S. 4816

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4816 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4816

To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to authorize grants and 
training to support area agencies on aging and other community-based 
organizations in addressing social isolation among older individuals 
and adults with disabilities.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 17, 2026

Mr. Murphy (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to authorize grants and 
training to support area agencies on aging and other community-based 
organizations in addressing social isolation among older individuals 
and adults with disabilities.

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 ``Addressing Social Isolation and 
Loneliness in Older Adults Act of 2026'' or the ``Addressing SILO Act 
of 2026''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS AND TRAINING TO SUPPORT AREA AGENCIES ON AGING OR OTHER 
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL ISOLATION 
AMONG OLDER INDIVIDUALS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.

Part II of subtitle B of title XX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397m et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 2047. GRANTS AND TRAINING TO SUPPORT AREA AGENCIES ON AGING OR 
OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL 
ISOLATION AMONG OLDER INDIVIDUALS AND ADULTS WITH 
DISABILITIES.

``(a) Grants.--The Secretary shall make grants to area agencies on 
aging or other community-based organizations for the purposes of--
``(1) conducting outreach to older individuals and adults 
with disabilities at risk for, or already experiencing, social 
isolation or loneliness, through established screening tools or 
other methods identified by the Secretary;
``(2) developing community-based interventions for the 
purposes of mitigating loneliness or social isolation 
(including evidence-based programs, as defined by the 
Secretary, developed with multi-stakeholder input for the 
purposes of promoting social connection, mitigating social 
isolation or loneliness, or preventing social isolation or 
loneliness) among older individuals and adults with 
disabilities described in paragraph (1);
``(3) connecting such older individuals and adults with 
disabilities with community social and clinical supports; and
``(4) evaluating the effect of programs developed and 
implemented under paragraphs (2) and (3).
``(b) Training.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish programs 
to provide and improve training for area agencies on aging or 
community-based organizations with respect to addressing and 
preventing social isolation and loneliness among older 
individuals and adults with disabilities.
``(2) Prioritization authority.--For purposes of connecting 
at-risk individuals with existing community social and clinical 
supports, the Secretary may, in carrying out paragraph (1), 
prioritize models that incorporate training and service 
delivery in coordination with medical-legal partnerships.
``(c) Evaluation.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this section and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a written report that assesses the extent to 
which the programs established under this section address social 
isolation and loneliness among older individuals and adults with 
disabilities.
``(d) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury not 
otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Secretary 
$62,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to remain 
available until expended, to carry out this section.
``(e) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate with resource 
centers, grant programs, or other funding mechanisms established under 
section 411(a)(18) of the Older Americans Act (42 U.S.C. 3032(a)(18)), 
section 417(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3032f(a)(1)), or other 
programs as determined by the Secretary.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Adult with a disability.--The term `adult with a 
disability' means an individual with a disability as defined in 
section 372 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
3030s).
``(2) Area agency on aging.--The term `area agency on 
aging' means an area agency on aging designated under section 
305 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3025).
``(3) Community-based organization.--The term `community-
based organization' includes, except as otherwise provided by 
the Secretary, a nonprofit community-based organization, a 
consortium of nonprofit community-based organizations, a 
national nonprofit organization acting as an intermediary for a 
community-based organization, or a community-based organization 
that has a fiscal sponsor that allows the organization to 
function as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation 
under section 501(a) of such Code.
``(4) Loneliness.--The term `loneliness' means subjectively 
feeling alone, or the discrepancy between one's desired level 
of social connection and one's actual level of social 
connection.
``(5) Older individual.--The term `older individual' has 
the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Older 
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).
``(6) Social connection.--The term `social connection' 
means the variety of ways one can connect with others socially, 
through physical, behavioral, social-cognitive, and emotional 
channels.
``(7) Social isolation.--The term `social isolation' means 
objectively being alone, or having few relationships or 
infrequent social contact.''.
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