Throughout his career in public service, Senator Reid has made delivering for seniors one of his top priorities, bringing millions in funding back to Nevada to improve essential services and provide relief for our state’s older Americans.
Shielding Seniors from Source Tax
Senator Reid has made tax relief for Nevada’s a seniors a top priority. That’s why he led the charge to shield Nevada retirees from the source tax - a tax on the pension benefits for those who settle in Nevada from out-of-state.
Recovery Act and Seniors
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, championed by Senator Reid, is working to turn our struggling economy around by creating good paying jobs and bringing relief to hardworking families across the country. That’s why Senator Reid ensured the recovery package included crucial support for Nevada’s senior citizens who are having a particularly difficult time as the economy slowly recovers.
- Stimulus Checks Recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received an additional $250 check from the Recovery Act to assist them meet their daily needs. This payment not only relieved some of the pressure felt by those living on fixed incomes, but put money in the pockets of consumers to give our struggling economy a boost.
- Meals for Seniors While the economy is slowly beginning to recover, far too many seniors are still having trouble putting food on the table. To combat this troubling situation, Senator Reid brought over $242,000 in Recovery Act funding to support meals programs for Nevada’s senior centers. This includes funding for the Sparks Senior Citizen Center in Washoe County to continue its successful lunch program delivering meals to approximately 500 seniors daily. The meals grant, provided through Nevada’s Aging and Disability Service Division, provides 15,000 meals annually. This funding also allowed the Neil Road Senior Center in Reno to begin serving lunch, a service they formerly could not provide.
- Employment Training and Opportunities Especially during hard times, older Americans many times have difficulty finding employment or opportunities for job training to help them join the workforce. Senator Reid believes everyone should have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, regardless of their age. To that end, Senator Reid secured $126,306 in Recovery Act funding for Nevada’s Senior Community Service Employment Program, which provides high-quality job training and employment assistance to integrate older Americans into the 21st Century workforce.
Assistance for Nevada Seniors
- Health and Research Services Senator Reid secured nearly $400,000 to support the construction of a gerontology center at Nevada’s Touro University. This facility will provide education services for seniors and their families regarding nutrition, exercise and long-term health. In addition, it will provide crucial medical services and cutting edge research to benefit Nevada’s older adult populations.
- Help for Low-Income Seniors Senator Reid secured almost $100,000 for the Nevada Retired Senior Volunteer Program. This important program trains retired seniors to help low-income older Americans meet their basic needs. In addition, he brought nearly $100,000 for the Nevada Rural Senior Volunteer Program, an initiative that trains volunteers to provide assistance to low-income seniors in fifteen rural Nevada counties.
- Fighting Diabetes Senator Reid secured nearly $200,000 for a project combating diabetes at the Henderson Senior Center.
- Access to Legal Services Senator Reid secured close to $50,000 for the Carson and Rural Elderly Program (CARE) Law, which provides low-income seniors as well as those living in assisted living facilities and visiting senior centers, access to legal services and representation.
- Improving Senior Transportation Services Senator Reid brought $300,000 to provide bus service at the Pahrump Senior Center.
