42 U.S.C. § 3027 - State plans

• Cite as: 42 U.S.C. § 3027

(a) Criteria for eligibility; contents

Except as provided in the succeeding sentence and section 3029(a) of this title, each State, in order to be eligible for grants from its allotment under this subchapter for any fiscal year, shall submit to the Assistant Secretary a State plan for a two-, three-, or four-year period determined by the State agency, with such annual revisions as are necessary, which meets such criteria as the Assistant Secretary may by regulation prescribe. If the Assistant Secretary determines, in the discretion of the Assistant Secretary, that a State failed in 2 successive years to comply with the requirements under this subchapter, then the State shall submit to the Assistant Secretary a State plan for a 1-year period that meets such criteria, for subsequent years until the Assistant Secretary determines that the State is in compliance with such requirements. Each such plan shall comply with all of the following requirements:

(1) The plan shall-

(A) require each area agency on aging designated under section 3025(a)(2)(A) of this title to develop and submit to the State agency for approval, in accordance with a uniform format developed by the State agency, an area plan meeting the requirements of section 3026 of this title; and

(B) be based on such area plans.

(2) The plan shall provide that the State agency will-

(A) evaluate, using uniform procedures described in section 3012(a)(26) of this title, the need for supportive services (including legal assistance pursuant to subsection (a)(11), information and assistance, and transportation services), nutrition services, and multipurpose senior centers within the State;

(B) develop a standardized process to determine the extent to which public or private programs and resources (including volunteers and programs and services of voluntary organizations) that have the capacity and actually meet such need;

(C) specify a minimum proportion of the funds received by each area agency on aging in the State to carry out part B that will be expended (in the absence of a waiver under section 3026(c) or 3030c-3 of this title) by such area agency on aging to provide each of the categories of services specified in section 3026(a)(2) of this title.

(3) The plan shall-

(A) include (and may not be approved unless the Assistant Secretary approves) the statement and demonstration required by paragraphs (2) and (4) of section 3025(d) of this title (concerning intrastate distribution of funds); and

(B) with respect to services for older individuals residing in rural areas-

(i) provide assurances that the State agency will spend for each fiscal year, not less than the amount expended for such services for fiscal year 2000;

(ii) identify, for each fiscal year to which the plan applies, the projected costs of providing such services (including the cost of providing access to such services); and

(iii) describe the methods used to meet the needs for such services in the fiscal year preceding the first year to which such plan applies.

(4) The plan shall provide that the State agency will conduct periodic evaluations of, and public hearings on, activities and projects carried out in the State under this subchapter and subchapter XI, including evaluations of the effectiveness of services provided to individuals with greatest economic need, greatest social need, or disabilities (with particular attention to low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older individuals residing in rural areas).

(5) The plan shall provide that the State agency will-

(A) afford an opportunity for a hearing upon request, in accordance with published procedures, to any area agency on aging submitting a plan under this subchapter, to any provider of (or applicant to provide) services;

(B) issue guidelines applicable to grievance procedures required by section 3026(a)(10) of this title; and

(C) afford an opportunity for a public hearing, upon request, by any area agency on aging, by any provider of (or applicant to provide) services, or by any recipient of services under this subchapter regarding any waiver request, including those under section 3030c-3 of this title.

(6) The plan shall provide that the State agency will make such reports, in such form, and containing such information, as the Assistant Secretary may require, and comply with such requirements as the Assistant Secretary may impose to insure the correctness of such reports.

(7)

(A) The plan shall provide satisfactory assurance that such fiscal control and fund accounting procedures will be adopted as may be necessary to assure proper disbursement of, and accounting for, Federal funds paid under this subchapter to the State, including any such funds paid to the recipients of a grant or contract.

(B) The plan shall provide assurances that-

(i) no individual (appointed or otherwise) involved in the designation of the State agency or an area agency on aging, or in the designation of the head of any subdivision of the State agency or of an area agency on aging, is subject to a conflict of interest prohibited under this chapter;

(ii) no officer, employee, or other representative of the State agency or an area agency on aging is subject to a conflict of interest prohibited under this chapter; and

(iii) mechanisms are in place to identify and remove conflicts of interest prohibited under this chapter.

(8)

(A) The plan shall provide that no supportive services, nutrition services, or in-home services will be directly provided by the State agency or an area agency on aging in the State, unless, in the judgment of the State agency-

(i) provision of such services by the State agency or the area agency on aging is necessary to assure an adequate supply of such services;

(ii) such services are directly related to such State agency's or area agency on aging's administrative functions; or

(iii) such services can be provided more economically, and with comparable quality, by such State agency or area agency on aging.

(B) Regarding case management services, if the State agency or area agency on aging is already providing case management services (as of the date of submission of the plan) under a State program, the plan may specify that such agency is allowed to continue to provide case management services.

(C) The plan may specify that an area agency on aging is allowed to directly provide information and assistance services and outreach.

(9) The plan shall provide assurances that-

(A) the State agency will carry out, through the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in accordance with section 3058g of this title and this subchapter, and will expend for such purpose an amount that is not less than the amount expended by the State agency with funds received under this subchapter for fiscal year 2019, and an amount that is not less than the amount expended by the State agency with funds received under subchapter VII for fiscal year 2019; and

(B) funds made available to the State agency pursuant to section 3058g of this title shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local funds expended to support activities described in section 3058g of this title.

(10) The plan shall provide assurances that the special needs of older individuals residing in rural areas will be taken into consideration and shall describe how those needs have been met and describe how funds have been allocated to meet those needs.

(11) The plan shall provide that with respect to legal assistance-

(A) the plan contains assurances that area agencies on aging will (i) enter into contracts with providers of legal assistance which can demonstrate the experience or capacity to deliver legal assistance; (ii) include in any such contract provisions to assure that any recipient of funds under division (i) will be subject to specific restrictions and regulations promulgated under the Legal Services Corporation Act [ 42 U.S.C. 2996 et seq.] (other than restrictions and regulations governing eligibility for legal assistance under such Act and governing membership of local governing boards) as determined appropriate by the Assistant Secretary; and (iii) attempt to involve the private bar in legal assistance activities authorized under this subchapter, including groups within the private bar furnishing services to older individuals on a pro bono and reduced fee basis;

(B) the plan contains assurances that no legal assistance will be furnished unless the grantee administers a program designed to provide legal assistance to older individuals with social or economic need and has agreed, if the grantee is not a Legal Services Corporation project grantee, to coordinate its services with existing Legal Services Corporation projects in the planning and service area in order to concentrate the use of funds provided under this subchapter on individuals with the greatest such need; and the area agency on aging makes a finding, after assessment, pursuant to standards for service promulgated by the Assistant Secretary, that any grantee selected is the entity best able to provide the particular services;

(C) the State agency will provide for the coordination of the furnishing of legal services to older individuals within the State, and provide advice and technical assistance in the provision of legal services to older individuals within the State and support the furnishing of training and technical assistance for legal services for older individuals;

(D) the plan contains assurances, to the extent practicable, that legal services furnished under the plan will be in addition to any legal services for older individuals being furnished with funds from sources other than this chapter and that reasonable efforts will be made to maintain existing levels of legal services for older individuals; and

(E) the plan contains assurances that area agencies on aging will give priority to legal assistance related to income, health care, long-term care, nutrition, housing, utilities, protective services, defense of guardianship, abuse, neglect, and age discrimination.