVID-19 response measures such as quarantines; (2) allows states to transfer funds, in greater amounts and without prior approval, between congregate and home-delivered nutrition programs during the emergency; and (3) authorizes the Administration on Aging to waive certain nutrition requirements for congregate and home-delivered meals during the emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6313 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6313

  To provide for additional emergency nutrition assistance under the 
   Older Americans Act of 1965 in fiscal year 2020 to respond to the 
   declared COVID-19 public health emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2020

Ms. Wild (for herself and Mr. David P. Roe of Tennessee) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                                 Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for additional emergency nutrition assistance under the 
   Older Americans Act of 1965 in fiscal year 2020 to respond to the 
   declared COVID-19 public health emergency, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Hunger for Older Americans 
During Coronavirus Crisis Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. HOME DELIVERED NUTRITION SERVICES CRITERIA APPLICABLE UNDER THE 
              OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965 DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO 
              RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

    For purposes of State agencies determining the delivery of 
nutrition services under subpart 2 of part C of title III of the Older 
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030f et seq.), during the portion of 
COVID-19 public health emergency declared under section 319 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) that occurs in the period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on 
September 31, 2020, the State agency shall include among individuals 
receiving such delivery because they are homebound an individual age 60 
and older, or an individual with a disability (of any age), who is 
unable to obtain nutrition because the individual is under a 
quarantine, practicing social distancing, or otherwise unable to leave 
home, due to the emergency.

SEC. 3. CONGREGATE NUTRITION SERVICES CRITERIA APPLICABLE UNDER THE 
              OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965 DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO 
              RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

     If a State demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Assistant 
Secretary (as defined in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 3002), that funds received by the State and attributable to 
funds appropriated under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 303(b) of the 
Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3023(b)), including funds 
transferred under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (4) of such section 
without regard to the exception referring to subparagraph (B) specified 
in such subparagraph (A), for fiscal year 2020 are insufficient to 
satisfy the need for services under subpart I or subpart II of part C 
of title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030d-2 et 
seq.) in fiscal year 2020 during the COVID-19 public health emergency 
declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
247d), the Assistant Secretary shall allow State and area agencies on 
aging, without prior approval, to transfer up to 100 percent of the 
funds so received between subpart 1 and subpart 2 of such part C for 
use the State or area agency on aging considers appropriate to meet the 
needs of the area served.

SEC. 4. WAIVER.

    To facilitate implementation of subparts 1 and 2 of part C of title 
III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030e et seq.) during 
any portion of the COVID-19 public health emergency declared under 
section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) that 
occurs in the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act 
and ending on September 31, 2020, the Assistant Secretary for Aging 
shall waive the requirements for emergency meals to comply with the 
requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of section 339(2)(A) of the Older 
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030g-21(2)(A)).
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