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Appendix 2

IMPROVEMENTS IN BENEFITS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS SUPPORTED BY SENATOR CLAIBORNE PELL

1. Cost of Living Increases

S. 1767 introduced by Senator Pell would provide for automatic increases in Social Security benefits as the cost of living increased.

2. Create Allowance for Outside Earnings

S. 1768 introduced by Senator Pell would allow a Social Security Beneficiary to earn $2,700 without reductions in Social Security Benefits.

3. Increase Benefits and Coverage

S. 923 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for:

-eliminate the Part B Physicians Premium of $5.60 Medicare.
-coverage of out-of-hospital prescription drugs under Medicare.

-15 percent raise in Social Security benefits retroactive to January, 1971.
-15 percent raise in Social Security benefits for 1972.

-increase in minimum monthly benefits from $64 a month to $100 a month in 1971 and to $120 a month in 1972.

4. Employment for Senior Citizens

S. 1307 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide a public service employment program for middle-aged and older workers.

5. Nutrition for Elderly

S. 1163 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for programs of hot meals for the elderly to be served in community centers and non-profit institutions.* 6. Household Aides

S. 882 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for the services of a household aide to be covered by the Medicare Program.

7. Transportation

S. 1124 cosponsored by Senator Pell would establish a Federal program to plan and demonstrate improved transportation services for the elderly.

S. 1554 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for reduced air fares for senior citizens.

S. 1541 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for half fare for senior citizens on transportation services supported by Federal funds.

8. Senior Centers

S. 1588 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for the construction and maintenance of multi-purpose community centers for senior citizens.

9. Nursing Homes

S. 1589 cosponsored by Senator Pell would create a rehabilitation program for patients in long-term care homes.

S. 1582 cosponsored by Senator Pell would provide for the training of nurses aides, orderlies, and medical assistants for nursing homes.

*See p. 203.

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92D CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

S. 1163

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 10, 1971

Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. EAGLETON, Mr. BIBLE, Mr. CHURCH, Mr. CRANSTON, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. Moss, Mr. PASTORE, Mr. PELL, Mr. PERCY, and Mr. TUNNEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare

A BILL

To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide grants to States for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of low-cost meal programs, nutrition training and education programs, opportunity for social contacts, and for other purposes.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. Title VII of the Older Americans Act of

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4 1965 is redesignated as title VIII, and sections 701 through

5 705 of that Act are respectively redesignated as sections 801 6 through 805.

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SEC. 2. The Older Americans Act of 1965 is amended

8 by inserting the following new title immediately after title

9 VI thereof:

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"TITLE VII-NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR THE

ELDERLY

"FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

"SEC. 701. (a) The Congress finds that the research 5 and development grants, title IV, Older Americans Act, 6 nutrition program has demonstrated the effectiveness of and 7 the need for permanent nationwide programs to provide the 8 nutritional and social needs of millions of persons aged sixty9 five or older who are unable to overcome the complex and 10 intertwining problems of inadequate diets. Many of these 11 elderly persons do not eat adequately because they cannot 12 afford to do so, while others, who are economically better off, 13 do not eat well because they lack the skills to select and pre14 pare nourishing and well-balanced meals, have limited mo15 bility which may impair their capacity to shop and cook for 16 themselves, and have feelings of rejection and loneliness 17 which obliterate the incentive necessary to prepare and eat 18 a meal alone. These and other physiological, psycho19 logical, social, and economic changes that occur with aging 20 result in a pattern of living, which causes malnutrition and 21 further physical and mental deterioration.

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"(b) In addition to the food stamp program, commodity 23 distribution systems and old-age income benefits, there is an 24 acute need for a national policy aimed at providing the 25 elderly with low cost, nutritionally sound meals served in

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1 strategically located centers such as community centers, sen2 ior citizen centers, schools, and other public or private non3 profit institutions suited to such use and through other means 4 toward this purpose. Besides promoting better health among 5 the older segment of our population through improved nutri6 tion, such a program, implemented through the use of a 7 variety of community resources, would be a means of pro8 moting greater opportunity for social contact ending the 9 isolation of old age, increasing participants' knowledge of 10 nutrition and health in general, and promoting positive men11 tal health and independence through the encouragement of greater physical and mental activities.

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"ADMINISTRATION

"SEC. 702. (a) In order to effectively carry out the

purposes of this title, the Secretary shall

"(1) administer the program through the Admin

istration on Aging; and

"(2) consult with the Secretary of Agriculture and

19 make full utilization of the Federal Extension Service,

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the Food and Nutrition Service, and other existing

services of the Department of Agriculture.

"(b) In carrying out the provisions of this title, the

23 Secretary is authorized to request the technical assistance 24 and cooperation of the Department of Labor, the Office of

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Economic Opportunity, the Department of Housing and

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1 Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and 2 such other departments and agencies of the Federal Gov3 ernment as may be appropriate.

4 "(c) The Secretary is authorized to use, with their con5 sent, the services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of 6 Federal and other agencies with or without reimbursement, 7 and on a similar basis to cooperate with other public and 8 private agencies and instrumentalities in the use of services, 9 equipment, personnel, and facilities.

10 "(d) In carrying out the purposes of this title, the Sec

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retary is authorized to provide consultative services and 12 technical assistance to any public or private nonprofit insti13 tution or organization, agency, or political subdivision of a 14 State; to provide short-term training and technical instruc

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tion; and to collect, prepare, publish, and disseminate special 16 educational or informational materials, including reports of 17 the projects for which funds are provided under this title.

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"ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS

"SEC. 703. (a) (1) From the sum appropriated for a 20 fiscal year under section 708 (A) the Commonwealth of 21 Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, 22 and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, shall each be 23 allotted an amount equal to one-fourth of 1 per centum of 24 such sum and (B) each other State shall be allotted an amount equal to one-half of 1 per centum of such sum,

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