(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.

(12) The plan shall provide, whenever the State desires to provide for a fiscal year for services for the prevention of abuse of older individuals—

(A) the plan contains assurances that any area agency on aging carrying out such services will conduct a program consistent with relevant State law and coordinated with existing State adult protective service activities for—

(i) public education to identify and prevent abuse of older individuals;

(ii) receipt of reports of abuse of older individuals;

(iii) active participation of older individuals participating in programs under this chapter through outreach, conferences, and referral of such individuals to other social service agencies or sources of assistance where appropriate and consented to by the parties to be referred; and

(iv) referral of complaints to law enforcement or public protective service agencies where appropriate;

(B) the State will not permit involuntary or coerced participation in the program of services described in this paragraph by alleged victims, abusers, or their households; and

(C) all information gathered in the course of receiving reports and making referrals shall remain confidential unless all parties to the complaint consent in writing to the release of such information, except that such information may be released to a law enforcement or public protective service agency.

(13) The plan shall provide assurances that each State will assign personnel (one of whom shall be known as a legal assistance developer) to provide State leadership in developing legal assistance programs for older individuals throughout the State.

(14) The plan shall, with respect to the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which such plan is prepared—

(A) identify the number of low-income minority older individuals in the State, including the number of low-income minority older individuals with limited English proficiency; and

(B) describe the methods used to satisfy the service needs of the low-income minority older individuals described in subparagraph (A), including the plan to meet the needs of low-income minority older individuals with limited English proficiency.

(15) The plan shall provide assurances that, if a substantial number of the older individuals residing in any planning and service area in the State are of limited English-speaking ability, then the State will require the area agency on aging for each such planning and service area—

(A) to utilize, in the delivery of outreach services under section 3026(a)(2)(A) of this title, the services of workers who are fluent in the language spoken by a predominant number of such older individuals who are of limited English-speaking ability; and

(B) to designate an individual employed by the area agency on aging, or available to such area agency on aging on a full-time basis, whose responsibilities will include—

(i) taking such action as may be appropriate to assure that counseling assistance is made available to such older individuals who are of limited English-speaking ability in order to assist such older individuals in participating in programs and receiving assistance under this chapter; and

(ii) providing guidance to individuals engaged in the delivery of supportive services under the area plan involved to enable such individuals to be aware of cultural sensitivities and to take into account effectively linguistic and cultural differences.

(16) The plan shall provide assurances that the State agency will require outreach efforts that will—

(A) identify individuals eligible for assistance under this chapter, with special emphasis on—

(i) older individuals residing in rural areas;

(ii) older individuals with greatest economic need (with particular attention to low-income older individuals, including low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older individuals residing in rural areas);

(iii) older individuals with greatest social need (with particular attention to low-income older individuals, including low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older individuals residing in rural areas);

(iv) older individuals with severe disabilities;

(v) older individuals with limited English-speaking ability; and

(vi) older individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders with neurological and organic brain dysfunction (and the caretakers of such individuals); and

(B) inform the older individuals referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) of subparagraph (A), and the caretakers of such individuals, of the availability of such assistance.

(17) The plan shall provide, with respect to the needs of older individuals with severe disabilities, assurances that the State will coordinate planning, identification, assessment of needs, and service for older individuals with disabilities with particular attention to individuals with severe disabilities with the State agencies with primary responsibility for individuals with disabilities, including severe disabilities, to enhance services and develop collaborative programs, where appropriate, to meet the needs of older individuals with disabilities.

(18) The plan shall provide assurances that area agencies on aging will conduct efforts to facilitate the coordination of community-based, long-term care services, pursuant to section 3026(a)(7) of this title, for older individuals who—

(A) reside at home and are at risk of institutionalization because of limitations on their ability to function independently;

(B) are patients in hospitals and are at risk of prolonged institutionalization; or

(C) are patients in long-term care facilities, but who can return to their homes if community-based services are provided to them.

(19) The plan shall include the assurances and description required by section 3058d(a) of this title.

(20) The plan shall provide assurances that special efforts will be made to provide technical assistance to minority providers of services.

(21) The plan shall—

(A) provide an assurance that the State agency will coordinate programs under this subchapter and programs under subchapter X, if applicable; and

(B) provide an assurance that the State agency will pursue activities to increase access by older individuals who are Native Americans to all aging programs and benefits provided by the agency, including programs and benefits provided under this subchapter, if applicable, and specify the ways in which the State agency intends to implement the activities.

(22) If case management services are offered to provide access to supportive services, the plan shall provide that the State agency shall ensure compliance with the requirements specified in section 3026(a)(8) of this title.

(23) The plan shall provide assurances that demonstrable efforts will be made—

(A) to coordinate services provided under this chapter with other State services that benefit older individuals; and

(B) to provide multigenerational activities, such as opportunities for older individuals to serve as mentors or advisers in child care, youth day care, educational assistance, at-risk youth intervention, juvenile delinquency treatment, and family support programs.

(24) The plan shall provide assurances that the State will coordinate public services within the State to assist older individuals to obtain transportation services associated with access to services provided under this subchapter, to services under subchapter X, to comprehensive counseling services, and to legal assistance.

(25) The plan shall include assurances that the State has in effect a mechanism to provide for quality in the provision of in-home services under this subchapter.

(26) The plan shall provide assurances that area agencies on aging will provide, to the extent feasible, for the furnishing of services under this chapter, consistent with self-directed care.

(27)(A) The plan shall include, at the election of the State, an assessment of how prepared the State is, under the State’s statewide service delivery model, for any anticipated change in the number of older individuals during the 10-year period following the fiscal year for which the plan is submitted.

(B) Such assessment may include—

(i) the projected change in the number of older individuals in the State;

(ii) an analysis of how such change may affect such individuals, including individuals with low incomes, individuals with greatest economic need, minority older individuals, older individuals residing in rural areas, and older individuals with limited English proficiency;

(iii) an analysis of how the programs, policies, and services provided by the State can be improved, including coordinating with area agencies on aging, and how resource levels can be adjusted to meet the needs of the changing population of older individuals in the State; and

(iv) an analysis of how the change in the number of individuals age 85 and older in the State is expected to affect the need for supportive services.

(28) The plan shall include information detailing how the State will coordinate activities, and develop long-range emergency preparedness plans, with area agencies on aging, local emergency response agencies, relief organizations, local governments, State agencies responsible for emergency preparedness, and any other institutions that have responsibility for disaster relief service delivery.

(29) The plan shall include information describing the involvement of the head of the State agency in the development, revision, and implementation of emergency preparedness plans, including the State Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.

(30) The plan shall contain an assurance that the State shall prepare and submit to the Assistant Secretary annual reports that describe—

(A) data collected to determine the services that are needed by older individuals whose needs were the focus of all centers funded under subchapter IV in fiscal year 2019;

(B) data collected to determine the effectiveness of the programs, policies, and services provided by area agencies on aging in assisting such individuals; and

(C) outreach efforts and other activities carried out to satisfy the assurances described in paragraphs (18) and (19) of section 3026(a) of this title.

(b) Approval by Assistant Secretary; waiver of requirements

(1) The Assistant Secretary shall approve any State plan which the Assistant Secretary finds fulfills the requirements of subsection (a), except the Assistant Secretary may not approve such plan unless the Assistant Secretary determines that the formula submitted under section 3025(a)(2)(D) of this title complies with the guidelines in effect under section 3025(a)(2)(C) of this title.

(2) The Assistant Secretary, in approving any State plan under this section, may waive the requirement described in paragraph (3)(B) of subsection (a) if the State agency demonstrates to the Assistant Secretary that the service needs of older individuals residing in rural areas in the State are being met, or that the number of older individuals residing in such rural areas is not sufficient to require the State agency to comply with such requirement.

(c) Notice and hearing prior to disapproval

(1) The Assistant Secretary shall not make a final determination disapproving any State plan, or any modification thereof, or make a final determination that a State is ineligible under section 3025 of this title, without first affording the State reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing.

(2) Not later than 30 days after such final determination, a State dissatisfied with such final determination may appeal such final determination to the Secretary for review. If the State timely appeals such final determination in accordance with subsection (e)(1), the Secretary shall dismiss the appeal filed under this paragraph.

(3) If the State is dissatisfied with the decision of the Secretary after review under paragraph (2), the State may appeal such decision not later than 30 days after such decision and in the manner described in subsection (e). For purposes of appellate review under the preceding sentence, a reference in subsection (e) to the Assistant Secretary shall be deemed to be a reference to the Secretary.

(d) Discontinuance of payments; disbursement of withheld funds to agencies with approved plans; matching funds

Whenever the Assistant Secretary, after reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing to the State agency, finds that—

(1) the State is not eligible under section 3025 of this title,

(2) the State plan has been so changed that it no longer complies substantially with the provisions of subsection (a), or

(3) in the administration of the plan there is a failure to comply substantially with any such provision of subsection (a),

the Assistant Secretary shall notify such State agency that no further payments from its allotments under section 3024 of this title and section 3028 of this title will be made to the State (or, in the Assistant Secretary’s discretion, that further payments to the State will be limited to projects under or portions of the State plan not affected by such failure), until the Assistant Secretary is satisfied that there will no longer be any failure to comply. Until the Assistant Secretary is so satisfied, no further payments shall be made to such State from its allotments under section 3024 of this title and section 3028 of this title (or payments shall be limited to projects under or portions of the State plan not affected by such failure). The Assistant Secretary shall, in accordance with regulations the Assistant Secretary shall prescribe, disburse the funds so withheld directly to any public or nonprofit private organization or agency or political subdivision of such State submitting an approved plan in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any such payment shall be matched in the proportions specified in section 3024 of this title.

(e) Appeal

(1) A State which is dissatisfied with a final action of the Assistant Secretary under subsection (b), (c), or (d) may appeal to the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the State is located, by filing a petition with such court within 30 days after such final action. A copy of the petition shall be forthwith transmitted by the clerk of the court to the Assistant Secretary, or any officer designated by the Assistant Secretary for such purpose. The Assistant Secretary thereupon shall file in the court the record of the proceedings on which the Assistant Secretary’s action is based, as provided in section 2112 of title 28.

(2) Upon the filing of such petition, the court shall have jurisdiction to affirm the action of the Assistant Secretary or to set it aside, in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently, but until the filing of the record, the Assistant Secretary may modify or set aside the Assistant Secretary’s order. The findings of the Assistant Secretary as to the facts, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive, but the court, for good cause shown, may remand the case to the Assistant Secretary to take further evidence, and the Assistant Secretary shall, within 30 days, file in the court the record of those further proceedings. Such new or modified findings of fact shall likewise be conclusive if supported by substantial evidence. The judgment of the court affirming or setting aside, in whole or in part, any action of the Assistant Secretary shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in section 1254 of title 28.

(3) The commencement of proceedings under this subsection shall not, unless so specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the Assistant Secretary’s action.

(f) Confidentiality of information relating to legal assistance

Neither a State, nor a State agency, may require any provider of legal assistance under this subchapter to reveal any information that is protected by the attorney-client privilege.