Multidisciplinary centers of gerontology. As authorized in 1973 and amended in 1978, the Commissioner on Aging may make grants to or enter into contracts with public and private nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions for paying an amount the Commissioner on Aging deems necessary for establishing or supporting multidisciplinary centers of gerontology as well as "centers of special emphasis." Functions of multidisciplinary centers include:

Recruiting and training personnel at the professional and subprofessional levels;

Conducting basic and applied research on work, leisure, education of older people, living arrangements of older people, economics of aging, and other related areas;

Providing consultation to public and voluntary organizations with respect to the needs of older people and in planning and developing services for them;

Serving as repositories of information and knowledge with respect to the areas for which it conducts basic and applied research;

Stimulating the incorporation of information on aging into the teaching of biological, behavioral, and social sciences at colleges or universities; and

Creating opportunities for innovative, multidisciplinary efforts in teaching, research, and demonstration projects with respect to aging. Background.-Federal support of multidisciplinary centers of gerontology was a recommendation of the 1971 White House Conference on Aging. In describing the contribution that these centers might make, the House report that accompanied the prospective 1973 legislation says:

The multidisciplinary centers authorized by this bill would: recruit and train personnel; conduct research into a variety of matters which affect the elderly, ranging from education to living arrangements; provide consultation and technical assistance regarding the planning of services for older persons; act as a repository of information related to its area of basic and applied research, encourage the incorporation of aging information into the teaching of biological, behavioral and social sciences in institutions of higher education; develop and operate short course training sequences for staff of State, area and local aging agencies; develop training programs on aging in schools of social work, public health, health care administration, education; and create opportunities for multidisciplinary efforts in teaching, research and demonstration projects related to aging.19 Title V-Community Service Employment for Older Americans

Community service employment program.-The community service employment program is established within the Department of Labor for creating part-time public service employment positions for persons age 55 and older with incomes of not more than 125 percent of the poverty level. The Secretary of Labor may award funds to State governments, tribal organizations, and public and private nonprofit agencies or organizations, commonly known as national contractors,20 for:

Creating employment positions that contribute to the general welfare of the community such as aides in hospitals, schools, libraries, and social service agencies; and the maintenance of parks and historical sites; and other public service activities;

19 U.S. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Rept. No. 93-43. Mar. 2, 1973: 20.

20 The current 5 national contractors are: National Farmers Union, American Association of Retired Persons, National Council on the Aging, National Council of Senior Citizens, and the U.S. Forestry Service

Paying participants at least the Federal minimum wage, the State or local minimum wage, or the prevailing wage in the community for similar occupations, whichever is highest;

Providing training opportunities for participants when necessary to maximize their skills and talents; and

Providing jobs to the extent feasible; for minority, American Indian, and limited-English speaking individuals in proportion to their number in the State.

National contractors are required to submit a description of any project to be conducted within a State to the State agency on aging 30 days prior to the starting date of the project. The purpose for such submissions is to improve coordination between project sponsors and the State and area agency on aging.

The Federal share of project costs may be up to 90 percent (100 percent in disaster or economically depressed areas).

The Secretary of Labor shall develop innovative work modes such as job sharing and other experimental work patterns; and provide technical assistance in creating jobs for older workers to CETA prime sponsors,21 labor organizations, groups representing business and industry, and individual employers where appropriate.

In addition, the Secretary can enter into agreements to assure the transition from subsidized to nonsubsidized employment and reserve funds from the title V appropriation to pay the costs of any agreement. The Secretary may establish a Senior Environmental Employment Corps for creating part-time jobs relating to environmental improvement and energy conservation.

The Secretary of Labor must reserve from the annual appropriation funds sufficient to maintain the national contractor's fiscal year 1978 level of activity. The remainder is apportioned among the States based on a formula which takes into account the State's proportionate share of the Nation's population age 55 and older, and the State's per capita income, with a minimum allotted to each State. These remaining funds that exceed the fiscal year 1978 dollar amount are apportioned so that State governments receive 55 percent and national contractors receive 45 percent of the dollar amount.

Background. The model for the community service employment program was begun in 1965 with funds authorized under the Economic Opportunity Act. The program, then known as Operation Mainstream, provided part-time employment for persons aged 55 and older operating through contractual agreements with national organizations and/or other agencies experienced in the field of aging. In 1967, the administrative responsibility for Operation Mainstream was transferred from the Office of Economic Opportunity to the Department of Labor, but funding continued through the Economic Opportunity Act. The Department of Labor, like its predecessor, entered into agreements with organizations sponsoring employment projects for older workers. With the 1973 amendments to the Older Americans Act, the older workers component was given separate statutory authority.

The 1975 amendments added the current funding formula. The 1978 amendments contained language to foster intrastate coordination between national contractors and the State agencies on aging network.

21 The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) authorizes funds to prime sponsors (cities, counties, State governments or combination of governmental units) for creating employment and training opportunities for persons age 16 and older.

21

According to the Senate bill report, members of the Human Resources Committee believed:

That there should be greater coordination between national contractors and the State units on aging programs. In the past, the committee has heard complaints that within some States, national contractors and State units on aging were establishing title V job opportunities without such coordination, resulting in inequitable job distribution throughout a given State.22

The 1978 amendments also increased the proportion of funding to State governments in expectation that States will take a more active role in creating public service employment positions for older workers. In past years State governments have contracted to universities, private nonprofit agencies, city and county governments and American Indian tribal organizations for creating jobs for the elderly.

There were a total of 47,500 jobs created for older persons in 1978 through national contractors and State governments.

Title VI-Grants for Indian Tribes

Purpose. It is the purpose of this title to promote the delivery of social and nutritional services for older Indians comparable to services provided for others under the act's title III State and Community Programs on Aging.

Eligibility and grant applications.-Grants are authorized to tribal organizations representing 75 or more Indians age 60 and older for paying all of the costs of services. To qualify for funds, tribal organizations are required to submit to the Commissioner on Aging for approval a plan which provides for:

Evaluating the need for social and nutritional services among older Indians represented by the tribal organization;

Social services, nutritional services, legal services, and nursing home ombudsman services consistent with requirements set forth under title III of the act;

Information and referral services;

Evaluating activities and projects carried out with funds under this title; and

Employing Indians age 60 and older when possible.

Tribal organizations have the option of receiving services under the title III network of State and area agencies on aging or applying for funding directly to the U.S. Commissioner on Aging.

The Secretary of the Interior may make surplus Indian educational facilities available to tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations with tribal approval for use as multipurpose senior centers. These facilities are available through the U.S. Department of the Interior At least $5 million must be appropriated for title VI in any fiscal year before it may become operative.

Background--Ŏlder Indians generally have not received services and benefits equivalent to those provided other persons under the title III program of grants for State and community programs. With the passage of the 1975 amendments, the Commissioner on Aging was authorized to allow Indian tribes to "bypass" the traditional title III State and area agency on aging funding mechanism and apply directly to the Commissioner for funds necessary to establish a social services program. In order to award such grants, the Commissioner first had

22 U.S. Senate. Committee on Human Resources. Older Americans Act Amendments of 1978. Committee Report No. 95-855. May 15, 1978: 15.

to make a determination that older Indians of a particular tribal organization would be better served by means of direct grants. He then could reserve funds from the State's title III allotment for funding the tribal organization. This authority, however, had never been exercised. Congress felt its shortcomings were related to the "cumbersome determination process" which required complicated grant applications and judgments by many levels of government before the Commissioner could issue a decision. Moreover, this authority failed to recognize "tribal sovereign status." Representatives of Indians testified that tribal organizations and not the Commissioner on Aging should determine their best funding source for establishing a social services program.

The 1978 amendments, therefore, revised the 1975 law to provide a separate title and funding authority for social and nutritional services for federally recognized tribal organizations.

1 Such sums as may be necessary.

1979

360

375

100

(2)

400

(1
་$ 》

2 At least 1 percent or $20,000, whichever is greater, of a State's title III social services allotment must be spent to support a statewide nursing home ombudsman program.

3 At least $5 million of the appropriations for model projects must be spent for legal services demonstration projects and resource centers.

This title will not become effective unless at least $5 million is appropriated.

5 May use up to 15 percent of the title IV (research) appropriation for these projects.

Funded from the title IV (research) appropriation.