S. 3232 — Family Caregiving Research and Innovation Act

This section authorizes appropriations of $30 million for each of FY2026 through 2030 to carry out research and evaluation activities under section 201(g) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 that support data, research, and evidence-based practices for family caregivers (adding new paragraph (5) to 42 U.S.C. 3020f(b)). This section revises the definition of "family caregiver" in section 302(3) to include (A) an adult family member or other individual who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual or an individual of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, or (B) an older relative caregiver (who is not paid primarily via financial or professional agreement); and inserts a definition of "older relative caregiver" in new section 302(4) as a caregiver age 55 or older who is the primary informal caregiver living with and providing in-home and community care to a child (as a grandparent or other relative when parents cannot serve, with legal or informal relationship to the child) or to a disabled individual (as a parent, grandparent, or other relative). This section amends the National Family Caregiver Support Program—which provides state grants for services such as counseling, training, respite care, and supplemental services to support family caregivers—(1) to base eligibility on the new family caregiver definition, (2) to eliminate the separate "older relative caregiver" category and references thereto, and (3) to limit respite care and supplemental services to caregivers of older individuals meeting the age or condition requirements of section 102(22); and makes a conforming amendment to cross-reference the new definition.