(a) Duties of designated agency

In order for a State to be eligible to participate in programs of grants to States from allotments under this subchapter—

(1) the State shall, in accordance with regulations of the Assistant Secretary, designate a State agency as the sole State agency to—

(A) develop a State plan to be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for approval under section 3027 of this title;

(B) administer the State plan within such State;

(C) be primarily responsible for the planning, policy development, administration, coordination, priority setting, and evaluation of all State activities related to the objectives of this chapter;

(D) serve as an effective and visible advocate for older individuals by reviewing and commenting upon all State plans, budgets, and policies which affect older individuals and providing technical assistance to any agency, organization, association, or individual representing the needs of older individuals; and

(E) divide the State into distinct planning and service areas (or in the case of a State specified in subsection (b)(5)(A), designate the entire State as a single planning and service area), in accordance with guidelines issued by the Assistant Secretary, after considering the geographical distribution of older individuals in the State, the incidence of the need for supportive services, nutrition services, multipurpose senior centers, and legal assistance, the distribution of older individuals who have 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) residing in such areas, the distribution of older individuals who have 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) residing in such areas, the distribution of older individuals who are Indians residing in such areas, the distribution of resources available to provide such services or centers, the boundaries of existing areas within the State which were drawn for the planning or administration of supportive services programs, the location of units of general purpose local government within the State, and any other relevant factors;

(2) the State agency shall—

(A) except as provided in subsection (b)(5), designate for each such area after consideration of the views offered by the unit or units of general purpose local government in such area, a public or private nonprofit agency or organization as the area agency on aging for such area;

(B) provide assurances, satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary, that the State agency will take into account, in connection with matters of general policy arising in the development and administration of the State plan for any fiscal year, the views of recipients of supportive services or nutrition services, or individuals using multipurpose senior centers provided under such plan;

(C) in consultation with area agencies, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Assistant Secretary, and using the best available data, develop and publish for review and comment a formula for distribution within the State of funds received under this subchapter that takes into account—

(i) the geographical distribution of older individuals in the State; and

(ii) the distribution among planning and service areas of older individuals with greatest economic need and older individuals with greatest social need, with particular attention to low-income minority older individuals;

(D) submit its formula developed under subparagraph (C) to the Assistant Secretary for approval;

(E) provide assurances that preference will be given to providing services to older individuals with greatest economic need and 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), and include proposed methods of carrying out the preference in the State plan;

(F) provide assurances that the State agency will require use of outreach efforts described in section 3027(a)(16) of this title; and

(G)(i) set specific objectives, in consultation with area agencies on aging, for each planning and service area for providing services funded under this subchapter to low-income minority older individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas;

(ii) provide an assurance that the State agency will undertake specific program development, advocacy, and outreach efforts focused on the needs of low-income minority older individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas; and

(iii) provide a description of the efforts described in clause (ii) that will be undertaken by the State agency; and

(3) the State agency shall, consistent with this section, promote the development and implementation of a State system of long-term care that is a comprehensive, coordinated system that enables older individuals to receive long-term care in home and community-based settings, in a manner responsive to the needs and preferences of the older individuals and their family caregivers, by—

(A) collaborating, coordinating, and consulting with other agencies in such State responsible for formulating, implementing, and administering programs, benefits, and services related to providing long-term care;

(B) participating in any State government activities concerning long-term care, including reviewing and commenting on any State rules, regulations, and policies related to long-term care;

(C) conducting analyses and making recommendations with respect to strategies for modifying the State system of long-term care to better—

(i) respond to the needs and preferences of older individuals and family caregivers;

(ii) facilitate the provision, by service providers, of long-term care in home and community-based settings; and

(iii) target services to individuals at risk for institutional placement, to permit such individuals to remain in home and community-based settings;

(D) implementing (through area agencies on aging, service providers, and such other entities as the State determines to be appropriate) evidence-based programs to assist older individuals and their family caregivers in learning about and making behavioral changes intended to reduce the risk of injury, disease, and disability among older individuals; and

(E) providing for the availability and distribution (through public education campaigns, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, area agencies on aging, and other appropriate means) of information relating to—

(i) the need to plan in advance for long-term care; and

(ii) the full range of available public and private long-term care (including integrated long-term care) programs, options, service providers, and resources.

(b) Planning and service areas

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(1) In carrying out the requirement of subsection (a)(1), the State may designate as a planning and service area any unit of general purpose local government which has a population of 100,000 or more. In any case in which a unit of general purpose local government makes application to the State agency under the preceding sentence to be designated as a planning and service area, the State agency shall, upon request, provide an opportunity for a hearing to such unit of general purpose local government. A State may designate as a planning and service area under subsection (a)(1), any region within the State recognized for purposes of areawide planning which includes one or more such units of general purpose local government when the State determines that the designation of such a regional planning and service area is necessary for, and will enhance, the effective administration of the programs authorized by this subchapter. The State may include in any planning and service area designated under subsection (a)(1) such additional areas adjacent to the unit of general purpose local government or regions so designated as the State determines to be necessary for, and will enhance the effective administration of the programs authorized by this subchapter.

(2) The State is encouraged in carrying out the requirement of subsection (a)(1) to include the area covered by the appropriate economic development district involved in any planning and service area designated under subsection (a)(1), and to include all portions of an Indian reservation within a single planning and service area, if feasible.

(3) The chief executive officer of each State in which a planning and service area crosses State boundaries, or in which an interstate Indian reservation is located, may apply to the Assistant Secretary to request redesignation as an interstate planning and service area comprising the entire metropolitan area or Indian reservation. If the Assistant Secretary approves such an application, the Assistant Secretary shall adjust the State allotments of the areas within the planning and service area in which the interstate planning and service area is established to reflect the number of older individuals within the area who will be served by an interstate planning and service area not within the State.

(4) Whenever a unit of general purpose local government, a region, a metropolitan area or an Indian reservation is denied designation under the provisions of subsection (a)(1), such unit of general purpose local government, region, metropolitan area, or Indian reservation may appeal the decision of the State agency to the Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary shall afford such unit, region, metropolitan area, or Indian reservation an opportunity for a hearing. In carrying out the provisions of this paragraph, the Assistant Secretary may approve the decision of the State agency, disapprove the decision of the State agency and require the State agency to designate the unit, region, area, or Indian reservation appealing the decision as a planning and service area, or take such other action as the Assistant Secretary deems appropriate.

(5)(A) A State which on or before October 1, 1980, had designated, with the approval of the Assistant Secretary, a single planning and service area covering all of the older individuals in the State, in which the State agency was administering the area plan, may after that date designate one or more additional planning and service areas within the State to be administered by public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations as area agencies on aging, after considering the factors specified in subsection (a)(1)(E). The State agency shall continue to perform the functions of an area agency on aging for any area of the State not included in a planning and service area for which an area agency on aging has been designated.

(B) Whenever a State agency designates a new area agency on aging after October 9, 1984, the State agency shall give the right to first refusal to a unit of general purpose local government if (i) such unit can meet the requirements of subsection (c), and (ii) the boundaries of such a unit and the boundaries of the area are reasonably contiguous.

(C)(i) A State agency shall establish and follow appropriate procedures to provide due process to affected parties, if the State agency initiates an action or proceeding to—

(I) revoke the designation of the area agency on aging under subsection (a);

(II) designate an additional planning and service area in a State;

(III) divide the State into different planning and service areas; or

(IV) otherwise affect the boundaries of the planning and service areas in the State.

(ii) The procedures described in clause (i) shall include procedures for—

(I) providing notice of an action or proceeding described in clause (i);

(II) documenting the need for the action or proceeding;

(III) conducting a public hearing for the action or proceeding;

(IV) involving area agencies on aging, service providers, and older individuals in the action or proceeding; and

(V) allowing an appeal of the decision of the State agency in the action or proceeding to the Assistant Secretary.

(iii) An adversely affected party involved in an action or proceeding described in clause (i) may bring an appeal described in clause (ii)(V) on the basis of—

(I) the facts and merits of the matter that is the subject of the action or proceeding; or

(II) procedural grounds.

(iv) In deciding an appeal described in clause (ii)(V), the Assistant Secretary may affirm or set aside the decision of the State agency. If the Assistant Secretary sets aside the decision, and the State agency has taken an action described in subclauses (I) through (III) of clause (i), the State agency shall nullify the action.

(c) Eligible State area agencies; development of area; preferred area agency on aging designees

An area agency on aging designated under subsection (a) shall be—

(1) an established office of aging which is operating within a planning and service area designated under subsection (a);

(2) any office or agency of a unit of general purpose local government, which is designated to function only for the purpose of serving as an area agency on aging by the chief elected official of such unit;

(3) any office or agency designated by the appropriate chief elected officials of any combination of units of general purpose local government to act only on behalf of such combination for such purpose;

(4) any public or nonprofit private agency in a planning and service area, or any separate organizational unit within such agency, which is under the supervision or direction for this purpose of the designated State agency and which can and will engage only in the planning or provision of a broad range of supportive services, or nutrition services within such planning and service area; or

(5) in the case of a State specified in subsection (b)(5), the State agency;

and shall provide assurance, determined adequate by the State agency, that the area agency on aging will have the ability to develop an area plan and to carry out, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, a program in accordance with the plan within the planning and service area. In designating an area agency on aging within the planning and service area or within any unit of general purpose local government designated as a planning and service area the State shall give preference to an established office on aging, unless the State agency finds that no such office within the planning and service area will have the capacity to carry out the area plan.

(d) Publication for review and comment; contents

The publication for review and comment required by paragraph (2)(C) of subsection (a) shall include—

(1) a descriptive statement of the formula’s assumptions and goals, and the application of the definitions of greatest economic or social need,

(2) a numerical statement of the actual funding formula to be used,

(3) a listing of the population, economic, and social data to be used for each planning and service area in the State, and

(4) a demonstration of the allocation of funds, pursuant to the funding formula, to each planning and service area in the State.