The Commissioner is directed to conduct a comprehensive study and survey, including research and demonstration projects, of the transportation problems of older Americans and submit a report on his findings and recommendations to the Congress by January 1, 1975. Another part of Title IV authorizes the Commissioner to make grants for the establishment of support of multidisciplinary centers of gerontology which will: Recruit and train personnel; Conduct basic and applied nonmedical research; Serve as a repository of information; Stimulate the incorporation of information on aging into the teaching of biological, behavioral, and social sciences at colleges or universities; Develop training programs on aging; and Create opportunities for innovative, multidisciplinary efforts in teaching, research and demonstrations on aging. Appropriations of "such sums as may be necessary" are authorized for fiscal years 1973, 1974, and 1975 for carrying out the programs under Title IV. TITLE V-MULTIPURPOSE SENIOR CENTERS Title V authorizes several new programs to assist in establishing and operating multipurpose senior centers. The Commissioner is authorized to make grants and contracts to pay up to 75 percent of the cost of acquiring, altering, or renovating facilities to serve as multipurpose senior centers. He may approve a grant or contract only if he determines that: The facility will be used for a multipurpose senior center for not less than 10 years after purchase; there will be sufficient funds to meet the non-Federal share of the purchase cost; sufficient funds will be available for effective use of the facility; the facility will not be used for religious purposes; there are no existing facilities in the community suitable for leasing; the plans and specifications are in accordance with construction and equipment regulations; and workmen will be paid wages at certain minimum rates. Appropriations of "such sums as may be necessary" are authorized for acquisition, alteration, or renovation of centers for fiscal years 1973, 1974, and 1975. Unobligated funds at the end of any fiscal year will remain available for the next year. Title V also authorizes the Secretary to insure any mortgage (with a principal obligation less than $250,000) which covers a new multipurpose senior center, including equipment to be used in its operation. Not over 90 percent of the estimated replacement cost of the property or project, including equipment, can be insured. In addition, a multipurpose Senior Center Insurance Fund is created to be used by the Secretary as a revolving fund for carrying out the Act's insurance provisions. Such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated to provide initial capital for the Fund and to assure the soundness of the Fund after it is set up. In addition, Title V authorizes the Secretary to assist nonprofit private agencies to reduce the cost of borrowing from other sources for the acquisition, alteration, or renovation of facilities by making annual interest grants (over a maximum of forty years) to such agencies. Each grant is authorized to be in an amount not greater than the difference between the average annual debt service which would be required to be paid, and the average annual debt service which the institution would have been required to pay, during the life of the loan, if the applicable interest rate were 3 percent per year. These interest grants cannot be entered into in an aggregate amount greater than is authorized in appropriations act and not more than 12% percent of the funds provided for this purpose can be used within any one State. Finally the new Title V authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to meet all or part of the costs of compensation of professional and technical personnel for the initial operation of new multipurpose senior centers. However, these grants are limited to three years and cannot exceed 75 percent of initial staffing costs for the first year, 66% percent for the second year, and 50 percent for the third year. TITLE VI-NATIONAL OLDER AMERICANS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Title VI of the bill makes several changes in Title VI of the Act, which relates to the National Older Americans Volunteer Program. One amendment prohibits consideration of compensation of individuals in the R.S.V.P., Foster Grandparent Program, and other Title VI programs as income for any purpose whatever. Another amendment extends and increases R.S.V.P. authorization to $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1973, $17,500,000 for fiscal year 1974, and $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1975. It also broadens Sec. 611 of the Older Americans Act to authorize not only The Foster Grandparent Program which was already in existence, but also new "Older Americans Community Service Programs", under which the Commissioner is authorized to make grants and contracts to pay all or part of the cost of development and operation of projects to provide additional service opportunities for lowincome persons aged sixty or over, to serve persons (other than children) having exceptional needs, including services as "senior health aides" to work with persons receiving home health care and nursing care, and as "senior companions" to persons having developmental disabilities. Title VI increases authorizations for the Foster Grandparent Program and extends the authorizations for the three years. TITLE VII-NUTRITIONAL PROGRAM Title VII of the bill amends the recently enacted P.L. 92-258, which authorized the "Nutrition Program for the Elderly" as a new Title VII of the Older Americans Act. Title VII of the bill amends section 707 of the Act to authorize the Department of Agriculture to donate surplus commodities acquired by it under two statutory authorities, in addition to the one already permitted by law, for use in projects providing nutritional services for the elderly. The new title also permits nutrition projects assisted under this title to be made a part of the comprehensive and coordinated systems established under Title III, as revised by this bill, when mutually agreed upon by recipients of nutrition grants and contracts and by area planning and service area agencies. It also provides that the 10 percent limitation upon costs of administration, which was already in the Act, will apply only to fiscal year 1973, and that, for fiscal year 1974 and subsequent years, the use of funds allotted to a State for State planning and administration under Title III may be used to administer the Nutrition program in that State, unless an Agency other than the State agency on aging has been designated to administer the nutrition program, in which case the Commissioner will determine how much of the State's Title III funds of that type can be so used. Finally it makes the Commissioner, rather than the Secretary, the officer of primary responsibility and authority for the Title VII nutrition program. TITLE VIII-AMENDMENTS TO OTHER ACTS Title VII amends the Library Services and Construction Act, the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act, the Higher Education Act, the Adult Education Act and the Economic Opportunity Act to make them more responsive to the needs of the elderly. The Library Services and Construction Act is amended to authorize the Commissioner (of Education) to make grants to States for library services for older persons. These grants will be used for: The training of librarians to work with the elderly; The conduct of special library programs and the purchase of special materials for the elderly; The payment of salaries for elderly persons who wish to work in libraries; The provision of in-home visits to the elderly; The establishment of outreach programs; The furnishing of transportation; to enable the elderly to have access to library services. Such sums as may be necessary are authorized for each fiscal year 1973 through fiscal year 1976 for grants to the States to carry out public library service programs for older persons. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act is amended to require that the Commission authorized by that Act study and analyze the library and informational needs of elderly persons, and that at least one of the members of the Commission be knowledgeable with respect to the library and information service and science needs of the elderly. The Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended to authorize the Commissioner of Education to make grants to institutions of higher education to assist them in planning, developing, and carrying out programs specifically designed to apply the resources of higher education to the problems of the elderly, particularly with regard to transportation and certain housing problems. Such sums as may be necessary are authorized for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, and each succeeding fiscal year ending prior The Adult Education Act is amended to authorize the Commissioner of Education to make grants for educational programs for elderly persons with limited ability to speak and read the English language. Such sums as may be necessary are authorized for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, and each succeeding fiscal year ending prior to July 1, 1975 for this program. The Economic Opportunity Act is amended to authorize such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1973 and 1974 for the Senior Opportunities and Services programs. TITLE IX-COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT FOR OLDER AMERICANS Title IX of the bill authorizes a new statute called the "Older Americans Community Service Employment Act". It authorizes the Secretary of Labor to establish an older American community service employment program to promote useful part-time work opportunities in community service activities for unemployed low-income persons who are 55 years of age and older and who have poor employment prospects. The Secretary is authorized to enter into agreements with public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations which will provide employment for such persons in their own communities or in nearby communities. To be funded under the new Act, projects are required to meet certain requirements. Up to 90 percent of the costs of projects may be paid by the Secretary, and he may pay up to 100 percent of the cost of emergency or disaster projects and for projects in economically depressed areas. Furthermore the Secretary of Labor is required to consult and cooperate with the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Administration on Aging, and other related Federal agencies administering related programs, with a view to achieving coordination with their programs, and to promote coordination of projects under this act with other public and private programs or projects of a similar nature. To carry out this program, there is authorized to be appropriated |