individual (or representative, as appropriate) to 
direct and control the receipt of support services 
provided; 
‘‘(C) assist an older individual (or a rep-
resentative, as appropriate) develop a plan for 
long-term support, including the selecting, budg-
eting, and purchasing of home and community- 
based long-term care and supportive services; 
(for purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘representa-
tive’ means a person appointed by the eligible indi-
vidual, or legally acting on the individual’s behalf, to 
represent or advise the individual in financial or 
service coordination matters); 
‘‘(5) provide for the Administration to play a 
lead role with respect to issues concerning home and 
community-based long-term care, including— 
‘‘(A) directing (as the Secretary or the 
President determines to be appropriate) or other-
wise participating in departmental and inter-
departmental activities concerning long-term 
care; 
‘‘(B) reviewing and commenting on depart-
mental rules, regulations, and policies related to 
providing long-term care; and
‘‘(C) making recommendations to the Sec-
retary with respect to home and community- 
based long-term care, including recommendations 
based on findings made through projects con-
ducted under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(6) promote, in coordination with other appro-
priate Federal agencies, enhanced awareness by the 
public of the importance of planning in advance for 
long-term care and the availability of information 
and resources to assist in such planning; 
‘‘(7) implement in all states Aging and Dis-
ability Resource Centers— 
‘‘(A) to serve as visible and trusted sources 
of information on the full range of long-term 
care options that are available in the commu-
nity, including both institutional and home and 
community-based care; 
‘‘(B) to provide personalized and consumer 
friendly assistance to empower people to make 
informed decisions about their care options; 
‘‘(C) to provide coordinated and stream-
lined access to all publicly supported long-term 
care options so that consumers can obtain the 
care they need though a single intake, assessment 
and eligibility determination process;
‘‘(D) to help people to plan ahead for their 
future long-term care needs; and 
‘‘(E) to assist, in coordination with the 
State Health Insurance Assistance Program, 
Medicare beneficiaries in understanding and ac-
cessing the Prescription Drug Coverage and pre-
ventative health benefits available under the 
Medicare Modernization Act; 
‘‘(8) establish, either directly or through grants 
or contracts, a national technical assistance program 
to assist State agencies, area agencies on aging, and 
community-based service providers funded under this 
Act in implementing such home and community- 
based long-term care systems including evidence-based 
programs; 
‘‘(9) develop, in collaboration with the Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices, performance standards and measures for use by 
States to determine the extent to which their systems 
of long-term care fulfill the objectives described in this 
subsection; and 
‘‘(10) conduct such other activities as the Assist-
ant Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(c) The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, shall—
‘‘(1) encourage and permit voluntary groups ac-
tive in supportive services, including youth organiza-
tions active at the secondary or postsecondary levels, 
to participate and be involved individually or 
through representative groups, in such programs or 
activities to the maximum extent feasible; 
‘‘(2) develop a comprehensive strategy for uti-
lizing older individuals to address critical local needs 
of national concern; and 
‘‘(3) encourage other community capacity build-
ing initiatives involving older individuals.’’. 
SEC. 5. FEDERAL AGENCY CONSULTATION. 
Section 203 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3013) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(A) by striking ‘‘(with 
particular attention to low-income minority older in-
dividuals and older individuals residing in rural 
areas)’’ and inserting ‘‘(with particular attention to 
low-income older individuals, including low-income 
minority older individuals, older individuals with 
limited English proficiency, and older individuals re-
siding in rural areas)’’, and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (17) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end,