Comprehensive Older Americans Act Amendments

Comprehensive Older Americans Act Amendments - Title I: Administration on Aging - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize each area agency on aging to waive any minimum age requirement for eligibility under Title III (State and Community Programs on Aging), Title V (Multipurpose Senior Centers), or Title VII (Nutrition Programs), if such waiver is necessary or appropriate to facilitate the participation in programs under any such title by members of minority groups in particular communities or areas.

Establishes, in the Administration on Aging, the Office of Affirmative Action and Minority Affairs.

Requires the Office to: (1) review any State plan for the provision of social services to the aged to determine if such plan provides for compliance with applicable law by assuring that members of minorities are eligible to receive services under such plan in amounts which are at least proportionate to the number of such individuals in the planning and service area or State involved; and (2) develop a complaint and grievance procedure for use in communities and other areas receiving services under the provisions of the Act.

Authorizes to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the Federal Council on Aging.

Designates the Director of the National Institute on Aging as an ex officio member of the Federal Council on Aging.

Stipulates that no part of the cost of any program under this Act may be treated as income or benefits to any eligible individual, other than any wage paid, for the purpose of any other program or provision of State or Federal law. Exempts any wage received by any older person under this Act from any State or Federal income tax: (1) to the extent that such wage is for 20 hours of work or less in any work week; and (2) to the extent such wage or salary does not exceed any applicable minimum wage law.

Title II: State and Community Programs - Authorizes to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for area planning and social service programs under the Act.

Requires an area plan developed by an area agency on aging: (1) to provide for the establishment and operation of affirmative action programs designed to furnish special assistance to older persons who are members of minority groups; and (2) to provide for the designation of one or more focal points (such as multipurpose senior centers) for the delivery of social services.

Grants to any unit of general purpose local government, not designated as a planning and service area: (1) the right, before approval of the State plan, to a review of the denial of such designation by the State; and (2) the right to representation on the advisory council established pursuant to the Act for the planning and service area in which such unit is located.

Requires each State, to be eligible for grants, to provide that the State agency responsible for the programs act as an advocate for older persons, and that area agencies on aging shall act as advocates for older persons in their communities.

Authorizes each area agency to concentrate its efforts on one or more programs for purposes of complying with the State plans.

Authorizes the Commission on Aging to make grants for model projects: (1) to establish comprehensive service systems for older persons residing in rural areas which are designed to utilize approaches, methods, and techniques specially suited to rural areas; and (2) to enable older persons to provide for the security of their homes through construction modifications and the installation of security devices.

Requires each State agency responsible for the programs under this Act, to be eligible for grants, to establish an advocate program to provide advocate services to the residents of long-term care facilities.

Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to establish programs to provide legal services to older persons.

Requires the Commissioner to provide reimbursement to any State for the delivery of social services during any major disaster declared by the President.

Requires the Commissioner to establish a special grant program to enable States to establish community long-term care initiatives designed to assess the needs of chronically ill or disabled older persons and to assist in the efficient operation of a comprehensive and coordinated system for the delivery of services to such older persons.

Requires such grant program to insure that: (1) the needs of individual older persons for services are identified; (2) individual older persons are referred to appropriate services; and (3) procedures are established to insure that services continue to be responsive to the needs of individual older persons.

Title III: Training and Research - Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants: (1) to assist community colleges and junior colleges in the development of programs relating to gerontology; and (2) to develop and maintain informal educational opportunities for older persons.

Requires the Commissioner to conduct a comprehensive study of the problems of older persons residing in rural areas.

Requires the Commissioner to set aside such funds as may be necessary: (1) to train individuals who are members of minority groups and who are employed in fields related to the purposes of this Act; and (2) to conduct a study of issues relating to the needs of older persons who are members of minority groups.

Requires any multidisciplinary center of gerontology which receives a grant under the Act to establish an affirmative action plan to provide for the recruitment, enrollment, and education of individuals who are members of minority groups.

Authorizes the Commissioner to establish a grant program to make reimbursements to institutions of higher education to defray a portion of tuition costs applicable to eligible older persons at such institutions.

Sets forth information which must be included in an application from an institution of higher education in order to receive such reimbursements.

Stipulates that any older person who is qualified to enroll in any course of study at an institution of higher education receiving reimbursements under this Act shall be eligible for such enrollment without being required to defray any cost of tuition.

Title IV: Multipurpose Senior Centers - Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to provide for multipurpose senior centers which will serve as focal points in communities for the development and delivery of social services and nutritional services designed primarily for older persons. Defines the term "multipurpose senior center" as a community facility for the organization and provision of a broad spectrum of services (including provision of health, social, and educational services and provision of facilities for recreational activities) for older persons.

Requires any State desiring to receive funds for such centers to submit to the Commissioner a State plan. Sets forth specified information which must be provided in such plan.

Increases the principal obligation allowed on a mortgage for a multipurpose senior center from $250,000 to $1,000,000.

Title V: Nutrition Projects - Establishes a nutrition project for the elderly which, five or more days per week, provides at least one home-delivered meal which assures a minimum of one-third the daily recommended dietary allowances.

Stipulates that in allotting funds for nutrition projects preference shall be given to congregate projects and meals-on-wheels projects that are operating in those areas of each State that contain the highest incidence of low-income individuals, and, to the extent feasible, projects receiving allotments shall be operated by and serve the needs of, minority, Indian, and limited English-speaking eligible individuals in proportion to their numbers in their State.

Directs the Commissioner to develop minimum criteria of efficiency and quality for the furnishing of home-delivered meal services. Provides that such criteria shall be designed so that well-established meals-on-wheels programs may continue such service without major alteration in the furnishing of such services.

Requires that a State plan for a nutrition program shall provide assurances that contracts shall be made, to the maximum extent feasible, with existing meals-on-wheels organizations.

Authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 1982 for home-delivered meal nutrition programs.

Requires the Commissioner to conduct a study of the effectiveness of the national home-delivered meals program.

Title VI: Employment Opportunities - Defines an individual who has low income for purposes of Title IX (Community Service Employment for Older Americans) of the Act as an individual who receives regular cash welfare payments or whose annual income does not exceed the appropriate percentage of State median income which determines eligibility for adult services under Title XX (Grants to States for Services) of the Social Security Act.

Authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 1982 for community service employment programs for older Americans.

Title VII: White House Conference on Aging - Declares it the policy of the Congress that the Federal Government should work with the States and citizens to develop recommendations and plans to meet the needs of older persons.

Requires that programs developed under this Act place emphasis upon the right of older persons to free choice and self-help in planning their futures.

Authorizes the President of the United States to call a White House Conference on Aging in 1981 to develop recommendations for research and action in the field of aging.

Requires the Conference to include representatives of Federal, State, and local governments, professional and lay people working in the field of aging including older persons.

Directs that a final report of the White House Conference, containing a comprehensive statement of a coherent national policy on aging and the recommendations of such Conference, be submitted to the President and Congress within a specified time.

Sets forth the responsibilities and duties of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in administering this Act.

Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory committee to the Conference and such other technical committees as may be necessary to carry out such Conference.

Title VIII: General Provisions - Adds to the Older Americans Act of 1965 a new Title VIII, Grants for Indian Tribes.

Authorizes the Commissioner, under the Act, to make grants to eligible tribal organizations, as defined in this Act, to pay all of the costs for the delivery of social and nutritional services for Indians who are age 60 and over. Sets forth criteria for applications for such grants.

Authorizes the Commissioner to delegate to the Secretary of the Interior or to the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs any functions under this title.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make available surplus Indian educational facilities for use as multipurpose senior centers.

Authorizes appropriations for the program through fiscal year 1981.

Amends the formula under which funds are allocated to States for State and community programs on aging, nutrition programs for older Americans, and community service employment programs for older Americans.

Requires the Commission on Civil Rights to study the occurrence of discrimination based on race in any program designed to assist older persons which receives Federal financial assistance.

Amends the Age Discrimination Act of 1975: (1) to change the prohibition declared in the statement of purpose from unreasonable discrimination to any discrimination on the basis of age in programs receiving Federal financial assistance; (2) to authorize any person aggrieved pursuant to this Act, upon exhausting Federal administrative remedies, to bring a civil action; and (3) to require the head of each Federal agency to annually issue a report detailing the steps taken in the preceding year to carry out specified provisions of the Act.

Authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 1982 for area planning and social service programs, multipurpose senior centers, and nutrition programs under the Older Americans Act of 1965.

Authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 1979 for the National Older Americans Volunteer Programs under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.