PRIA Logo™
S3232119th CongressWALLET

Family Caregiving Research and Innovation Act

Sponsored By: Senator Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

In Committee

Summary

Expands who counts as a family caregiver and would create a new federal research fund to strengthen data and evidence on caregiving. This bill focuses on recognizing older relatives who provide day to day care and on building research about family caregiving.

Show full summary
  • Families and children: Grandparents and other relatives age 55 or older who live with and are the primary caregiver for a child would be explicitly recognized and made eligible for caregiver supports.
  • Caregivers of people with disabilities: Relatives who provide in-home care to an individual with a disability would be included in the family caregiver definition, clarifying eligibility for support services.
  • State programs: The National Family Caregiver Support Program language would shift to emphasize "systems of support services for family caregivers" and would limit certain respite and supplemental services to caregivers of older adults who meet specific conditions.
  • Research and evidence: Establishes a new research and evaluation funding stream to bolster data, research, and evidence-based practices on family caregivers.

*Authorizes new federal spending of $30 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for caregiving research and evaluation.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New caregiver definition and respite limits

If enacted, the bill would change who counts as a "family caregiver." You would count if you are an informal adult caregiver for an older person or someone with Alzheimer’s. It would also add an "older relative caregiver" category for people age 55 or older who live with and are the main informal caregiver for a child or a person with a disability. The bill would exclude paid or professional caregivers from the definition. It would also narrow who can get respite care and certain extra services: those services would be available to some informal in‑home caregivers only when the older person they care for meets the condition listed in section 102(22)(A)(i) or (B). Some caregivers who currently get respite could lose access.

Federal funding for caregiver research

If enacted, the bill would authorize $30 million for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030 for research and evaluation on family caregivers. The money would fund agencies, researchers, and program evaluations to improve data and evidence about caregiver needs and services. Caregivers could benefit indirectly if the research leads to better programs.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

MA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

  • Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation