Stand Strong Falls Prevention Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a new Advisory Committee on Falls Prevention within the Administration on Aging. This committee will include representatives from 15 federal agencies plus 12 outside experts, including doctors, caregivers, researchers, and housing specialists. Their job is to build and maintain a national plan to prevent falls among older adults.
• The committee must review every federal program that deals with falls and recommend which ones to expand, cut, combine, or improve. This evaluation covers education programs, home and community services, emergency medical services, and hospital programs.
• A key recommendation would be a Medicare pilot program covering basic home modifications like grab bars for at least 20,000 beneficiaries, aimed at reducing falls. The bill also calls for a broader payment demonstration model to test coverage of home modifications alongside evidence-based falls prevention services.
• The bill pushes for wider use of the CDC's STEADI screening tool, which helps doctors identify patients at risk of falling. It also calls for better public education campaigns so seniors and caregivers know how to prevent falls before they happen.
• Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 at 'such sums as may be necessary,' meaning Congress would decide the exact budget each year. The Advisory Committee would exist for 10 years before terminating automatically.