November 20, 2025
Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Kim) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize funding for the Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Center for the Aging Network to engage in certain research and evaluation activities with respect to family caregivers and to revise the definition of the term family caregiver
.
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 Family Caregiving Research and Innovation Act
.
Sec. 2. Family caregivers
(a) Research and evaluation activities
Section 216(b) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3020f(b)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (3), by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
(2)
in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(5)
to carry out research and evaluation activities under section 201(g) that bolster data, research, and evidence-based practices with respect to family caregivers (as defined in section 302), $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(b) Definition of family caregiver
(1) In general
Section 302 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3022) is amended—
(A)
by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
(3)
The term family caregiver—
(A)
means—
(i)
an adult family member, or another individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual or to an individual of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction; or
(ii)
an older relative caregiver; and
(B)
does not include an individual providing care whose primary relationship with the individual receiving the care is based on a financial or professional agreement.;
(B)
by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
(C)
by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
(4)
The term older relative caregiver means a caregiver who—
(A)
(i)
is age 55 or older; and
(ii)
lives with, is the informal provider of in-home and community care to, and is the primary caregiver for, a child or an individual with a disability;
(B)
in the case of a caregiver for a child—
(i)
is the grandparent, stepgrandparent, or other relative (other than the parent) by blood, marriage, or adoption, of the child;
(ii)
is the primary caregiver of the child because the biological or adoptive parents are unable or unwilling to serve as the primary caregivers of the child; and
(iii)
has a legal relationship to the child, such as legal custody, adoption, or guardianship, or is raising the child informally; and
(C)
in the case of a caregiver for an individual with a disability, is the parent, grandparent, or other relative by blood, marriage, or adoption, of the individual with a disability.
(2) National Family Caregiver Support Program
(A) Definitions
Section 372(a) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030s(a)) is amended—
(i)
in paragraph (1), by striking or older relative caregiver
; and
(ii)
by striking paragraph (4).
(B) Program authorized
Section 373 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030s–1) is amended—
(i)
in subsection (a), by striking systems
and all that follows through the period and inserting systems of support services for family caregivers.
;
(ii)
by amending subsection (c)(1) to read as follows:
(1) Population served
(A) In general
Subject to subparagraph (B), services under a State program under this part shall be provided to family caregivers.
(B) Respite care and supplemental services
With regard to the services specified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (b), in the case of a caregiver described in clause (i) of section 302(3)(A), such services shall be provided only to such a caregiver who is providing care to an older individual who meets the condition specified in subparagraph (A)(i) or (B) of section 102(22).;
(iii)
in subsection (f)(3), by striking family caregivers, or older relative caregivers,
and inserting family caregivers
; and
(iv)
in subsection (i)(1), by striking family caregivers and older relative caregivers
and inserting family caregivers
.
(3) Additional conforming amendment
Section 417(a)(1)(F)(i) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3032f(a)(1)(F)(i)) is amended by striking (as defined in section 372(a))
and inserting (as defined in section 302)
.