Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 86.djvu/1521

 86 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 92-603-OCT. 30, 1972

and other services to help needy individuals who are 65 years of age or over, are blind, or are disabled to attain or retain capability for self-support or self-care, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year, subject to section 1130, a sum sufficient to carry out the purposes of this title. The sums made available under this section shall be used for making payments to States which have submitted, and had approved by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, State plans for services to the aged, blind, or disabled.

1479

Ante. p. 94S.

"STATE PLANS FOR SERVICES TO THE AGED, BLIND, OR DISABLED

"SEC. 602. (a) A State plan for services to the aged, blind, or disabled, must— "(1) except to the extent permitted by the Secretary, provide that it shall be in effect in all political subdivisions of the State, and if administered by them, be mandatory upon them; "(2) provide for financial participation by the State; "(3) either provide for the establishment or designation of a single State agency to administer the plan, or provide for the establishment or designation of a single State agency to supervise the administration of the plan; "(4) provide (A) such methods of administration (including methods relating to the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards on a merit basis, except that the Secretary shall exercise no authority with respect to the selection, tenure of office, and compensation of any individual employed in accordance with such methods) as are found by the Secretary to be necessary for the proper and efficient operation of the plan, and (B) for the training and effective use of paid subprofessional staff, with particular emphasis on the full-time or part-time employment of persons of low income, as community service aides, in the administration of the plan and for the use of nonpaid or partially paid volunteers in a social service volunteer program in providing services under the plan and in assisting any advisory committees established by the State agency; "(5) provide that the State agency will make such reports, in such form and containing such information, as the Secretary may from time to time require, and comply with such provisions as the Secretary may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports; "(6) provide safeguards which permit the use or disclosure of information concerning applicants or recipients only (A) to public officials who require such information in connection with their official duties, or (B) to other persons for purposes directly connected with the administration of the State plan; "(7) provide, if the plan includes services to individuals in private or public institutions, for the establishment or designation of a State authority or authorities which shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining standards for such institutions; "(8) provide a description of the services which the State agency makes available under the plan including a description of the steps taken to assure, in the provision of such services, maximum utilization of other agencies providing similar or related services; "(9) provide that, in determining whether an individual is blind, there shall be an examination by a physician skilled in the diseases of the eye or by an optometrist, whichever the individual may select; 82-081 O - 73 - 96

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