Kentucky Lawmakers Call for Urgent Fix to Senior Meal Program Shortfall

More than a month after the Department for Aging and Independent Living announced a federal funding shortfall affecting senior meal services across Kentucky, lawmakers are urging the administration to act quickly to restore funding and ensure that older residents continue receiving meals.

The issue stems from the expiration of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds totaling $36.2 million that had expanded Kentucky’s senior meals program over three years following the pandemic. When preparing the 2024 executive branch budget, state officials were aware that the program required $14.5 million annually to continue at the expanded level once federal funding ended. However, the administration requested only $10 million per year from the general fund for the next two fiscal years — an amount that has proven insufficient to sustain services as the federal dollars ran out.

Warnings Went Unheeded

During a recent hearing before the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee (LOIC), testimony confirmed that Kentucky’s area development districts (ADDs) had previously warned state officials of the need for $14.5 million annually to meet growing demand. That information, however, did not reach the General Assembly, which ultimately approved the $10 million request.

As a result, lawmakers said, thousands of seniors across the state have been placed back on wait lists for meal services they had relied upon.

Legislative Oversight Hearing Highlights Frustration

After receiving no response to earlier legislative inquiries, members of the LOIC pressed administration officials for answers. Officials confirmed during the hearing that no plan has yet been developed to restore funding, even as local providers continue to scale back services.

Sen. Danny Carroll of Paducah questioned the lack of direction, asking, “Do you know what the Governor’s plan is to deal with this?” An administration representative responded that they did not know the specifics of any plan at this time, confirming that more than a month after the issue came to light, there was still no clear strategy to ensure Kentucky seniors receive their meals.

Carroll also pointed to the inconsistency of earlier directives. “In August, you were pushing ADDs to provide more meals to grow their numbers, and then in September, we don’t have any money,” he said. “There are seniors calling my office who don’t have food to eat, and we’re sitting up here doing this.”

Calls for Immediate Action

Lawmakers said they were frustrated that the administration had known about the shortfall since before September 8, when the Department for Aging and Independent Living sent a memo to ADDs citing “reduced federal funding and other recent federal policy changes” as the reason for fewer available dollars.

Sen. Greg Elkins of Winchester, co-chair of the LOIC, underscored the urgency of resolving the issue. “This is a 24-hour-a-day problem, and it’s going to require 24-hour-a-day work until there’s an answer,” Elkins said. “Either find a solution or fix it immediately. This cannot wait.”

Accountability and Conflicting Explanations

Members of the committee also raised concerns about conflicting explanations from the administration. The September 8 memo attributed the shortfall to reduced federal support, while a September 19 statement from the Governor’s office referenced a projected $300 million state budget shortfall as a contributing factor — though that projection was issued later by the Consensus Forecasting Group.

Committee members noted that no budget reduction order has been filed in response to a shortfall, and administration officials testified that no actual cuts have been made to the program’s state funding.

Sen. Phillip Wheeler of Pikeville criticized the administration’s handling of the matter, saying it represented a failure of leadership and accountability. “It seemed the cabinet was kind of blaming the legislature for some of this, which doesn’t make sense since we gave the Governor and the cabinet every dollar they asked for,” Wheeler said. “When the people administering the program tell you how much they need and you ask for less, that’s inexcusable. Either it’s incompetence or heartlessness, and I’d like to think it’s the former.”

Wheeler added that the continued inaction was unacceptable. “This is on the Governor and the cabinet,” he said. “They need to take responsibility and either get this fixed or find the money somewhere. The thought that older people have to worry about whether they’re going to eat is of great concern to me, especially around the holidays.”

A Growing Concern for Seniors

Lawmakers expressed deep concern that the situation has left many seniors uncertain about their next meal. They stressed that older Kentuckians should not have to worry about food insecurity, especially as the holiday season approaches.

With the holidays nearing, the message from lawmakers was clear: the time for planning has passed, and immediate action is needed to ensure that no senior in Kentucky goes hungry.