An Act to authorize project grants and loans for construction and modernization of hospitals and other medical facilities in the District of Columbia
PL 90-457 (S.1228), enacted 08/03/1968

82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-457-AUG. 3, 1968 
631 
Public Law 90-457 
AN A C T 
August 3, 1968 
To authorize project grants and loans for construction and modernization of 
[^-1228] 
hospitals and other medical facilities in the District of Columbia. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
District o
f co-
be cited as the "District of Columbia Medical Facilities Construction F^^iuties con-
A.Ct of 1968". 
struction Act of 
1968. 
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR GRANTS 
SEC. 2. There are authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year 
ending June 30, 1969, and for each of the next three fiscal years, such 
sums as may be necessary, not to exceed in the aggregate $40,052,000, 
to enable the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the "Secretary"), to make grants to assist in 
meeting the cost of projects for the modernization of public or non-
profit private hospitals and in meeting the cost of projects for the 
construction or modernization of public health centers, long-term care 
facilities, including extended care facilities, diagnostic or treatment 
centers, rehabilitation facilities, facilities for the mentally retarded, 
and community mental health centers in the District of Columbia. 
Sums so appropriated shall remain available until expended. 
LOANS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR MODERNIZATION OF HOSPITALS AND 
OTHER HEALTH FACILITIES 
SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary may make loans to assist in meeting the 
cost of projects for the construction or modernization of any hospital 
or other facility referred to in section 2 of this Act. The Secretary may 
make a loan under this section only if he determines that the applicant 
for the loan is unable to obtain the amount of such loan for the project 
from other public or private sources at reasonable rates of interest. 
The amount of any loan made under this section may not exceed 50 
per centum of the cost of the project for which the loan is sought. 
(b) Any such loan may be made only on the basis of an application 
submitted to the Secretary in such form and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as he may prescribe. 
(c) Each such loan shall bear interest at the rate of 21^ per centum 
per annum on the unpaid balance thereof and shall be repaid over 
a period determined by the Secretary to be appropriate, but not 
exceeding 50 years. 
(d) There is authorized to be appropriated $40,575,000 to carry 
out the provisions of this section. 
Limitation. 
Interest rate. 
Appropriation. 
APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS 
SEC. 4. (a) An application for a grant or loan with respect to any 
project may be approved by the Secretary under this Act only if an 
application for a grant with respect to such project has been filed 
under a Medical Facilities Act (which for purposes of this Act means 
title VI of the Public Health Service Act or, where appropriate, title 
I I or part C of title I of the Mental Retardation Facilities and Com-
munity Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963) and— 
(1) has been approved under a Medical Facilties Act and the 
application filed under this Act is for additional funds in con-
nection therewith, or 
(2) has been denied under a Medical Facilities Act because 
insufficient funds are available from the allotments of the District 
78 Stat. 447; 
81 Stat. 541. 
42 use 291-
2910. 
77 Stat. 290; 
79 Stat. 427. 
42 use 2681 
et seq. 
77 Stat. 286. 
42 use 2671 
et seq. 
-600 O - 69 - 43 
632 
PUBLIC LAW 90-457-AUG. 3, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
Additional 
funds, availabil-
ity. 
Order of loan 
approval, criteria. 
Loan applica-
tion, review. 
Limitation. 
of Columbia under the applicable Medical Facilities Act to permit 
approval of the application. 
In determining whether to approve an application for a grant under 
a Medical Facilities Act for any project in the District of Columbia, 
the availability of additional funds for such project under this Act 
shall be taken into consideration. Approval of such application may 
be made contingent upon the approval of an application or applica-
tions with respect to such project under this Act and upon such 
additional funds being made so available. 
(b) The Secretary shall establish criteria for determining the order 
in which to approve, under this Act, applications for grants and loans 
with respect to projects. Such criteria with respect to construction 
projects for the same type of facility (or for modernization projects) 
shall be the criteria developed by the State Agency of the District of 
Columbia pursuant to the State plan approved under the applicable 
Medical Facilities Act. 
(c) In the case of any project with respect to which an application 
for a grant or loan is filed under this Act and with respect to which 
an application for a grant has been denied under a Medical Facilities 
Act, such application under this Act may be approved only if there 
is compliance with the same terms and conditions (including determi-
nation, in accordance with the applicable State plan, that the project 
is needed) as are applicable to applications for grants under the 
Medical Facilities Act, other than the availability of sufficient funds 
in the appropriate allotment of the District of Columbia. 
(d) An application for a grant or loan under this Act with respect 
to any project may not be approved unless an opportunity to review 
the application has been afforded to a body, found by the Secretary 
to be a responsible metropolitan areawide planning body, and any 
recommendations of such body that were timely made have been con-
sidered by the appropriate State agency of the District of Columbia 
and have been submitted to the Secretary in connection with the 
application. 
PAYMENTS 
SEC. 5. (a) Payments under this Act with respect to any project 
shall be made in the manner provided under the applicable Medical 
Facilities Act for payment of the Federal share of the cost of projects 
for which applications are approved under such Act; except that pay-
ments under this Act shall also be subject to such reasonable condi-
tions as the Secretary deems appropriate to safeguard the Federal 
interest. 
(b) The total of the payments of grants made under this Act with 
respect to any project, together with any payments made with respect 
thereto under a Medical Facilities Act, may not exceed— 
(1) in the case of a construction project for a lon^-term care 
facility, including extended care facilities, a diagnostic or treat-
ment center, or a rehabilitation facility, 66% per centum of the 
cost of such project; and 
(2) in the case of any other project (including a modernization 
project), 50 per centum of the cost of such project. 
RECOVERY OF PAYMENTS 
SEC. 6. (a) Payments of grants under this Act shall be subject to 
recovery or recapture under the same conditions and to the same 
extent as is provided under the applicable Medical Facilities Act with 
respect to payments made thereunder. 
(b) If, at any time before a loan made under this Act has been 
repaid in full, an event occurs for which (if a grant had been made 
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-458-AUG. 3, 1968 
633 
under a Medical Facilities Act) recovery by the United States would 
be authorized, the unpaid balance of the loan shall become immediately 
due and payable by the applicant, and any transferee of the facility 
for which such loan was made shall be liable to the United States for 
such repayment. 
MEANING OF TERMS 
SEC. 6. The terms used in this Act shall have the same meaning as 
when used in the applicable Medical Facilities Act. 
Approved August 3, 1968. 
Public Law 90-458 
AN ACT 
To establish a register of blind persons in the District of Columbia, to provide 
for the mandatory reporting of information concerning such persons, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the> Senate and House of Re-presentatwes of the 
United States of America 
in Congress assembled, That the Com-
missioner of the District of^Columbia shall establish and maintain a 
register of blind persons residing in the District of Columbia. Such 
register shall, under regulations prescribed by the District of Columbia 
Council, provide information of such nature as will or may be of 
assistance in the planning of improved facilities and services for blind 
persons and in the restoration and conservation of sight. 
SEC. 2. Each— 
(1) health, educational, and social service agency or institution 
operating in the District of Columbia and having in its care or 
custody (either full or part time), or rendering service to, any 
blind person, 
(2) physician and osteopath licensed or registered by the Dis-
trict of Columbia who has in his professional care for diagnosis 
or treatment such a person, and 
(3) optometrist licensed by the District of Columbia who, in the 
course of his practice of optometry, ascertains that a person is 
blind, 
shall report in writing to the Commissioner the name, age, and resi-
dence of such person and such additional information as the Council 
may, by regulation, require for incorporation in the register referred 
to in the first section. Such register and reports shall not be open to 
public inspection. The Commissioner may make available in the form 
of statistical abstracts or digests information contained in such register 
and reports if the identity of persons referred to in such register or 
reports is not disclosed in such abstracts or digests. 
SEC. 3. For the purpose of this Act— 
(1) the term "blind person" means, and the term "blind" refers 
to, a person who (A) is totally blind, (B) has impaired vision of 
not more than 20/200 visual acuity in the better eye and for whom 
vision cannot be improved to better than 20/200, or (C) who has 
loss of vision due wholly or in part to impairment of field vision 
or to other factors which affect the usefulness of vision to a like 
degree, 
(2) the term "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the 
District of Columbia or his designated agent, and 
(3) the term "Council" means the District of Columbia Council. 
SEC. 4. Any person who in good faith makes a report pursuant to 
this Act or pursuant to any regulation promulgated under the author-
August 3,1968 
[S.1224] 
D.C. register of 
blind persons. 
Establishment. 
Reporting of 
information. 
Definitions,