House and Senate bipartisan leadership have shared the details of a legislative package that would enact full-year appropriations for the last four FY26 funding bills still pending: Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies, Defense, Transportation-HUD, and Homeland Security.  

The latest version of NCOA’s Annual Aging Services Funding Table is updated with details expected to be signed into law in the next two weeks, hopefully by or shortly after the current continuing resolution expires on Jan. 30.

How are NCOA priorities likely to be funded?

Highlights of NCOA priorities include:

• Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP):  $395 million
• ACL Direct Care Workforce Center: $2 million
• ACL Falls Prevention: $7.5 million
• ACL Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME): $8 million
• CDC Falls Prevention: $3.1 million
• HUD Aging in Place Home Modification Program: $30 million
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): $4.045 billion
• AmeriCorps Seniors: $236.9 million

Also included is a two year extension of funding for federal outreach and enrollment activities, originally authorized under the 2008 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). Throughout the country, trusted local organizations connect low-income beneficiaries—many who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid—with assistance for prescription drug coverage and other essential Medicare benefits. 

What's next for the FY26 funding bills?

The House is expected to vote on the legislative package soon, followed by a Senate vote. 

You can thank your elected officials for their bipartisan support of funding for programs that help make aging well possible for all of us.

More about the federal budget

The annual appropriations process happens every year, when the discretionary spending portion of the federal budget is shaped by Congress. NCOA engages partners serving older adults across the country to advocate for these investments in Washington.

Funding for aging services programs, like the Older Americans Act, is a cost-effective investment. But program cuts over the past decade disproportionately affected vulnerable Americans, and new investments have yet to keep up with demand or the costs of providing services.

Empowering older adults to remain healthy and economically secure in their own homes and communities reduces spending on more costly entitlement programs. Every dollar provided to the aging services network for OAA initiatives also is leveraged by nearly three dollars in non-federal support.