Part C. Department of Aging and Community Living.

§ 7–503.01. Establishment of the Department of Aging and Community Living.

(a) There is established a Department of Aging and Community Development. All the functions of the Office on Aging are hereby transferred to the Department. The Department shall provide within the District government a single administrative unit, responsible to the Mayor, to administer the provisions of the Older Americans Act (P.L. 89-73, as amended), and such other programs as shall be delegated to it by the Mayor or the Council of the District of Columbia, and to promote the welfare of the aged.

(b) The mission of the District of Columbia Department of Aging and Community Living is the following:

(1) To advocate, plan, implement, and monitor programs in health, education, and social services for the elderly;

(2) To promote longevity, independence, dignity, and choice for aged District residents, District residents with disabilities regardless of age, and caregivers;

(3) To ensure the rights of older adults and their families, and prevent their abuse, neglect, and exploitation;

(4) To uphold the core values of service excellence, respect, compassion, integrity, and accountability; and

(5) To lead efforts to strengthen service delivery and capacity by engaging community stakeholders and partners to leverage resources.

(Oct. 29, 1975, D.C. Law 1-24, title III, § 301, 22 DCR 2457; Oct. 17, 1981, D.C. Law 4-42, § 9(b)(1), 28 DCR 3425; Mar. 29, 2019, D.C. Law 22-276, § 2(c), 66 DCR 1721.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 6-2211.

1973 Ed., § 6-1711.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 1-603.01, § 7-502.01, § 7-503.06, and § 7-701.01.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) requirement that the Mayor submit quarterly reports to the Council on programs and operations within the Office on Aging, see § 6062 of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-127, July 27, 2015, 62 DCR 10201).

References in Text

The “Older Americans Act” is codified at 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.

Editor's Notes

For a requirement that in Fiscal Year 2025 the Department of Aging and Community Living award a grant to Vida Senior Centers, see section 5132 of D.C. Law 25-217.

For a requirement that in Fiscal Year 2025 the Department of Aging and Community Living award a grant to Vida Senior Centers, on an emergency basis, see section 5132 of D.C. Act 25-506.

Section 1042 of D.C. Law D.C. Law 21-36 provided that, in Fiscal Year 2016, beginning October 1, 2015, the Mayor shall submit quarterly reports to the Council on programs and operations within the Office on Aging, and detailed the contents required in each report.

§ 7–503.02. Director.

(a) The Department shall be headed by a Director ("Director"), who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, from a list of not more than 3 names submitted to the Mayor by the Commission.

(b) The Director shall be devoted full time to the duties of the office.

(d) The Director shall have such staff as is approved in the current District government budget and federal grants, plus any temporary staff .

(Oct. 29, 1975, D.C. Law 1-24, title III, § 302, 22 DCR 2457; Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-139, § 3205(t), 25 DCR 5740; Mar. 29, 2019, D.C. Law 22-276, § 2(d), 66 DCR 1721.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 6-2212.

1973 Ed., § 6-1712.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 1-636.02 and § 7-701.01.

Cross References

Effective date provisions, see § 1-636.02.

References in Text

“GS-15, Step 1,” referred to in the second sentence, is contained in the General Schedule, which is set out following § 5332 of Title 5, United States Code.

Delegation of Authority

Delegation of authority under D.C. Law 7-218, the “District of Columbia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Act of 1988”, see Mayor’s Order 89-86, April 28, 1989.

§ 7–503.03. Executive Director — Duties.

In order to carry out the purposes of this subchapter, the Director shall:

(1) Serve as an advocate for the aged in the District of Columbia;

(2) Contract with, and make grants to, public and private agencies using Older Americans Act funds, other federal funds received by the Department, and District government appropriated funds;

(3) Provide information and technical assistance with respect to programs and services for the aged to the Mayor, the Commission on Aging, the Council of the District of Columbia, other District government agencies and departments, and the community, including, when necessary, contracting for consultant assistance outside the District government;

(3A) Provide information, through the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, to District of Columbia residents on prescription drug savings available under and eligibility for the AccessRx program established by subchapter I of Chapter 8A of Title 48 [§ 48-831.01 et seq.];

(4) Consider the advice and recommendations of the Commission in carrying out his responsibilities under this subchapter;

(5) File an annual report on the operation of the Department and an analysis of the needs of the aged with the Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia, and make it available to the public;

(6) Publish a directory of services available to the aged through the District government and including, to the maximum extent possible, sources of nonpublic assistance and programs for the aged in the District of Columbia that directory shall be revised at least every 2 years;

(7) Identify areas of need for service or improvement of service and bring them to the attention of the Mayor and Commission, with suggestions for meeting such needs, including conducting or funding research and demonstration projects to test such suggestions;

(8) Carry responsibility for assuring necessary control, evaluation, audit, and reporting on programs funded through the Department;

(9) Prepare in timely fashion the state plan required under the Older Americans Act and forward it to the Commission for comment and Mayor for approval;

(10) Develop, with the advice of the Commission, a 5-year plan of policies, programs, services and activities to benefit aged residents of the District of Columbia. Such plan shall be reviewed and updated annually;

(11) Review and comment on proposed District and federal legislation, regulations, policies, and programs and make policy recommendations on issues affecting the health, safety, and welfare of the aged.

(Oct. 29, 1975, D.C. Law 1-24, title III, § 303, 22 DCR 2457; Sept. 14, 1976, D.C. Law 1-83, § 2, 23 DCR 2462; Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 5602, 51 DCR 8441; Mar. 2, 2007, D.C. Law 16-191, § 31, 53 DCR 6794; Mar. 29, 2019, D.C. Law 22-276, § 2(e), 66 DCR 1721.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 6-2213.

1973 Ed., § 6-1713.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 7-504.09.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 15-205 added par. (3A).

D.C. Law 16-191, in par. (3), substituted “community, including,” for “community. This shall include,”; and, in par. (6), substituted “Columbia that” for “Columbia. The”.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 5602 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 5602 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).

Short Title

Short title of subtitle F of title V of Law 15-205: Section 5601 of D.C. Law 15-205 provided that subtitle F of title V of the act may be cited as the Office on Aging AccessRx Prescription Drug Assistance Amendment Act of 2004.

References in Text

The “Older Americans Act,” referred to in paragraphs (2) and (9), is codified at 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.

§ 7–503.04. Impact statements.

All heads of departments and agencies of the District government are required at least 30 days prior to implementation of any proposed policies or programs that will have a major impact on the aged to submit such proposals to the Director for comment. If the impact of the proposal is determined by the Director to be adverse, he shall file a statement of this finding with the Mayor, the Commission, and the Council of the District of Columbia, as well as the originating department or agency.

§ 7–503.05. Standards for grant and contract awards.

After consultation with the Commission on Aging established by § 7-504.01 the Director shall develop and publish the standards that the Department will use in making decisions on the award of grants and contracts.

§ 7–503.06. Transfer of funds and positions from Division of Services to the Aging.

The Division of Services to the Aging presently located within the Department of Human Resources, and all positions and unexpended funds presently allocated to this Division are hereby transferred to the Department created under § 7-503.01.

§ 7–503.07. Senior Strategic Plan. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.08. Transfer of functions and duties from the Department of Human Services.

All positions, personnel, property, records, equipment, and unexpended balances available or to be made available of appropriations, allocations, and other funds of the Department of Human Services dedicated to the implementation of Chapter 19 of this title are hereby transferred to the Department of Aging and Community Living.

§ 7–503.09. LGBTQ seniors and seniors with HIV.

(a) For the purposes of administering the provisions of the Older Americans Act of 1965, approved July 14, 1965 (Pub. L. No. 89-73; 79 Stat. 218), the Department shall interpret the term "greatest social need," as defined in section 102(24) of the Older Americans Act of 1965, approved September 30, 1992 (106 Stat. 1199; 42 U.S.C. § 3002(24)), to include LGBTQ seniors and seniors with HIV.

(b) The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, shall promulgate rules to carry out the purposes of this section. The rules shall be promulgated within 210 days of December 23, 2020.

(1) "HIV" means the human immunodeficiency virus.

(2) "LGBTQ" means an individual who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, is questioning or exploring their sexuality or sexual identity, or is concerned about applying a social label to themselves related to their sexuality or sexual identity, and who is a resident of the District of Columbia.

(3) "Senior" means an individual who is 60 years of age or older.

§ 7–503.10. Wards 2 and 3 Senior Wellness Center Feasibility and Planning Task Force.

(a) There is established a Senior Wellness Center Feasibility and Planning Task Force ("Task Force") that shall evaluate and comment on the feasibility study and planning of 2 senior wellness centers, one to be located within Ward 2 and the other to be located within Ward 3. The Task Force shall advise and guide the Mayor, the Council, and the Department on the development of new wellness centers to serve residents of Wards 2 and 3, and review programs and services to address senior needs in those communities.

(b) The Task Force shall be composed of:

(1) One member representing the Department on Aging, appointed by the Mayor;

(2) One member representing the Department of Health, appointed by the Mayor;

(3) One member representing the Department of Parks and Recreation, appointed by the Mayor;

(4) Two current ANC members representing Ward 2, appointed by the Ward 2 Councilmember;

(5) Two current ANC members representing Ward 3, appointed by the Ward 3 Councilmember;

(6) One member of the community residing in Ward 2, appointed by the Ward 2 Councilmember;

(7) One member of the community residing in Ward 3, appointed by the Ward 3 Councilmember;

(8) Two members of the community residing in Ward 2, appointed by the Council committee with oversight over matters concerned with services to the senior community ("Committee"); and

(9) Two members of the community residing in Ward 3, appointed by the Committee.

(1) A Chairperson of the Task Force with design and planning experience, preferably an architect;

(2) One member representing the University of the District of Columbia;

(3) Two members representing Wards 2 and 3 Senior Villages;

(4) One member who is a current participant of social services in Ward 2; and

(5) One member who is a current participant of senior programming sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation;

(d) The members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation and shall either reside or work within the District.

(e) The members of the Task Force shall serve 2-year terms.

(f) The Task Force shall, at a minimum:

(1) Conduct bi-monthly meetings to evaluate and be engaged in the planning and stages of development of the 2 wellness centers described in subsection (a) of this section;

(2) Provide quarterly reports to the Committee, Mayor, and Department on the progress, findings, and recommendations from the meetings; and

(3) By December 31, 2024, prepare separate plans for Ward 2 and Ward 3 that:

(A) Describe the state of the needs for the senior population within the ward, including a description of the food insecure, homebound, and isolated individuals by neighborhoods and demographics, root causes of the issues, and specific identifiable risks for the senior population, as well as descriptions of any subcategories and the unique needs of such subcategories;

(B) Provide the Task Force's recommendations on at least 3 possible locations for each wellness center and the necessary space and facilities within each wellness center;

(D) Provide non-binding advisory approval of the design and planning of each project.

§ 7–503.11. Nutritional services. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.12. Housing resources and program referrals. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.13. Home health aides. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.14. Senior wellness check programs. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.15. Routine mailer distribution. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.16. Establishment of Community-Led Task Group. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.17. Adult protective services. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.18. Assisted living and nursing facilities. [Repealed]

Repealed.

§ 7–503.19. Senior nutrition services communications plan. [Not Funded]

Not Funded.

§ 7–503.20. Nutrition services. [Not Funded]

Not Funded.

§ 7–503.21. Senior Food Security Interagency Taskforce. [Not Funded]

Not Funded.