Comprehensive Older Americans Act Amendments of 1981

Comprehensive Older Americans Act Amendments of 1981 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to add to the declaration of objectives: (1) full supportive (as well as restorative) services, including assistance in avoiding institutionalization, with maximum independence for those who do require institutional care; (2) maximum opportunity to select full-time, part-time, flexible, or other appropriate employment; (3) specified education and training opportunities, including ones relating to legal, financial, and health needs; and (4) freedom from domestic violence and other violence and crime.

Revises provisions relating to the Administration on Aging to specify that: (1) the Commissioner on Aging shall be directly responsible to the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and (2) certain functions of the Commissioner may not be delegated. Includes the Grants to States for Services programs (title XX) of the Social Security Act among those programs with an impact on older persons which the Commissioner must continually evaluate. Specifies that the other agencies with which the Commissioner coordinates a national plan for training personnel in the field of agencies must be Federal and State agencies.

Requires consultation between the Commissioner and the head of the Federal agency administering: (1) continuing postsecondary education programs and planning under the Higher Education Act of 1965; (2) the Adult Education Act; and (3) the Vocational Education Act of 1963.

Requires that dissemination of information by the National Information and Resource Clearing House for the Aging be carried out quickly. Requires that the Clearing House: (1) make available through a national toll-free telephone line information concerning federally administered programs, services, and benefits for which older persons may be eligible; and (2) cooperate with other Federal, State, and local information and referral services to ensure that information concerning non-federally administered public and private benefits is available.

Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Clearing House through fiscal year 1984.

Requires that at least one member of the Federal Council on Aging be an official of a designated State agency and that at least one other member be an official of a designated area agency.

Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Council through fiscal year 1984.

Specifies that sums authorized to be appropriated to carry out certain authorized activities of the Commissioner are to go directly to the Commissioner.

Authorizes the Commissioner to request the technical assistance and cooperation of the Department of Education in carrying out the program of grants to State and community programs on aging. Defines "education and training services" for purposes of such program and includes such services among those for which current information and referrals are to be kept. Includes services designed to prevent domestic violence under the definition of legal services for purposes of such program.

Extends through fiscal year 1984 the authorizations of appropriations for grants for State and community programs on aging (relating to social services and to congregate and home delivered nutrition services).

Provides that formulas for allotments to States apply to any fiscal year in which specified sums are appropriated for such programs. Continues through fiscal year 1984 formulas to determine the Federal share of costs of such programs.

Includes legal services among the social services for which area plans for older persons must provide. Eliminates the requirement that area plans provide that: (1) 50 percent of social service grant funds will be expended for access to services, in-home services, and legal services; and (2) area agencies on aging will develop and publish methods by which priority of such services is determined. Adds a requirement that area plans provide that such agencies, where possible, enter into arrangements with local legal service providers to use services mandated for older individuals under the Legal Services Corporation Act.

Raises to $50,000 (from $20,000) the minimum amount which State agencies on aging must expend for long-term care ombudsman programs.

Revises provisions for the availability of funds for social services and nutrition services. Eliminates the requirement that State transfers of funds between the congregate and home delivered nutrition services programs "meet the needs of the area served." Prohibits States from transferring more than 20 percent of appropriated funds for any fiscal year between social services and nutrition services programs.

Requires that home delivered nutrition services projects give priority to the provision of meals during weekend periods.

Adds to training programs for personnel in the field of aging programs to assist persons involved in the provision of home delivered nutrition services in also providing related social and human services, including regular individual needs assessments.

Revises provisions for training, research, and discretionary projects and programs to provide for grants and contracts for special projects in mental health care.

Revises provisions for special demonstration projects on legal services for older Americans to permit the Commissioner to make grants and contracts for such projects to and with the designated State agencies on aging (currently, to and with public and private nonprofit agencies or organizations). Requires that there be a reservation from appropriated funds of specified or necessary amounts for such projects in fiscal years 1982 through 1984.

Authorizes appropriations in specified or necessary amounts for fiscal years 1982 through 1984 to carry out training, research, and discretionary projects and programs on aging.

Authorizes appropriations in specified or necessary amounts for fiscal years 1982 through 1984 to carry out programs for multipurpose senior centers.