The Ruthie and Connie LGBTQI Elder Americans Act of 2025 aims to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide equal treatment and enhance services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI) older individuals. This legislation explicitly defines "LGBTQI" and "HIV" individuals, and includes LGBTQI individuals within the definition of "minority" for the purposes of the Act, ensuring their specific needs are recognized.

A key provision is the establishment of an Office of LGBTQI Inclusion within the Administration on Aging, led by a Director and Assistant Director. This office will coordinate activities across federal agencies, promote access to aging services, collect information on challenges, and administer grants to expand services for LGBTQI older individuals. The Assistant Secretary will also be required to collect data on the number of LGBTQI individuals served and conduct studies to identify their service needs.

The bill further mandates the creation of the National Resource Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Aging. This center will provide vital information and technical assistance to national, state, and local organizations, educating them about the unique needs of LGBTQI older individuals and sensitizing LGBTQI organizations to the needs of older individuals. It will also offer educational resources directly to LGBTQI older individuals and their caregivers.

Additionally, the Act amends grant provisions to include organizations that serve LGBTQI individuals as eligible recipients for state and community programs on aging. It also expands activities for health, independence, and longevity to promote culturally responsive health and human services. Finally, the bill requires the collection and analysis of data regarding discrimination against LGBTQI older individuals in long-term care settings, including issues related to admission, transfer, discharge, and quality of care, with these findings to be included in reports to Congress.