§3056d Distribution of assistance

Summary

Each year, the Secretary must set aside parts of the money for this program before giving the rest out. Up to 1.5% may be held for demonstration, pilot, and evaluation projects. Another 0.75% is reserved for U.S. territories: Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands each get 30% of that reserved amount, and the Northern Mariana Islands get 10%. The Secretary also must hold whatever is needed to give national grants to Indian aging organizations and to national Pacific Island and Asian American aging organizations that run community service jobs and other allowed activities for eligible people. After those reserves, the remaining money is split between national grants and State grants. Each State’s total share is the sum of its share of national grants plus its State grant. First, funds needed to keep the program at its fiscal year 2000 level of activities are kept in proportion to how much national and State grantees were doing in 2000; if money is not enough, those amounts are cut proportionally. Any leftover money (up to $35,000,000) is split 75% to States and 25% to national grantees; any funds beyond that are split 50/50. Shares for national grantees and for State grantees are calculated using the number of people age 55+ in each State and an “allotment percentage” that is based on the State’s per‑capita income compared to the U.S., with that percentage capped between 33% and 75% (District of Columbia and Puerto Rico use 75%). No State gets less than 0.5% of the total for all States. The law defines key terms, including how to compute “cost per authorized position” (minimum hourly wage × 21 hours × 52 weeks, plus 11% for fringe benefits, plus other costs set by the Secretary), what “level of activities” means, and that “State” does not include the four named territories.