and II to segments of the population that are in particular need of such services, including youth, offenders, persons of limited English-speaking ability, older workers, and other persons which the Secretary determines have particular disadvantages in the labor market. The Secretary shall take into account the need for continued funding of programs of demonstrated effectiveness. * YOUTH PROGRAMS AND OTHER SPECIAL PROGRAMS SEC. 304. (a) The Secretary may provide financial assistance in urban and rural areas, including areas having large concentrations or proportions of low-income, unemployed persons, and rural areas having substantial outmigration to urban areas, for comprehensive work and training programs, and necessary supportive and follow-up services, including the following: * (6) special services, when required, for middle-aged and older men and women, including recruitment, placement, and counseling for such persons who are unemployed as a result of the closing of a plant or factory or a permanent large-scale reduction in the work force of a locality, and provide grants to or contracts with prime sponsors to assist such sponsors in securing part-time or temporary employment for middle-aged and older persons; and (7) other manpower programs conducted by community-based organizations. Mr. BRADEMAS. The Subcommittee on Select Education of the Committee on Education and Labor will come to order for the purpose of beginning hearings on extension of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and related legislation. As this is the first hearing being held by the subcommittee, I will take just a moment to welcome back the former members of the subcommittee, including the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Meeds; the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Lehman; as well as those new members of the subcommittee who are with us today, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Zeferetti; and the gentleman from California, Mr. Miller. The Chair will simply observe at the outset that this is a busy subcommittee on a busy committee. One of the reasons we have been able to be productive in years past is that the subcommittee has sought to operate to the extent possible in a bipartisan fashion with members of the subcommittee on both sides of the aisle respecting the rights and responsibilities of those on the other. I share hopes that this method of approach will be continued in this Congress. The Chair also wants to observe that we do not, save under certain circumstances, adhere to the 5-minute rule. I hope that members will have ample opportunity for their questions. We are meeting today to consider the extension of the various programs supported under the Older Americans Act and related legislation. That legislation now supports such activities as lunch programs, supplying older persons with meals 5 days a week; local programs providing a range of recreational and other activities for the elderly; volunteer efforts such as the foster grandparent program; research on the aging process; and training of persons to work with the elderly. Because this legislation, so important to 20 million Americans, is to expire at the end of June of this year, I think it is imperative we move expeditiously to enact a bill to extend the legislation. Today we shall hear from a distinguished group of witnesses representing the administration and the public sector. Tomorrow and on Monday, we shall continue to hear from public witnesses and witnesses from groups representing the elderly. Our first witness today is a distinguished public servant, Dr. Arthur Flemming, Commissioner, Administration on Aging, presently also Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Dr. Flemming is accompanied by Stanley B. Thomas, Assistant Secretary for Human Development. Gentlemen, won't you proceed? STATEMENT OF HON. ARTHUR S. FLEMMING, COMMISSIONER, AD- Mr. FLEMMING. Thank you very much. First of all, I would like to suggest that you listen to a preliminary statement from Assistant Secretary Thomas, and then I will follow. Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to be before your committee again. ཆ ་ .. In I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear today before the Select Subcommittee on Education to testify on the extension of the Older Americans Act of 1965. Dr. Arthur Flemming, Commissioner of the Administration on Aging, who has been a prime mover in the implementation of the legislation, is with me today and I will ask him to speak to that aspect of the subject. As I know Dr. Flemming will agree that, being involved in the implementation of the coordinated, comprehensive service system under the authorized new title III of the 1973 amendments to this act has been an interesting and rewarding experience. I believe that considerable progress has been made toward establishing, in communities across the Nation, focal points for addressing the needs of older persons and toward raising awareness about older persons and their needs on the part of the general population. We have been able to identify some necessary changes as a result of operating experience to date. I will discuss our proposed changes later, but first Dr. Flemming will summarize action that has been taken to implement the program. Mr. FLEMMING. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I certainly appreciate the opportunity of appearing before this committee in support of the extension of the Older Americans Act of 1965. The concept incorporated in both the 1973 and 1974 amendments to the Older Americans Act is a sound one. It provides the basis for the installation and operation of a nationwide network on aging. During the fiscal year 1974, we placed primary emphasis on the installation of this network. During the present fiscal year, we are endeavoring to do everything we can to help the network operate in such a manner as to make a significant contribution to serving the needs of today's older persons. It is my purpose to identify some of the steps that we have taken and are taking in order to achieve the objective set forth in the act. I am prepared to discuss with the committee, or to provide for the record, specific information relative to actions taken under each one of the titles of the act. The network to which I have referred consists of the Administration on Aging, the State offices on aging, 412 area agencies on aging, and 665 nutrition projects. I feel that we should think of the advisory committees to the State agencies and area agencies on aging and to the nutrition projects as members of this network. As all of us who are a part of this network discharge our responsibilities, I feel that we should keep in mind the following points: (1) We are charged, at all levels of government, with becoming focal points for aging. (2) We are charged, at all levels of government, with serving as advocates for older persons in connection with all issues confronting the lives of older persons. (3) Our major task is to develop a cooperative network to serve. older persons through a system of comprehensive coordinated services designed to meet their needs. In the light of these points, I would like to discuss with the members of the committee some processes which we are endeavoring to keep uppermost in our minds as we work on the implementation of the provisions of the act and its amendments. In my prepared statement, I discuss, first of all, the process of communication and then in the second place the process of locating authority. In the interest of time, I will skip my discussion of these two processes and turn to the third process on page 4. You will note that this is the process of coordinating the resources made available under the Older Americans Act with other public and private resources for the delivery of services to older persons. Those of us who are associated with the program recognize that our ability to meet the needs of today's older persons depends on our lity to work together to make this process work. Here are some of the factors that we believe will help to make this process work. First of all, section 301 of the Older Americans Act calls specifically for State and area agencies to enter into new cooperative arrangements with each other and with providers of social services to bring about comprehensive and coordinated service systems on behalf of older persons. In the second place, the regulations which we have issued under the Older Americans Act underscore the importance of coordinated programs at both the State and area levels. They provide that maximum coordination should be achieved between the State agency and the area agency and the social services and medical services titles under the Social Security Act. Also, they underline the importance of action programs designed to achieve coordination of the delivery of existing services. In the third place, a high priority has been given and is being given in fiscal year 1975 to working out and implementing interagency agreements. The Administration on Aging recognizes that the development of effective interagency working relationships at both the State and area levels depends to a considerable degree on establishing these relationships at the Washington level. This is why major emphasis is being given during this fiscal year on developing formal working arrangements with a number of agencies, both inside and outside the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A summary of what has happened up to now follows: Transportation-A working agreement with the Department of Transportation is in effect. Utilization of volunteers-A working agreement with action is in effect. Information and referral-A working agreement with the Social Security Administration and the Social and Rehabilitation Service has been developed and is about to be issued. A second working agreement with 11 departments and agencies outside of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare is also in the final stages of negotiation. Adult services program-A working agreement has been developed by the Administration on Aging and the Community Services Administration of the Social and Rehabilitation Service and will be signed shortly. Medicaid services-A working agreement has been developed by the Administration on Aging and the Medical Services Administration. Rehabilitation services-A working agreement between the Administration on Aging and the Rehabilitation Services Administration is in the process of being completed. Health services-A working agreement has been developed between the Administration on Aging and the Public Health Service and is in effect. Use of school buses for the elderly-Work is moving forward on an agreement which will involve the Department of Transportation and the Office of Education. Housing-Work is now underway to identify those parts of the Housing and Community Development Act which will lend themselves to joint agreements between the Administration on Aging and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Research on aging-An interdepartmental task force on research on aging is about to request proposals for a joint contract to inventory Federal research on aging. Nine departments and agencies are involved in this project. Coordination with school lunch programs and facilities-The Office of Education and the Administration on Aging have reached an agreement in this area, and it will be transmitted to the field very shortly. Energy-An agreement has been reached which involves the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Energy Administration, the new Community Services Administration, and Action, and this has been transmitted to the field. We do not expect to develop at the outset what might be regarded as ideal interdepartmental working agreements. As soon as we have reached an agreement at the Washington level, we transmit it to the regions and the States. We invite immediate reactions from them and, through the States, the areas. As soon as the reactions have been analyzed, we will reconvene those who worked on the agreement at the Washington level to determine whether any changes should be made. In the meantime, State executives who feel that they are in a position to implement all or parts of any agreement immediately are urged to do so. In the fourth place, in connection with the objective of trying to coordinate resources at the Federal level, the information memorandums which we issue from time to time are designed to keep States abreast of significant developments at the Federal level and which could have an impact on their efforts to pool resources. Memorandums which have been issued in the areas of transportation, manpower, use of voluntary services, natural disasters, and energy are illustrative of what has and can be done. The objective of all of these steps that I have identified is to facilitate the coordination of the delivery of services for older persons and to bring about a pooling of resources in both the public and private sectors. The next process that I would like to discuss is the process of involving the States and areas in the evolution of policy under the Older Americans Act. In view of the fact that the Federal Government has assigned major management responsibilities to the States and areas under the Older |