The Secretary shall make grants under subsection (b) to protection and advocacy systems in each State for the purpose of enabling such systems to assist in the acquisition, utilization, or maintenance of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services for individuals with disabilities.
In providing such assistance, protection and advocacy systems shall have the same general authorities as the systems are afforded under subtitle C of title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.), as determined by the Secretary.
For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve such sums as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (4).
From the funds appropriated under section 3007(b) of this title for a fiscal year and remaining after the reservation required by paragraph (1) has been made, the Secretary shall make a grant to a protection and advocacy system within each State in an amount bearing the same ratio to the remaining funds as the population of the State bears to the population of all States.
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the amount of a grant to a protection and advocacy system under paragraph (2) for a fiscal year shall—
(A) in the case of a protection and advocacy system located in American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, not be less than $30,000; and
(B) in the case of a protection and advocacy system located in a State not described in subparagraph (A), not be less than $50,000.
The Secretary shall make grants to the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium to provide services in accordance with this section.
The amount of such grants shall be the same as the amount provided under paragraph (3)(A).
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall pay directly to any protection and advocacy system that complies with this section, the total amount of the grant made for such system under this section, unless the system provides otherwise for payment of the grant amount.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, with respect to a State that, on November 12, 1998, was described in section 2212(f)(1) 1 of this title, the Secretary shall pay the amount of the grant described in subsection (a), and made under subsection (b), to the lead agency designated under section 3003(c)(1) of this title for the State.
A lead agency to which a grant amount is paid under paragraph (1) shall determine the manner in which funds made available through the grant will be allocated among the entities that were providing protection and advocacy services in that State on the date described in such paragraph, and shall distribute funds to such entities. In distributing such funds, the lead agency shall not establish any additional eligibility or procedural requirements for an entity in the State that supports protection and advocacy services through a protection and advocacy system. Such an entity shall comply with the same requirements (including reporting and enforcement requirements) as any other entity that receives funding under this section.
Except as provided in this subsection, the provisions of this section shall apply to the grant in the same manner, and to the same extent, as the provisions apply to a grant to a system.
Any amount paid to an eligible system for a fiscal year under this section that remains unobligated at the end of such fiscal year shall remain available to such system for obligation during the subsequent fiscal year. Program income generated from such amount shall remain available for 2 additional fiscal years after the year in which such amount was paid to an eligible system and may only be used to improve the awareness of individuals with disabilities about the accessibility of assistive technology and assist such individuals in the acquisition, utilization, or maintenance of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services.
An entity that receives a grant under this section shall annually prepare and submit to the Secretary a report that contains such information as the Secretary may require, including documentation of the progress of the entity in—
(1) conducting consumer-responsive activities, including activities that will lead to increased access, for individuals with disabilities, to funding for assistive technology devices and assistive technology services;
(2) engaging in informal advocacy to assist in securing assistive technology devices and assistive technology services for individuals with disabilities;
(3) engaging in formal representation for individuals with disabilities to secure systems change, and in advocacy activities to secure assistive technology devices and assistive technology services for individuals with disabilities;
(4) developing and implementing strategies to enhance the long-term abilities of individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives to advocate the provision of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services to which the individuals with disabilities are entitled under law other than this chapter;
(5) coordinating activities with protection and advocacy services funded through sources other than this chapter, and coordinating activities with the capacity building and advocacy activities carried out by the lead agency; and
(6) effectively allocating funds made available under this section to improve the awareness of individuals with disabilities about the accessibility of assistive technology and assist such individuals in the acquisition, utilization, or maintenance of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services.
An entity that receives a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the lead agency of the State designated under section 3003(c)(1) of this title the report described in subsection (f) and quarterly updates concerning the activities described in subsection (f).
On making a grant under this section to an entity in a State, the Secretary shall solicit and consider the opinions of the lead agency of the State with respect to efforts at coordination of activities, collaboration, and promoting outcomes between the lead agency and the entity that receives the grant under this section.
(Pub. L. 105–394, §5, as added Pub. L. 108–364, §2, Oct. 25, 2004, 118 Stat. 1725.)
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Last modified: October 26, 2015