Older Americans Month Speech Resources:
Fact Sheet
Updated April 28, 2023
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
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Introduction
May is Older Americans Month (OAM)—a time to celebrate and pay tribute to older people
across the country. Since 1992, the Administration on Aging (AOA) has selected an annual theme
for OAM. The May 2023 theme is Aging Unbound, which encourages older Americans to
“explore the many ways older adults can remain in and be involved with their communities.”1
This Congressional Research Service (CRS) guide is
designed to assist congressional offices with work
related to OAM celebrations. It contains a brief
history with resources for additional historical,
legislative, and budget information; CRS reports;
examples of speeches and recognitions from the
legislative branch; presidential proclamations; and
statistics and projections from authoritative
government sources. The sections “Resources for
Older Americans,” “
1 Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Older Americans Month 2023,” April 28,
2023, at https://acl.gov/oam/2023/older-americans-month-2023.
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Educational Opportunities for Seniors,” and “Volunteer
Opportunities for Seniors” contain selected resources that may be of interest to constituents.
History
President John F. Kennedy designated May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month to pay tribute to
citizens aged 65 and older. President Jimmy Carter changed the name to “Older Americans
Month” in 1980. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s (HHS’s) Administration
for Community Living (ACL) website contains historical resources for OAM.
Legislation and Budget
The Older Americans Act (OAA; P.L. 89-73) was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson
on July 14, 1965, and supports a range of social services and programs for individuals aged 60
years or older.
Congress has reauthorized and amended the OAA numerous times since it was first enacted. Most
recently, President Donald J. Trump signed the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (P.L.
116-131) on March 25, 2020. The law reauthorized the OAA through FY2024.
The Older Americans Act (P.L. 89-73)
Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-131)
Current Budget Information (ACL)
CRS Reports
CRS has prepared several reports that explain or address issues of concern to older Americans.
Some of these include the following.
The Older Americans Act and Related Programs
CRS Report R43414, Older Americans Act: Overview and Funding, by Kirsten J. Colello and
Angela Napili
CRS Report RS22549, Older Americans Act: Funding Formulas, by Kirsten J. Colello
CRS In Focus IF10633, Older Americans Act: Nutrition Services Program, by Kirsten J. Colello
CRS Report R45626, Older Americans Act: Senior Community Service Employment Program, by
Benjamin Collins
CRS Insight IN11410, COVID-19: Selected Financial and Social Service Resources for Older
Americans, by Tamar B. Breslauer, Angela Napili, and Abigail R. Overbay
CRS Report R46439, Older Americans Act: 2020 Reauthorization, by Kirsten J. Colello and
Jared S. Sussman
Other Programs and Issues Focused on Older Americans
CRS Report R40425, Medicare Primer, coordinated by Patricia A. Davis
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Older Americans Month Speech Resources: Fact Sheet
CRS Report R42035, Social Security Primer, by Barry F. Huston
CRS In Focus IF10322, Medicaid Primer, by Alison Mitchell
CRS In Focus IF11694, Connecting Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities to Health
Services: Resources for Constituents, by Kirsten J. Colello, Michele L. Malloy, and Angela Napili
CRS In Focus IF11544, Overview of Assisted Living Facilities, by Kirsten J. Colello
Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions
Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of
Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The
following are some recent examples that may be of assistance in preparing such statements.
Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (representing a bipartisan group of Senators), “Senate Resolution 243
– Designating May 2021 as ‘Older Americans Month,’” Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 167
(May 26, 2021), pp. S3510-S3511.
Senator Susan M. Collins, “Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020,” Senate, Congressional
Record, vol. 166 (March 4, 2020), pp. S1471-S1472.
Representative Joyce Beatty, “Recognizing the 52nd Anniversary of the Older Americans Act,”
Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, vol. 163 (July 14, 2017), p. E990.
Presidential Proclamations
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call
attention to certain issues or events. Some recent OAM proclamations, from the Compilation of
Presidential Documents, include
Presidential Proclamations—Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2021-)
Presidential Proclamations—Donald J. Trump (2017-2020)
Presidential Proclamations—Barack H. Obama (2009-2016)
Presidential Proclamations—George W. Bush (2001-2008)
Presidential Proclamations and remarks from 1993 to the present are available through the
govinfo.gov service on the Government Publishing Office website. Earlier remarks (including
selected audio and video clips) are available through The American Presidency Project,
established by the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Statistics
Numerous federal agencies maintain statistics on the elderly. Some useful data include
U.S. Census Bureau, Stats for Stories: Older Americans Month: May 2022. The website provides
population, demographic, and economic statistics of the older population.
Administration on Community Living, 2021 Profile of Older Americans. (Previous editions of
Profile of Older Americans are available on the ACL website.). The report includes data on the
American population aged 65 and older.
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Older Americans Month Speech Resources: Fact Sheet
U.S. Census Bureau, Older Population and Aging Data. The page is dedicated to illustrating
where the older population is living and how that is changing.
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, Older Americans 2020: Key Indicators of
Well Being. The publication uses data from multiple federal government agencies to provide a
comprehensive, easy-to-understand picture of our older population.
Resources for Older Americans
A vast number of resources exist to directly help and inform older Americans and their caregivers,
including the following:
Eldercare Locator is a resource to connect users to services for older adults and their families.
USAging (formerly, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging) advocates for
individuals to age with optimal health, well-being, independence, and dignity.
National Center on Elder Abuse serves as a national resource dedicated to the prevention of elder
mistreatment.
Aging and Disability Networks, HHS’s ACL, are local, state, and national organizations working
to support older adults and people with disabilities.
engAGED, National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults, leads a national effort to
increase the social engagement of older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
National Council on Aging, Benefits CheckUp connects older adults and people with disabilities
with benefits programs that can help pay for health care, food, and utilities.
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, The National Consumer Voice for
Quality Long-Term Care advocates for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, board
and care homes, and similar adult care homes.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Healthy People 2030: Older Adults provides
measurable public health objectives and tools to help track progress toward achieving them.
State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) is a source of information for and about the
national State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
In addition to the resources listed in this report, many other community-based programs can be
found using local resources, such as a public library or a recreation department.
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Older Americans Month Speech Resources: Fact Sheet
Educational Opportunities for Seniors
Numerous programs are available to seniors to provide educational and fun experiences. The
following are three broader well-established resources:
Making Education Accessible to Seniors, A Place for Mom is a resource that promotes lifetime
learning.
Road Scholar is a provider of experiential travel learning opportunities.
AARP, Life-Long Learning is a portal providing free nationwide online courses.
Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home, National Institute on Aging, is a resource that provides
strategies for aging at home.
Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors
Active seniors may enjoy sharing their knowledge and skills by volunteering to help others. The
following selections provide diverse volunteer opportunities, including some for living and
volunteering abroad:
The Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps Seniors encourages senior
involvement to make positive impacts in their communities.
GoEco, 50+ Volunteering provides travel opportunities for senior volunteer projects.
Additional community-based programs can be found using local resources, such as a public
library or a recreation department.
Author Information
Gary Sidor
Senior Technical Information Specialist
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
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