TO AUTHORIZE THE OPERATION BY BLIND PERSONS OF STANDS IN FEDERAL BUILDINGS THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1939 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, A subcommittee this day met at 10:35 a. m., Hon. Clyde H. Smith, presiding, for consideration of H. R. 4927, which reads as follows: [H. R. 4927, 76th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To amend the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the operation of stands in Federal buildings by blind persons, to enlarge the economic opportunities of the blind, and for other purposes," approved June 20, 1936 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first section of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the operation of stands in Federal buildings by blind persons, to enlarge the economic opportunities of the blind, and for other purposes," approved June 20, 1936, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: "If the head of any such department or agency, or other person in charge of a Federal building, determines that tobacco products, candy, soft drinks, periodicals, or any other similar merchandise is to be sold in any Federal building, other than the United States Capitol and the Senate and House of Representatives Office Buildings, the exclusive privilege to sell such merchandise in such building shall be granted to blind persons. SEC. 2. Section 3 of such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(b) After designation as the State licensing agency, if any such agency shall fail to comply with the terms of such agreement or shall cease to exist, the Commissioner of Education may make such provision as he deems advisable for the supervision of such standards established by any such agency under the provisions of this Act until such time as another such agency is designated." SEC. 3. Subsection (b) of section 6 of such Act is amended to read as follows: "(b) The term 'blind person' shall mean a person having not more than 20/200 of visual acuity in the better eye with maximum correction or a person whose field of vision is limited to twenty degrees or less from the fixation point in all quadrants." SEC. 4. Section 6 of such Act is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(d) The term 'Federal building' shall include buildings, land, and other property such as national parks, owned or leased by the Federal Government, and buildings and other property owned or leased by the District of Columbia government." SEC. 5. Section 7 of such Act is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 7. (a) For the purchase, installation, and maintenance of fixtures and equipment for vending stands in Federal buildings, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal years 1940 and 1941 the sum of $250,000 for each such fiscal year and annually thereafter the sum of $100,000. 1 "(b) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually the sum of $100,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the administration of this Act." SEC. 6. Such Act is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sections: "SEC. 8. For the purpose of enabling each State to establish, extend, and improve the service to blind persons with respect to operating vending stands in Federal and other buildings and to provide such persons with other employment opportunities, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year, beginning with the fiscal year 1940, the sum of $550,000, to be used for making payments to States which annually have submitted, and had approved by the Commissioner, State plans for establishing blind persons in such stands. "SEC. 9. (a) Out of the sums appropriated for each fiscal year pursuant to section 8 of this Act, the Commissioner shall make allotments to each State in the proportion which the populations in each State bear to the total population in the United States, as determined by the last decennial census; but the allotment to any State shall not be less than $2,500 for any year. "(b) On July 1 and January 1 of each year, the Commissioner shall issue to the Secretary of the Treasury a certificate of allotment for each State having a plan for the establishment of blind persons in vending stands which has been approved by the Commissioner, showing the amount which each State is entitled to receive, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall, as early as practicable thereafter, pay to each State the amount so certified. "(c) Such amounts may be expended for salaries and necessary expenses of directors, supervisors, and agents; for salaries of clerical personnel; for equipment, tools, supplies, and tuition for blind persons being trained to operate vending stands; for stand equipment in other than Federal buildings; and for the furnishing of initial stock for use in such stands; and for any necessary items for use in the development of other employment opportunities. "SEC. 10. A State plan for the establishment of blind persons in such vending stands must (1) provide for financial participation by the State on the basis of the expenditure, under the supervision and control of the agency designated by the Commissioner, of at least $1 of State money for each dollar of Federal money expended for the same purpose, (2) provide that financial and other aid being extended by a State, without Federal assistance, for the rehabilitation of blind persons shall not be decreased, (3) provide for the administration or supervision of the plan by a State agency designated in accordance with section 3 of this Act, (4) set forth the policies and methods to be used in carrying out the plan, (5) set forth the qualifications of the personnel to be employed in the administration and supervision by the State of the plan, and (6) provide 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 provisions as the Commissioner may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports. "SEC. 11. If the Secretary of the Interior, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing to the State agency administering or supervising the administration of an approved plan, finds that there has been a failure by such State agency to substantially comply with any provision required by section 10 of this Act to be included in this plan, he shall notify such State agency that further payments will not be made to the State until he is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply. Until he is so satisfied the Commissioner shall make no further certification to the Secretary of the Treasury with respect to such State. "SEC. 12. On or before September 1 of each year the State agency administering the State plan shall submit to the Commissioner a report on the work done in the State and on the receipts and expenditures of money under the provisions of this Act, in addition to such reports as the Commissioner may require under provisions of the State plan." STATEMENT OF JOSEPH F. CLUNK, OFFICE OF EDUCATION, Mr. SMITH. The subcommittee will please be in order. It is time to begin our hearing, although the other members of the subcommittee are not present. They will be here shortly, as I understand. Who is to be heard first? |