Sponsors (4)
The bill funds grants to deliver free financial planning, accessible services, and legal referrals to family caregivers—improving support and equity for many families and older adults—while increasing federal spending and risking limited reach in some communities and exclusion of paid caregivers.
Family caregivers (including parents and older-relative caregivers) gain free financial planning and counseling on benefits, budgeting, long-term care costs, and debt management.
States, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and area agencies receive federal grant funding to build local capacity to provide caregiver financial support services, expanding community-level program availability.
Caregivers with limited English proficiency or disabilities receive services in accessible formats (including translation and ASL), improving equitable access to information and assistance.
Taxpayers may face increased federal spending to fund the new grant program, with appropriation levels unspecified.
Smaller community providers may struggle to meet grant application, training, and licensure requirements, which could limit local access to services in rural and low-income areas.
Paid or professional caregivers are excluded from these federally funded services, leaving that workforce without access to the program's financial planning and legal-referral supports.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a grant program to fund accessible financial planning services for unpaid family caregivers, delivered by trained or licensed providers and including legal referrals.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress November 20, 2025
Creates a new federal grant program under the Older Americans Act to fund financial planning services specifically for family caregivers. Eligible entities (state/local agencies, nonprofits, area agencies on aging, senior centers, colleges, and tribal organizations) can apply for grants to provide trained or licensed professionals who deliver counseling on public benefits, budgeting, debt, long-term care costs, future care conversations, and referrals to legal assistance; services must be provided in accessible formats and multiple languages.