Social Security Act of 1935
TITLE X- GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID TO THE BLIND
Appropriation
State Plans for Aid to the Blind
Payment to States
Operation of State Plans
Administration
Definition
SECTION 1001. For the purpose of enabling each State to furnish financial assistance, as far as practicable under the conditions in such State, to needy individuals who are blind, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1936, the sum of $3,000,000, and there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year thereafter 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 Social Security Board, State plans for aid to the blind.
STATE PLANS FOR AID TO THE BLIND
SEC. 1002. (a) A State plan for aid to the blind must
(1) 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 for granting to any individual, whose claim for aid is denied,
an oppor- tunity for a fair hearing before such State agency;
(5) provide such methods of administration (other than those relating
to selection, tenure of office, and compensation of personnel) as are
found by the Board to be necessary for the efficient operation of the
plan;
(6) provide that the State agency will make such reports, in such form
and containing such information, as the Board may from time to time
require, and comply with such provisions as the Board may from time
to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of
such reports; and
(7) provide that no aid will be furnished any individual under the plan
with respect to any period with respect to which he is receiving old-age
assistance under the State plan approved under section 2 of this Act.
(b) The Board shall approve any plan which fulfills the conditions specified
in subsection (a), except that it shall not approve any plan which imposes,
as a condition of eligibility for aid to the blind under the plan-
(1) Any residence requirement which excludes any resident of the State
who has resided therein five years during the nine years immediately
preceding the application for aid and has resided therein continuously
for one year immediately preceding the application or
(2) Any citizenship requirement which excludes any citizen of the United
States.
SEC. 1003. (a) From the sums appropriated therefor, the Secretary of
the Treasury shall pay to each State which has an approved plan for
aid to the blind, for each quarter, beginning with the quarter commencing
July 1, 1935,
(1) an amount which shall be used exclusively as aid to the blind equal
to one-half of the total of the sums expended during such quarter as
aid to the blind under the State plan with respect to each individual
who is blind and is not an inmate of a public institution not counting
so much of such expenditure with respect to any individual for any month
as exceeds $30, and
(2) 5 per centum of such amount, which shall be used for paying the
costs of administering the State plan or for aid to the blind, or both,
and for no other purpose.
(b) The method of computing and paying such amounts shall be as follows:
(1) The Board shall, prior to the beginning of each quarter, estimate
the amount to be paid to the State for such quarter under provisions
of clause (1) of subsection (a), such estimate to be based on
(A) a report filed by the State containing its estimate of the total
sum to be expended in such quarter in accordance with the provisions
of such clause, and stating the amount appropriated or made available
by the State and its political subdivisions for such expenditures in
such quarter, and if such amount is less than one-half of the total
sum of such estimated expenditures, the source or sources from which
the difference is expected to be derived,
(B) records showing the number of blind individuals in the State, and
(C) such other investigation as the Board may find necessary.
(2) The Board shall then certify to the Secretary of the Treasury the
amount so estimated by the Board, reduced or increased, as the case
may be, by any sum by which it finds that its estimate for any prior
quarter was greater or less than the amount which should have been paid
to the State under clause (1) of subsection (a) for such quarter, except
to the extent that such sum has been applied to make the amount certified
for any prior quarter greater or less than the amount estimated by the
Board for such prior quarter.
(3) The Secretary of the Treasury shall thereupon, through the Division
of Disbursement of the Treasury Department and prior to audit or settlement
by the General Accounting Office, pay to the State, at the time or times
fixed by the Board, the amount so certified, increased by 5 per centum.
SEC. 1004. In the case of any State plan for aid to the blind which
has been approved by the Board, if the Board, after reasonable notice
and opportunity for hearing to the State agency administering or supervising
the administration of such a plan, finds--
(1) that the plan has been so changed as to impose any residence or
citizenship requirement prohibited by section 1002 (b), or that in the
administration of the plan any such prohibited requirement is imposed,
with the knowledge of such State agency, in a substantial number of
cases; or
(2) that in the administration of the plan there is a failure to comply
substantially with any provision required by section 1002 (a) be included
in the plan; the Board shall notify such State agency that further payments
will not be made to the State until the Board is satisfied that such
prohibited requirement is no longer so imposed, and that there is no
longer any such failure to comply. Until it is satisfied it shall make
no further certification to the Secretary of the Treasury with respect
to such State.
SEC. 1005. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1936 the sum of $30,000, for all necessary expenses of the Board in administering the provisions of this title.
SEC. 1006. When used in this title the term aid to the blind means money payments to blind individuals.