Senior Legal Hotline Act of 2023
This bill permits the Administration on Aging to award competitive grants to certain nonprofit organizations or partnerships to establish or maintain statewide senior legal hotlines to provide free services to older individuals.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4153 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4153
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize a national
network of statewide senior legal hotlines, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 15, 2023
Mr. Cartwright (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Kilmer,
Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Carson, Ms. Wild, Ms.
Titus, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Harder of California, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr.
Grijalva) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize a national
network of statewide senior legal hotlines, 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 ``Senior Legal Hotline Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. STATEWIDE SENIOR LEGAL HOTLINES.
Subtitle B of title VII of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42
U.S.C. 3058aa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 753. STATEWIDE SENIOR LEGAL HOTLINES.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible entity.--
``(A) In general.--The term `eligible entity' means
a nonprofit organization or a partnership described in
subparagraph (B) that--
``(i) provides legal assistance to older
individuals at no cost to such individuals; and
``(ii)(I) operates a senior legal hotline
in existence on the date on which the entity
submits an application under subsection (c); or
``(II) demonstrates the capacity to provide
legal assistance to older individuals through a
statewide senior legal hotline.
``(B) Partnership.--A partnership described in this
subparagraph is a partnership between--
``(i) multiple nonprofit organizations; or
``(ii) one or more nonprofit organizations
with one or more State or local governments.
``(2) Senior legal hotline.--The term `senior legal
hotline' means a program or partnership of programs that--
``(A) provides legal services, such as counseling,
advice, advocacy, information, referrals, and other
services, as appropriate, to older individuals on a
broad range of civil legal issues;
``(B) provides such services by telephone (and may
provide such services by additional forms of
communication), regardless of whether such services are
provided 24 hours a day and 7 days a week;
``(C) provides such services at no cost to the
older individuals receiving such services;
``(D) serves older individuals with the greatest
social need and greatest economic need as a target
population for such services; and
``(E) develops partnerships with other programs and
legal assistance providers to ensure that older
individuals who need more extensive services, including
representation, have access to such services.
``(3) Statewide senior legal hotline.--The term `statewide
senior legal hotline' means a senior legal hotline that serves
older individuals throughout a State.
``(b) Authorization.--The Assistant Secretary may award grants, on
a competitive basis, to eligible entities that submit an application
under subsection (c) to establish or operate a statewide senior legal
hotline in accordance with the requirements under subsection (d).
``(c) Application Process.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under
this section shall submit to the Assistant Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Assistant Secretary may reasonably require,
including the contents described in paragraph (2).
``(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph
(1) shall contain, at a minimum, each of the following:
``(A) An identification of the State to be served
by the statewide senior legal hotline.
``(B) A plan indicating how the eligible entity
will satisfy each requirement under subsection (d) with
respect to establishing or operating a statewide senior
legal hotline.
``(C) An assurance that the eligible entity will be
able to provide, from non-Federal funds, an amount
equal to not less than 25 percent of the estimated
amount awarded through the grant under this section. An
eligible entity may use in-kind contributions to meet
the matching requirement under this subparagraph.
``(D) A description of the certification process
the eligible entity has in place to ensure that staff
members of and volunteers serving the statewide senior
legal hotline will have no conflict of interest
(including any financial or substantive conflict of
interest) in providing services through the hotline.
``(3) Selection.--The Assistant Secretary shall, in
selecting eligible entities to receive a grant under this
section--
``(A) consider--
``(i) the extent to which the application
submitted by the eligible entity under
paragraph (2) meets the requirements of such
paragraph; and
``(ii) the demonstrated capacity of the
eligible entity to administer a statewide
senior legal hotline, including the experience
and history of the eligible entity in
delivering high-quality advice, assistance, and
other legal services, to older individuals
through low-cost and innovative methods; and
``(B) ensure that no 2 eligible entities receiving
a grant under this section for a fiscal year are
planning to establish or operate a statewide senior
legal hotline that serves the same State for such
fiscal year.
``(d) Requirements.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant under
this section shall, in establishing or operating a statewide senior
legal hotline supported by such grant--
``(1) provide for a sufficient number of appropriately
trained attorneys, paralegals, other staff members, and
volunteers to ensure effective delivery of the services
described in subsection (a)(2)(A);
``(2) collaborate with the appropriate State agency,
including any legal assistance developer of the State agency,
and free or low-cost legal service providers throughout the
State, including those who provide free legal assistance to
older individuals, to maximize coordination and cost-effective
delivery of legal assistance to older individuals;
``(3) strive to maximize coordination in the delivery of
legal assistance to older individuals in the State, including
legal assistance funded by the Legal Services Corporation under
the Legal Services Corporation Act (42 U.S.C. 2996 et seq.),
legal assistance supported by a grant under part B of title III
of this Act, legal assistance provided by a law school clinic,
and any other legal assistance provided at no cost to the
persons receiving the assistance;
``(4) build effective communication within the aging
network operating in the State to provide coordinated
assistance and referrals as appropriate;
``(5) establish mechanisms to make referrals for
representation and other assistance beyond the scope of the
hotline to--
``(A) other divisions or projects of the same legal
aid agency of which the hotline is a division or
project;
``(B) other legal aid agencies;
``(C) private attorneys, including those providing
pro bono legal services;
``(D) providers included in the aging network
operating in the State;
``(E) advocacy and assistance programs for older
individuals; or
``(F) any other individuals or entities, as
appropriate; and
``(6) conduct outreach through the aging network operating
in the State, and by other means, to inform older individuals
about the availability of the services provided by the hotline,
specifically targeting older individuals with the greatest
economic need and greatest social need.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2024 through 2028.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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