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to discrimination among potential participants in, or bene

ficiaries of, specific federally assisted programs.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

SEC. 302. (a) The Commission is authorized to obtain, 5 through grant or contract, analyses, research, and studies by 6 independent experts of issues relating to racial and ethnic 7 discrimination in aging programs and activities and to pubglish the results thereof. For purposes of the study required 9 by this section, the Commission may accept and utilize the 10 services of voluntary or uncompensated personnel, without 11 regard to the provisions of section 105 (b) of the Civil Rights 12 Act of 1957 (42 U.S.C. 1975 (b)).

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(b) The head of each Federal department or agency 14 shall cooperate in all respects with the Commission with 15 respect to the study required by section 301, and shall pro16 vide to the Commission such data, reports, and documents 17 in connection with the subject matter of such study as the 18 Commission may request.

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REPORTS

SEC. 303. (a) Not later than 18 months after the date of

21 the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall transmit a 22 report of its findings and its recommendations for statutory 23 changes (if any) and administrative action, including sug24 gested general regulations, to the Congress and to the Presi25 dent. The Commission shall provide a copy of its report to the

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1 head of each Federal department and agency with respect to

2 which the Commission makes findings or recommendations.

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4 copy

(b) Not later than 45 working days after receiving a

of the report required by subsection (a), each Federal 5 department or agency with respect to which the Commission 6 makes its recommendations or findings shall submit its com7 ments and recommendations regarding such report to the 8 President and to the Committee on Human Resources of the 9 Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the 10 House of Representatives.

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AUTHORIZATIONS AUTHORIZED

12 SEC. 304. There are authorized to be appropriated such 13 sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this

14 title.

Senator EAGLETON. We have some witnesses this morning, a couple of whom apparently are delayed, but we fully expect they will be with us. So if we may, we will start off with Mr. Ralph McKenzie, who is director of the Louisiana State Agency on Aging. You have someone you wish to introduce?

Mr. MCKENZIE. Yes, Ms. Janet Slaybaugh. She is our assistant.
Senator EAGLETON. How do you spell your last name?
Ms. SLAYBAUGH. S-l-a-y-b-a-u-g-h.

Senator EAGLETON. What is your title?

MS. SLAYBAUGH. Assistant director.

STATEMENT OF RALPH MCKENZIE, DIRECTOR, LOUISIANA STATE AGENCY ON AGING, ACCOMPANIED BY JANET SLAYBAUGH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Mr. MCKENZIE. I am Ralph McKenzie with the Bureau of Aging Services in Baton Rouge. I was recently appointed to this position. The Bureau of Aging Services in Louisiana is under the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources. There are a couple of items that we would like to discuss with you today, primarily to focus on the goals and objectives of the Bureau as well as to point out some of our concerns in regard to coordination.

The Bureau of Aging Services has two main purposes which it fulfills. The Bureau serves as the focal point for advocacy in Louisiana on behalf of senior citizens and administers statewide the programs funded under the Older Americans Act

Senator EAGLETON. Mr. McKenzie, could I indulge your patience for a moment? I notice that Congresswoman Boggs [Applause.]

Senator EAGLETON. The record should note that Congresswoman Boggs got more applause when she came in than I did. Could we ask you to hold for a minute.

Lindy, are you going to be with us this morning?

Mrs. BoGGs. I will be with you. I don't want to interrupt.
Senator EAGLETON. Do you have an opening statement?
Mrs. BOGGS. Yes.

Senator EAGLETON. Why don't we yield at this time-
Mrs. BOGGS. I hate to do that to you.

Senator EAGLETON. [continuing] Mrs. Boggs will make an opening statement. We are delighted to have her participate in this matter. I am especially delighted since her son took me out to dinner last night.

STATEMENT OF HON. LINDY (MRS. HALE), BOGGS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

Mrs. BOGGS. Is that why I didn't have a key to my house when I came in?

Thank you very much. My apologies for not being here earlier. I am sure that some of these things have been said, but anything that Senator Eagleton or Senator Johnston said always bears repeating.

Of course, it is a pleasure for me to welcome this committee to New Orleans and especially to my own congressional district. I trust this hearing and others like it will provide an important perspective from which we, as Members of Congress, can judge how the Older Americans Act is or is not working for the good of older Americans.

It has been 12 years since Congress first enacted the Older Americans Act as the vehicle for the first social service program designed solely for this Nation's senior citizen population. The act set forth, as all of you remember, 10 objectives for Government in the areas of income maintenance, emotional and physical well-being, housing, employment, social services, and civil, cultural, and recreational opportunities.

Since its inception, the act has been amended six times to strengthen and expand its ability to address community service and social service programs. I am not going to review the history of the act at this time, but I think if we did review it, it would underscore the growing awareness that 22 million Americans over the age of 65 are a tremendous force in our daily lives. Nowhere is this growth more vividly reflected than in the increase in Federal appropriations under the Older Americans Act for research, community services, and nutrition programs for the elderly. In 1966, a total of $11.5 million and this was increased to $101 million in 1972; now the appropriation for the fiscal year 1978 is an unprecedented $699 million.

But is this amount enough to meet the needs of our senior citizens? Just last week President Carter nominated Robert Benedict to replace Arthur Fleming as Commissioner on Aging. When he testified before the House Select Committee on Aging last summer, Mr. Benedict estimated that to operate a comprehensive service system in his State, Pennsylvania, in 1976 would have cost $150 million. Yet the area agencies on aging in his State had only $44 million to spend, and only $11 million of that came from the Older Americans

Act.

One of the most significant innovations in the field of senior citizen activities is the "Network on Aging." Its purpose, in the words of the 1973 amendments, is to develop "a nationwide network of comprehensive, coordinated services" for older persons. This network is now almost totally in place with some 550 area agencies on aging in every part of the country, and State aging offices in every State of the Union working to meet the needs of the elderly.

It is important for those who use this system, and for those of us in Congress, to look at how this network and the other parts of the Older Americans Act are really affecting the lives of older Americans and whether the results are for the better.

In addition, there are other vital issues that must be pursued at this hearing and others like it. For example: Is the mechanism of the area agency successful as a major focus of programs for the elderly!

How much direction should area agencies have in nutrition and senior center programs, and other activities that are not directly within the act's purpose?

Should the area agencies plan, or should they perform? Should the agency's role be enhanced so they can reach out to tap other resources such as those of title 20, ACTION, medicaid, et cetera?

How can they better marshal the available resources? How closely should the area agencies be tied to local government?

How can the Federal Government, which pays 90 percent of the costs, assure quality in area agency operations without stifling local initiative? What can be done at the national level to enhance the visibility of programs for older people?

In light of the scheduled expiration of the Older Americans Act at the end of September 1978, it is imperative that we step up the pace of examination and evaluation.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to salute not only the committee for coming here and holding these hearings, but also the Sacred Heart Nutrition Center and the Metropolitan New Orleans Council on Aging.

Over the years, the accomplishments and services provided by these organizations have been tremendous. I know that our community dearly values their existence and accomplishments. They, along with similar organizations, deserve our gratitude and respect for the work they have done with one of our Nation's most valuable resources; our senior citizens.

Thank you so much.

[Applause.]

Senator EAGLETON. Mr. McKenzie had already started this morn ing and I ask his indulgence one more time because we have the Mayor of New Orleans that I would like to call to the table. Would you mind stepping aside just briefly, Mr. McKenzie.

[Applause.]

here

Senator EAGLETON. Mr. Mayor, we are delighted to have you and I don't say this just as idle praise, and it couldn't be more sincere on my part. Let me put it this way, being President of the United States must be a very difficult job, but I think the most difficult job of all is to be the mayor of a big city. The problems that this big city has, the whole mass of social needs, whether it is delivery of health care, parks, recreation, all the gamut of governmental endeavors, are imposed upon the shoulders of a mayor.

Seldom do you get much praise, you always hear the complaints. It is to the mayor that most people turn to get relief or redemption of some problem, or what have you. Mayor Moon Landrieu is preeminent in his field. I know he is soon to step aside in order to have a new mayor early next year, but, Mr. Landrieu, you can be enormously proud of the reputation that you have gathered for yourself around the country.

You are known not just in New Orleans or the State of Louisiana. you are known and respected and admired by many big city mayors who share your burdens, and frankly, I guess they wish they had the talents you have, Mr. Mayor. So we are delighted to have you.

STATEMENT OF HON. MOON LANDRIEU, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS

Mayor LANDRIEU. Thank you very much, Senator.

I have just recently received some praise that perhaps I am not entitled to and I was joking with Gillis Long yesterday who said

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