S. 4776 would amend the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965, which authorizes services to the elderly. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers most programs authorized by the act, including congregate and home-delivered meals, home and community-based supportive services (such as assistance with transportation, in-home care, and adult day care), and support for caregivers. The Department of Labor (DOL) administers the Senior Community Service Employment program, which provides low-income senior citizens with work-based job training and community service opportunities. The authorization for OAA programs expires at the end of fiscal year 2024; those programs received discretionary appropriations totaling $2.3 billion that year. 

S. 4776 would authorize the appropriation of $15.2 billion over the 2025-2029 period for OAA programs; $12.2 billion would be authorized for programs administered by HHS and $3.0 billion for programs administered by DOL. Assuming appropriation of the specified amounts, and based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $12.6 billion over the same period and $2.5 billion after 2029. 

For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 4776 will be enacted near the beginning of fiscal year 2025. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 500 (education, training, employment, and social services.)