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"(3) The term 'comprehensive and coordinated system' means a system for providing all necessary social services in a manner designed

to

"(A) facilitate accessibility to and utilization of all social services provided within the geographic area served by such system by any public or private agency or organization; "(B) develop and make the most efficient use of social services in meeting the needs of older persons; and

"(C) use available resources efficiently and with a minimum of duplication.

"AREA PLANNING AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS

"SEC. 303. (a) There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, $200,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, and $300,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, to enable the Commissioner to make grants to each State with a State plan approved under section 305 for paying part of the cost (pursuant to subsection (e) of this section) of—

66

"(i) the administration of area plans by area agencies on aging designated pursuant to section 304(a) (2) (A), including the preparation of area plans on aging consistent with section 304 (c) and the evaluation of activities carried out under such plans; and

"(2) the development of comprehensive and coordinated systems for the delivery of social services.

"(b) (1) From the sums authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973 under subsection (a) of this section, (A) Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands shall each be allotted an amount equal to onefourth of 1 per centum of such sum, (B) each other State shall be allotted an amount equal to one-half of 1 per centum of such sum, and (C) from the remainder of the sum so appropriated, each State shall be allotted an additional amount which bears the same ratio to such remainder as the population aged sixty or over in such State bears to the population aged sixty or over in all States.

แ

"(2) From the sums appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974 and for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, each State shall be allotted an amount which bears the same ratio to such sum as the population aged sixty or over in such State bears to the population aged sixty or over in all States, except that (A) no State shall be allotted less than one-half of 1 per centum of the sum appropriated for the fiscal year for which the determination is made; (B) Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific I8lands shall each be allotted no less than one-fourth of 1 per centum of the sum appropriated for the fiscal year for which the determination is made; and (C) no State shall be allotted an amount less than that State received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973. For the purpose of the exception contained in clause (A) of this paragraph only, the term 'State' does not include Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

"(3) The number of persons aged sixty or over in any State and in all States shall be determined by the Commissioner on the basis of the most recent and satisfactory data available to him.

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"(c) Whenever the Commissioner determines that any amount allotted to a State for a fiscal year under this section will not be used by such State for carrying out the purpose for which the allotment was made, he shall make such amount available for carrying out such purpose to one or more other States to the extent he determines such other States will be able to use such additional amount for carrying out such purpose. Any amount made available to a State from an appropriation for a fiscal year pursuant to the preceding sentence shall, for purposes of this title, be regarded as part of such State's allotment (as determined under the preceding provisions of this section) for such year.' "(d) The allotment of a State under this section for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, shall remain available until the close of the following fiscal year.

"(e) From a State's allotment under this section for a fiscal year

"(1) such amount as the State agency determines, but not more than 15 per centum thereof, shall be available for paying such percentage as such agency determines, but not more than 75 per centum, of the cost of administration of area plans; and

"(2) such amount as the State agency determines, but not more than 20 per centum thereof, shall be available for paying such percentage as such agency determines, but not more than 75 per centum, of the cost of social services which are not provided as a part of a comprehensive and coordinated system in planning and service areas for which there is an area plan approved by the State agency.

The remainder of such allotment shall be available to such State only for paying such percentage as the State agency determines, but not more than 90 per centum of the cost of social services provided in the State as a part of comprehensive and coordinated systems in planning and service areas for which there is an area plan approved by the State agency.

"ORGANIZATION

"State Organization

“SEc. 304. (a) In order for a State to be eligible to participate in the programs of grants to States from allotments under section 303 and section 306

"(1) the State shall, in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner, designate a State agency as the sole State agency (hereinafter in this title referred to as 'the State agency) to: (A) develop the State plan to be submitted to the Commissioner for approval under section 305, (B) administer the State plan within such State, (C) be primarily responsible for the coordination of all State activities related to the purposes of this Act, (D) review and comment on, at the request of any Federal department or agency, any application from any agency or organization within such State to such Federal department or agency for assistance related to meeting the needs of older persons; and (E) divide the entire State into distinct areas (hereinafter in this title referred to as 'planning and service areas'), after considering the geographical distribution of individuals aged sixty and older in the State, the incidence of the need for social services (including

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the numbers of older persons with low incomes residing in such areas), the distribution of resources available to provide such services, the boundaries of existing areas within the State which were drawn for the planning or administration of social services programs, the location of units of general purpose local government within the State, and any other relevant factors: Provided, That any unit of general purpose local government which has a population aged sixty or over of fifty thousand or more or which contains 15 per centum or more of the State's population aged sixty or over shall be designated as a planning and service area and the State may include in any planning and service area designated pursuant to this proviso such additional areas adjacent to the unit of general purpose local government so designated as the State determines to be necessary for the effective administration of the programs authorized by this title, and

"(2) the State agency designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall

"(A) determine for which planning and service areas an area plan will be developed, in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, and for each such area designate, after consideration of the views offered by the unit or units of general purpose local government in such area, a public or nonprofit private agency or organization as the area agency on aging for such area; and

"(B) provide assurances satisfactory to the Commissioner that the State agency will take into account, in connection with matters of general policy arising in the development and administration of the State plan for any fiscal year, the views of recipients of social services provided under such plan.

"Area Organization

“(b) An area agency on aging designated under subsection (a) must

be

"(1) an established office of aging which is operating within a planning and service area designated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or

(2) any office or agency of a unit of general purpose local government, which is designated for this purpose by the chief elected offiical or officials of such unit, or

"(3) any office or agency designated by the chief elected official or officials of a combination of units of general purpose local government to act on behalf of such combination for this purpose,

or

"(4) any public or nonprofit private agency in a planning and service area which is under the supervision or direction for this purpose of the designated State agency and which can engage in the planning or provision of a broad range of social services within such planning and service area,

and must provide assurance, found adequate by the State agency, that it will have the ability to develop an area plan and to xrry out, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, a program pursuant to the plan within the planning and service area. In desig

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nating an area agency on aging, the State agency shall give preference to an established office on aging, unless the State agency finds that no such office within the planning and service area will have the capacity to carry out the area plan.

"Area plans

"(c) In order to be approved by the State agency, an area plan for a planning and service area shall be developed by the area agency on aging designated with respect to such area under subsection (a) and shall

"(1) provide for the establishment of a comprehensive and coordinated system for the delivery of social services within the planning and service area covered by the plan, including determining the need for social services in such area (taking into consideration, among other things, the numbers of older persons with low incomes residing in such area), evaluating the effectiveness of the use of resources in meeting such need, and entering into agreements with providers of social services in such area, for the provision of such services to meet such need;

"(2)_in accordance with criteria established by the Commissioner by regulation relating to priorities, provide for the initiation, expansion, or improvement of social services in the planning and service area covered by the area plan;

"(3) provide for the establishment and maintenance of information and referral sources in sufficient numbers to assure that all older persons within the planning and service area covered by the plan will have reasonably convenient access to such sources. For purposes of this section and section 305 (a) (7), an information and referral source is a location where the State or other public or private agency or organization (A) maintains current information with respect to the opportunities and services available to older persons, and develops current lists of older persons in need of services and opportunities, and (B) employs a specially trained staff to inform older persons of the opportunities and services which are available, and assists such persons to take advantage of such opportunities and services; and

"(4) provide that the area agency on aging will

"(A) conduct periodic evaluations of activities carried out pursuant to the area plan;

"(B) render appropriate technical assistance to providers of social services in the planning and service area covered by the area plan;

"(C) where necessary and feasible, enter into arrangements, consistent with the provisions of the area plan, under which funds under this title may be used to provide legal services to older persons in the planning and service area carried out through federally assisted programs or other public or nonprofit agencies;

"(D) take into account, in connection with matters of general policy arising in the development and administration of the area plan, the views of recipients of services under such plan;

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"(E) where possible, enter into arrangements with organizations providing day care services for children so as to provide opportunities for older persons to aid or assist, on a voluntary basis, in the delivery of such services to children; and "(F) establish an advisory council, consisting of representatives of the target population and the general public, to advise the area agency on all matters relating to the administration of the plan and operations conducted thereunder."

"STATE PLANS

"SEC. 305. (a) In order for a State to be eligible for grants for a fiscal year from its allotments under section 303 and section 306, except as provided in section 307 (a), it shall submit to the Commissioner a State plan for such year which meets such criteria as the Commissioner may prescribe by regulation and which

"(1) provides that the State agency will evaluate the need for social services within the State and determine the extent to which existing public or private programs meet such need;

"(2) provides for the use of such methods of administration (including methods relating to the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards on a merit basis, except that the Commissioner shall exercise no authority with respect to the selection, tenure of office, or compensation of an individual employed in accordance with such methods) as are necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the plan;

"(3) provides that the State agency will make such reports, in such form, and containing such information, as the Commissioner may from time to time require, and comply with such requirements as the Commissioner may impose to assure the correctness of such reports;

"(4) provides that the State agency will conduct periodic evaluations of activities and projects carried out under the State plan; "(5) establishes objectives, consistent with the purposes of this title, toward which activities under the plan will be directed, identifies obstacles to the attainment of those objectives, and indicates how it proposes to overcome those obstacles;

"(6) provides that each area agency on aging designated pursuant to section 304(a) (2) (A) will develop and submit to the State agency for approval an area plan which complies with section 304 (c);

"(7) provides for establishing and maintaining information and referral sources in sufficient numbers to assure that all older persons in the State who are not furnished adequate information and referral sources under section 304 (c) (3) will have reasonably convenient access to such sources;

"(8) provides that no social service will be directly provided by the State agency or an area agency on aging, except where, in the judgment of the State agency, provision of such service by the State agency or an area agency on aging is necessary to assure an adequate supply of such service; and

"(9) provides that preference shall be given to persons aged sixty or over for any staff positions (full time or part time) in State and area agencies for which such persons qualify.