The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill (S. 2489) designed to provide assistance to family caregivers. Sponsored by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), the bill would provide lifespan respite care grants and cooperative agreements to expand and enhance respite services to family caregivers.
The bill would authorize the lifespan respite grants at $90.5 million in FY2003, $118 million in FY2004, $145.5 million in FY2005, $173 million in FY2006, and $200 million in FY2007. The grants would be used for the development of lifespan respite care services and the evaluation of those services, respite care worker and volunteer training programs, or training programs for family caregivers to assist family caregivers in making informed decisions about respite care services.
Additionally, the bill would authorize $500,000 in each of FY2003 through FY2007 for the establishment of a National Lifespan Respite Resource Center.
