[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 138 (Saturday, October 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1998-E1999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 OLDER AMERICANS ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. WILLIAM F. GOODLING

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2000

  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of 
the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000. It has taken a lot of hard 
work and a long time to reach this point. In fact, the last time this 
bill was authorized was in 1992.
  First, I would like to take a moment and thank several of my 
colleagues who have worked many, many hours to reach a bipartisan 
agreement and to bring this bill to the Floor.
  Since February of last year, Ranking Member Clay, Subcommittee 
Chairman McKeon, Congressman Martinez and Congressman Bill Barrett have 
been hard at work crafting a bipartisan proposal, which provides for 
the needs of older Americans and which makes several overdue changes in 
the Older Americans Act.
  The fruits of their labor were rewarded earlier this month, when we 
reached a bipartisan

[[Page E1999]]

``pre-conference agreement'' with our colleagues in the other body.
  It is this bipartisan House and Senate agreement that we will be 
voting on today.
  The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 modernizes the Older 
Americans Act by streamlining services and ensuring flexibility at the 
local level. This program provides for better and faster delivery of 
services to seniors most in need.
  Specifically, this legislation protects key programs like disease 
prevention, the state long-term ombudsman program, elder abuse 
prevention, ``Meals on Wheels'', and legal assistance, and consolidates 
others.
  For example, two existing programs are consolidated into a new Family 
Caregiver program which assists families who care for frail loved ones. 
This program will help frail older Americans remain in their own homes. 
It provides information, counseling, supportive services, and respite 
care to family members faced with the often daunting challenge of 
caring for their older family members on a daily basis.
  As for nutrition services, we have increased the transfer authority 
between the in-home meals program and the congregate program from 30 
percent to 40 percent, with a waiver provision that would permit the 
transfer of an additional 10 percent. This provision will provide 
states and local providers the ability to move funds around to better 
serve the nutritional needs of participating seniors.
  We have also added language to ensure that the meals served under 
this Act are appealing to senior participants and take into account 
their unique dietary needs. We have encouraged states to ensure meals 
do not spend an inordinate amount of time in transit before they have 
been served.
  Another major change involves the additional funds provided to states 
by the Department of Agriculture to supplement payments under Title III 
of the Older Americans Act. At the present time, states often do not 
know the amount of funding they will receive from USDA until the end of 
the year. This legislation modifies the formula for distributing USDA 
funds so that payments are made using prior year's data. This will 
speed the delivery of funds to states and improve their ability to 
provide important nutritional assistance to seniors.
  As many here know, Title III is the very heart of the Older Americans 
Act and provides grants to states and area agencies on aging for a 
variety of programs benefiting the elderly--everything from ``Meals on 
Wheels'', to disease prevention, to senior centers.
  I am pleased to report that our bill ensures that no state will 
receive less than it received under the Title III funding formula in FY 
2000. And, every state is guaranteed a certain percentage of any new 
money that is appropriated above the FY 2000 level. This means that 
states with large senior populations will begin to receive their fair 
share of future Title III funding.
  This legislation also ensures that Older Americans Act funds are more 
equitably distributed between urban and rural areas. Not only must 
particular attention be paid to low-income minority individuals, it 
also must be paid to older individuals residing in rural areas.
  Specifically, this bill requires that the state 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 how funds have been allocated to meet 
those needs.
  Finally, our bill reforms the Senior Community Service Employment 
Program (Title V) by instituting much-needed performance standards. 
And, when I say these standards are needed, I mean they are needed.
  This business of Washington-based organizations receiving Title V 
funds year in and year out without even a small amount of 
accountability is over once this bill is signed into law.
  For far too long ten national organizations have been receiving 78 
percent of Title V funding with no questions asked because 
appropriations language has consistently superseded the authority 
statute.
  This means that only a mere 22 percent goes to state agencies. It 
also means that states have very little authority to direct national 
organizations to serve seniors in certain parts of their states. In 
fact, states are often left to fill in the gaps with very few 
resources.
  Our legislation begins to address this problem by ensuring that 
states will receive the bulk of any new money that is appropriated 
above what is needed to match the national organizations' and state 
agencies' FY 2000 ``level of effort.''
  Specifically, the first $35 million in funds above the FY 2000 
``level of effort'' will be allocated 75 percent to the state agencies 
and 25 percent to the national organizations. New funding above the 
first $35 million will be allocated 50% to state agencies and 50 
percent to national organizations.
  The bill also requires national organizations and states to work 
together to ensure the equitable distribution of employment positions 
within the state.
  More importantly, and for the first time ever, we require all Title V 
grantees to meet strict performance standards. And before a grant 
applicant may be selected, the Secretary of Labor must conduct a 
records review to assess the applicant's qualifications for 
administering federal funds.
  Specifically, the bill requires that the performance of all Title V 
grantees will be evaluated annually on a national basis and state 
basis. Performance of both types of grantees, national organizations 
and state agencies, will be judged regardless of whether the grantees 
operate the program directly, or through contracts or agreements with 
other agencies. And, grantees must agree to an evaluation of their 
performance as a condition of the grant.
  When reviewing the applicant's overall responsibility to administer 
federal funds, the Secretary of Labor is also authorized to consider 
any information, including the organization's history in the management 
of other grants.
  Our hope is that this will cut down on the number of troubling audit 
reports that have been piling up at the Department of Labor's Inspector 
General's Office. The quicker we can get the bad actors out of this 
program, the better off all the participants will be.
  Let me just say that as a young-older American myself, if doesn't 
take much imagination to see a need for the programs of the Older 
Americans Act.
  For millions of older Americans something as simple as a home 
delivered meal, a place to socialize, or a helping hand around the 
house, can make all the difference in the world to he enjoyment of life 
in one's later years. Our legislation represents one small step in 
making this a reality.
  I urge my colleagues to support the millions of older Americans that 
have contributed so much to our country and its greatness. Vote ``yes'' 
for America's seniors by voting ``yes'' on the Older Americans Act 
Amendments of 2000.

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