Announcement of the Availability of Disaster Relief Act 2019 Grant Funds for the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant
| Published date | 20 February 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 9726 |
| Record Number | 2020-03309 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Rural Housing Service |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9726-9730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03309]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
[Docket No. RHS-20-CF-0002]
Announcement of the Availability of Disaster Relief Act 2019
Grant Funds for the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and
Training Grant
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of funds availability.
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SUMMARY: As part of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for
Disaster Relief Act, 2019, dated June 6, 2019, the Rural Housing
Service's Community Facilities (CF) Technical Assistance and Training
(TAT) Grant Program is making available $7,500,000 in supplemental
grant funding for eligible expenses related to the consequences of
Hurricanes Michael and Florence and wildfires occurring in calendar
year 2018, tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, and
other natural disasters. Any funds not awarded under this funding
notice will be transferred to the CF Disaster Grant Program. The
authority for the Agency to administer the CF TAT Grant Program is
provided in Section 6006 of the Agriculture Act of 2014. The grant
funds will be administered in accordance with this notice of funds
availability.
DATES: The Agency must receive applications in paper postmarked and
mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by 4:00 p.m. local time on May 5,
2020. Electronic applications must be submitted via grants.gov by
Midnight Eastern time on April 30, 2020. Prior to official submission
of applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other
application guidance from the Agency, as long as such requests are made
prior to April 27, 2020. Technical assistance is not meant to be an
analysis or assessment of the quality of the materials submitted, a
substitute for agency review of completed applications, nor a
determination of eligibility, if such determination requires in-depth
analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider scoring or
eligibility information that is submitted after the application
deadline. The Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek
clarification information on materials contained in the submitted
application.
ADDRESSES: Applications will be submitted to the USDA Rural Development
State Office in the state where the applicant's headquarters is
located. A listing of each State Office
[[Page 9727]]
can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. If you want to submit an electronic
application, follow the instructions for the TAT funding announcement
on http://www.grants.gov. For those applicants located in the District
of Columbia, applications will be submitted to the National Office in
care of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, STOP 0787, Room
0175-S, Washington, DC 20250. Electronic applications will be submitted
via http://www.grants.gov. All applicants can access application
materials at http://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Rural Development office in which
the applicant is located. A list of the Rural Development State Office
contacts can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. Applicants located in Washington, DC can
contact Shirley Stevenson at (202) 205-9685 or via email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rural Housing Service, an Agency of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) herein referred to as
the Agency, published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register
on January 14, 2016, implementing Section 6006 of the Agriculture Act
of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79) which provides authority to make CF TAT
Grants. The purpose of this Notice is to solicit applications for the
CF TAT Grant funds made available as part of the Additional
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019, Public Law
116-20, dated June 6, 2019. This program is designed to provide
supplemental grant funding for eligible CF applicants and eligible CF
projects related to the consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence
and wildfires occurring in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods
occurring in calendar year 2019, and other natural disasters.
Language for Funding Opportunities
The Agency encourages applications that will help improve life in
rural America. (See information on the Interagency Task Force on
Agriculture and Rural Prosperity found at www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity.) Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that
provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust
and sustainable economies through strategic investments in
infrastructure, partnerships and innovation.
Key strategies include:
Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural America
Developing the Rural Economy
Harnessing Technological Innovation
Supporting a Rural Workforce
Improving Quality of Life
To leverage investments in rural property, the Agency also
encourages projects located in rural Opportunity Zones where projects
should provide measurable results in helping communities build robust
and sustainable economies. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-
distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions,
may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as
Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by
the state and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of
the U.S. Treasury via his delegation of authority to the Internal
Revenue Service.
To combat a key threat to economic prosperity, rural workforce and
quality of life, the Agency also encourages applications that will
support the Administration's goal to reduce the morbidity and mortality
associated with Substance Use Disorder (including opioid misuse) in
high-risk rural communities by strengthening the capacity to address
prevention, treatment and/or recovery at the community, county, state,
and/or regional levels. See https://www.cdc.gov/pwid/vulnerable-counties-data.html.
Key strategies include:
Prevention: Reducing the occurrence of Substance Use
Disorder (including opioid misuse) and fatal substance-related
overdoses through community and provider education and harm reduction
measures, such as the strategic placement of overdose reversing
devices;
Treatment: Implementing or expanding access to evidence-
based treatment practices for Substance Use Disorder (including opioid
misuse), such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT); and
Recovery: Expanding peer recovery and treatment options
that help people start and stay in recovery.
To focus investments in areas with the largest opportunity for
growth in prosperity, the Agency encourages applications that serve the
smallest communities with the lowest incomes, with an emphasis on areas
where at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty,
according to the American Community Survey data by census tracts (or
Reservation boundary for Indian tribes). State Director and
Administrator discretionary points will be awarded to applications that
address these Agency Goals.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The paperwork burden has been approved by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0575-0198.
National Environmental Policy Act
All recipients under this Notice are subject to the requirements of
7 CFR part 1970. However, awards for technical assistance and training
under this Notice are classified as a Categorical Exclusion according
to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not require any additional
documentation. The Agency will review each grant application to
determine its compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be
asked to provide additional information or documentation to assist the
Agency with this determination.
Executive Order (E.O.) 13175 Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
This Executive Order imposes requirements on Rural Development in
the development of regulatory policies that have tribal implications or
preempt tribal laws. Rural Development has determined that this Notice
does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian
tribe(s) or on either the relationship or the distribution of powers
and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.
Thus, this Notice is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order
13175. Tribal Consultation inquiries and comments should be directed to
RD's Native American Coordinator at [email protected] or (720) 544-
2911.
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Housing Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Community Facilities Disaster Technical
Assistance and Training Grant.
Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.766.
Dates: To apply for funds, the Agency must receive mailed-in
applications by 4:00 p.m. local time on May 5, 2020. Electronic
applications must be submitted via grants.gov by Midnight Eastern time
on April 30, 2020. The Agency will not consider any application
received after this deadline. Prior to official submission of
applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other
application guidance from the Agency, as long as
[[Page 9728]]
such requests are made prior to April 27, 2020. Technical assistance is
not meant to be an analysis or assessment of the quality of the
materials submitted, a substitute for agency review of completed
applications, nor a determination of eligibility, if such determination
requires in-depth analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider
scoring or eligibility information that is submitted after the
application deadline. The Agency reserves the right to contact
applicants to seek clarification information on materials contained in
the submitted application.
Availability of Notice: This Notice is available through the USDA
Rural Development site at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices-solicitation-applications-nosas.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose
Congress authorized the CF TAT Grant program in Title VI, Section
6006 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79). Program
regulations can be found at 7 CFR part 3570, subpart F, which are
incorporated by reference in this Notice. As part of the Additional
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019, Public Law
116-20, dated June 6, 2019, Congress appropriated additional CF TAT
Grant. The purpose of this Notice is to seek applications from entities
that will provide technical assistance and/or training with respect to
essential community facilities programs. It is the intent of this
program to assist entities in rural areas in accessing funding under
the Rural Housing Service's CF Programs in accordance with 7 CFR part
3570, subpart F. Funding priority will be made to private, nonprofit or
public organizations that have experience in providing technical
assistance and training to rural entities. In addition to the
requirements listed above, the Agency is seeking applications that are
related to the consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence and
wildfires occurring in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods
occurring in calendar year 2019, and other natural disasters.
II. Award Information
Type of Awards: Grants will be made to eligible entities who will
then provide technical assistance and/or training to eligible ultimate
recipients.
Available Funds: The Agency is making available $7,500,000. Up to
ten percent of the available funds may be awarded to the highest
scoring Ultimate Recipient(s) as long as they score a minimum score of
at least 70.
Award Amounts: Grant awards for Technical Assistance Providers
assisting Ultimate Recipients within one state may not exceed $250,000.
Grant awards made to Ultimate Recipients will not exceed $50,000. The
Agency reserves the right to reduce funding amounts based on the
Agency's determination of available funding or other Agency funding
priorities.
Award Dates: Awards will be made from available funding prior to
September 30, 2020.
III. Eligibility Information
Both the applicant and the use of funds must meet eligibility
requirements. The applicant eligibility requirements can be found at 7
CFR 3570.262. Eligible project purposes can be found at 7 CFR 3570.263.
Ineligible project purposes can be found at 7 CFR 3570.264.
Restrictions substantially similar to Sections 743, 744, 745, and 746
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-113) will
apply unless noted on the Rural Development website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities-technical-assistance-and-training-grant). Any corporation (i) that has been
convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within
the past 24 months or (ii) that has any unpaid Federal tax liability
that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative
remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid
in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority
responsible for collecting the tax liability, is not eligible for
financial assistance provided with funds, unless a Federal agency has
considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a
determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the
interests of the Government. In addition, none of the funds
appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act may
be available for a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with an
entity that requires employees or contractors of such entity seeking to
report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality
agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such
employees or contractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or
abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative
of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such
information. Additionally, no funds appropriated in this or any other
Act may be used to implement or enforce the agreements in Standard
Forms 312 and 4414 of the Government or any other nondisclosure policy,
form, or agreement if such policy, form, or agreement does not contain
the following provisions: ``These provisions are consistent with and do
not supersede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee
obligations, rights, or liabilities created by existing statute or
Executive order relating to (1) classified information, (2)
communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an Inspector General
of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a
gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and
specific danger to public health or safety, or (4) any other
whistleblower protection.'' In addition to the eligibility requirements
found at 7 CFR 3570, subpart F (3570.262) and (3570.263), the following
requirements must be met:
(i) The eligible CF project must be located in a rural area in a
county with a Major Disaster Declaration as declared by the President
of the United States. The term rural or rural area is defined in
section 343(a)(13)(C) of the CONAct (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) as a city,
town or, unincorporated area that has a population of not more than
20,000 inhabitants. The boundaries for unincorporated areas in
determining populations will be based on the CDP. Data from the most
recent decennial census of the United States will be used in
determining population. Any rural community impacted by a major
declared disaster DR-4407 may have the governor in the affected state,
or the governor's designee, certify the area's population as a rural
area with respect to eligibility for loans, grants, and technical
assistance under rural development programs funded by the Department of
Agriculture until data from the 2020 United States Census is available.
The certification will be provided to the Rural Development State
Director of California.
For information on determining if a project is located in an area
with a Major Disaster Declaration, go to the CF section of the Rural
Development Disaster Assistance site located at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/services/rural-development-disaster-assistance;
(ii) The project expenses do not need to be in direct relationship
or a result of an eligible Disaster Relief Act 2019 disaster;
(iii) The Major Disaster Declaration must be related to the
consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence and wildfires occurring
in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year
2019, and other natural disasters; and
[[Page 9729]]
(iv) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have
provided a notice declaring the Major Disaster Declaration and assigned
a FEMA disaster recovery (DR) number.
IV. Application and Submission Information
The requirements for submitting an application can be found at 7
CFR 3570.267. All Applicants can access application materials at http://www.grants.gov. In addition to the requirements set forth at 7 CFR
3570.267, all Applicants must provide documentation that the project is
located in a disaster area as listed in Section III of this Notice.
Applications must be received by the Agency by the due date listed in
the DATES section of this Notice. Applications received after that due
date will not be considered for funding. Paper copies of the
applications will be submitted to the State Office in which the
applicant is headquartered. Electronic submissions should be submitted
at http://www.grants.gov. A listing of the Rural Development State
Offices may be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. For applicants whose headquarters are in
the District of Columbia, they will submit their application to the
National Office in care of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 Independence Ave.
SW, STOP 0787, Room 0175-S, Washington, DC 20250. Both paper and
electronic applications must be received by the Agency by the deadlines
stated in the DATES section of this Notice. The use of a courier and
package tracking for paper applications is strongly encouraged. An
applicant can only submit one application for funding.
Application information for electronic submissions may be found at
http://www.grants.gov.
Applications will not be accepted via FAX or electronic email.
V. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System
for Awards Management (SAM)
Grant applicants must obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number and register in the System for Award
Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR
25.200(b). In addition, an entity applicant must maintain registration
in SAM at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an
application or plan under consideration by the Agency. Similarly, all
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report
information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation in
accordance to 2 CFR part 170. So long as an entity applicant does not
have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the applicant must have the
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting
requirements should the applicant receive funding. See 2 CFR
170.200(b).
An applicant, unless excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c), or (d),
is required to:
(a) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;
(b) Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and
(c) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current
information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or
an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding
agency.
The Federal awarding agency may not make a federal award to an
applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and
SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a
Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the
applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another
applicant.
As required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all grant
applications must provide a DUNS number when applying for Federal
grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free number at 1-866-
705-5711 or via internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Additional
information concerning this requirement can be obtained on the
Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Similarly, applicants may
register for SAM at https://www.sam.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220.
The applicant must provide documentation that they are registered
in SAM and their DUNS number. If the applicant does not provide
documentation that they are registered in SAM and their DUNS number,
the application will not be considered for funding.
VI. Application Processing
Applications will be processed and scored in accordance with this
NOFA and 7 CFR 3570.273. Those applications receiving the highest
points using the scoring factors found at 7 CFR 3570.273 will be
selected for funding. Up to 10% of the available funds may be awarded
to the highest scoring Ultimate Recipient(s) as long as they score a
minimum score of at least 70. In the case of a tie, the first tie
breaker will go to the applicant who scores the highest on matching
funds. If two or more applications are still tied after using this tie
breaker, the next tie breaker will go to the applicant who scores the
highest in the multi-jurisdictional category.
Once the successful applicants are announced, the State Office will
be responsible for obligating the grant funds, executing all obligation
documents, and the grant agreement, as provided by the agency.
VII. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notice. Within the limit of funds available for
such purpose, the awarding official of the Agency shall make grants in
ranked order to eligible applicants under the procedures set forth in
this Notice and the grant regulation 7 CFR 3570, subpart F.
Successful applicants will receive a letter in the mail containing
instructions on requirements necessary to proceed with execution and
performance of the award. This letter is not an authorization to begin
performance. In addition, selected applicants will be requested to
verify that components of the application have not changed at the time
of selection and on the award date, if requested by the Agency.
The award is not approved until all information has been verified,
and the awarding official of the Agency has signed Form RD 1940-1,
``Request for Obligation of Funds'' and the grant agreement.
Unsuccessful and ineligible applicants will receive written
notification of their review and appeal rights.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Grantees will
be required to do the following:
(a) Execute a Grant Agreement.
(b) Execute Form RD 1940-1.
(c) Use Form SF 270, ``Request for Advance or Reimbursement'' to
request reimbursement. Provide receipts for expenditures, timesheets,
and any other documentation to support the request for reimbursement.
(d) Provide financial status and project performance reports as set
forth at 7 CFR 3570.276.
(e) Maintain a financial management system that is acceptable to
the Agency.
(f) Ensure that records are maintained to document all activities
and expenditures utilizing CF TAT grant funds and any matching funds,
if
[[Page 9730]]
applicable. Receipts for expenditures will be included in this
documentation.
(g) Provide audits or financial information as set forth in 7 CFR
3570.277.
(h) Complete Form 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.'' Each prospective
recipient must sign Form RD 400-4, Assurance Agreement, which assures
USDA that the recipient is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, 7 CFR part 15 and other Agency regulations. It also
assures that no person will be discriminated against based on race,
color or national origin, in regard to any program or activity for
which the re-lender receives Federal financial assistance. Finally, it
assures that nondiscrimination statements are in the recipient's
advertisements and brochures.
(i) Collect and maintain data provided by ultimate recipients on
race, sex, and national origin and ensure Ultimate Recipients collect
and maintain this data. Race and ethnicity data will be collected in
accordance with OMB Federal Register notice, ``Revisions to the
Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and
Ethnicity,'' (62 FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex data will be
collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972. These items should not be submitted with the application but
should be available upon request by the Agency.
(j) Provide a final performance report as set forth at 7 CFR
3570.276(a)(7).
(k) Identify and report any association or relationship with Rural
Development employees.
(l) The applicant and the ultimate recipient must comply with Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975,
Executive Order 12250, Executive Order 13166 Limited English
Proficiency (LEP), and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E. The grantee must
comply with policies, guidance, and requirements as described in the
following applicable Code of Federal Regulations and any successor
regulations:
(1) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements,
Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).
(2) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 (Government-wide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement)).
(m) Form AD-3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax
Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants'' must be signed by
corporate applicants who receive an award under this Notice.
3. Reporting.
Reporting requirements for this grant as set forth at 7 CFR
3570.276.
VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
Contact the Rural Development state office in the state where the
applicant's headquarters is located. A list of Rural Development State
Offices can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. For Applicants located in Washington, DC,
please contact Shirley Stevenson at (202) 205-9685 or via email at
[email protected].
IX. Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA
programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status,
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages
other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint
form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA
by:
(1) By mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410;
(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: [email protected].
Bruce W. Lammers,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-03309 Filed 2-19-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P
