Introduction of Senate Lifespan Respite Reauthorization Act

We are very excited to share that today Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act in the Senate. The National Respite Coalition organized a letter of support from 37 national organizations.

Watch Sen. Collins Floor Statement, read her floor statement, and the press release.

Next week, the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization companion bill will be introduced in the House by Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY) and Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI). We are very grateful for this continued demonstration of strong bipartisan support for respite care for family caregivers who care for those across the lifespan.

What does the bill do?

This bipartisan bill authorizes the program at $50 million over five years, and extends it through FY 2030. This is crucial if states are to continue to establish or enhance respite care systems that serve family and friend caregivers caring for individuals of any age or condition, help them pay for care, build capacity by recruiting and training respite care providers and volunteers, improve service quality, and connect caregivers to services.

The National Respite Coalition is especially pleased that the bill strengthens the program by expanding the definition of family caregiver to include young caregivers under age 18. More than 5 million children under the age of 18 are providing significant caregiving to their parents or siblings with disabilities or chronic conditions or to their aging grandparents. This change in the law will finally allow them to receive the respite break they deserve and need, allow them to remain in school, and to become healthy and productive adults.

Next Steps

Reach out to your Senators and House Members and urge them to cosponsor the bill. Once a bill number is assigned in the next day or two, watch for legislative alerts from the NRC on how to contact Congress and make this request.

Despite the tremendous challenges that lie ahead, the National Respite Coalition is committed to continue its advocacy to advance this bill, and other important legislation supporting family caregivers, including the Older Americans Act Reauthorization. We will continue to work with other national organizations to protect Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and the federal programs that support people with disabilities, older adults and their family caregivers.

As we advance in this work, we will continue to share the ways you can help support these efforts, and we count on you to stand with us. Stay tuned for more information and for strategies to engage. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support.