PRESS RELEASE
The Center for Social Gerontology
2307 Shelby Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103For Immediate Release
October 25, 2000For more info Contact
Jim Bergman (734) 665-1126Passage of Older Americans Act by House Hailed by
The Center for Social GerontologyToday, The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG), based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, hailed the nearly-unanimous, bipartisan passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.
TCSG Co-Directors Penny Hommel and Jim Bergman issued a statement saying: "After over 6 years of concerted efforts by the Aging Network, the Clinton/Gore Administration, and House and Senate leaders, today we have witnessed a major step toward re-enactment of one of the cornerstone laws which protect the rights and lives of our nation's most vulnerable older citizens. We applaud the House membership and look forward to Senate passage shortly."
Bergman and Hommel noted that the bill, as passed by the House, "is noteworthy in its reaffirmation that elder rights advocacy is an essential and integral part of the Older Americans Act. Further, by retaining legal assistance as a priority (required) service under Title IIIB, and by retaining the State Legal Assistance Development chapter in Title VII, the Elder Rights Title, Congress has stated clearly and forcefully that the protection and enhancement of the legal rights of the most vulnerable Older Americans is at the heart of the Older Americans Act, as it has been for decades."
"A centerpiece of the year 2000 OAA reauthorization bill is the new National Family Caregiver Support Program; a greatly needed program, which we commend the Clinton/Gore Administration and the House and Senate for creating with this Act. Equally important, however, is the endorsement of the centerpiece of the 1992 OAA reauthorization law, Title VII, the Elder Rights Title. With this reaffirmation of Title VII, we call on the next Congress to fully fund all the programs under Title VII, including the State Legal Assistance Development program," said Hommel and Bergman.
The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG), founded in 1972 as a nonprofit, is a research, training and social policy organization, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. TCSG has served since 1985 as an Administration on Aging-funded National Support Center in Law & Aging.
For complete and up-to-date information on the Older Americans Act and its reauthorization, go to www.tcsg.org/law/oaa/reauth.htm or click here