Fund Availability under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas

Fund Availability under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas

Fund Availability under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas

Jeffrey Martin
Department of Veterans Affairs
11 August 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 155 (Thursday, August 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53196-53201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19163]

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Fund Availability under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans
in Highly Rural Areas

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability (Grant Renewals).

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the
availability of funds under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans
in Highly Rural Areas. This Notice of Funding Availability (Notice)
contains information concerning the Grants for Transportation of
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas program, grant renewal application
process, and amount of funding available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darren Wallace, National Coordinator,
Highly Rural Transportation Grants, Veterans Transportation Program,
Member Services (10NF4), 2957 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30329; (404)
828-5380 (this is not a toll-free number); and Sylvester Wallace at
sylvester.wallace2@va.gov.
Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Availability (Grant Renewals)
Funding Opportunity Number: VA-HRTG-2016
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 64.035

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Applications for assistance under the Grants for
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program must be
submitted to www.grants.gov by 4:00 p.m. eastern daylight time on
September 12, 2016. In the interest of fairness to all competing
applicants and with the single exception described farther below
regarding unforeseen technical problems beyond the control of the
applicant with the Grants.gov Web site, this deadline is firm as to
date and hour, and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any
application that is received after the deadline. Applicants should take
this practice into account and make early submission of their materials
to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated
delays, computer service outages (in the case of grants.gov), or other
delivery-related problems.

Access to the Application

The application can be found at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html, utilizing the ``search by Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance number'' function, and entering in that search
field the number 64.035. Questions should be referred to the Veterans
Transportation Program Office at (404) 828-5380 (this is not a toll-
free number) or by email at HRTG@va.gov. For further information on
Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program
requirements, see the Final Rule published in the Federal Register (78
FR 19586) on April 2, 2013, which is codified in 38 CFR 17.700-730.

Submission of Application Package

Applications may not be sent by facsimile. Applications must be
submitted to www.grants.gov by the application deadline. Applications
must be submitted as a complete package. Materials arriving separately
will not be included in the application package for consideration and
may result in the application being rejected. All applicable forms
cited in the application description must be included.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Funding Opportunity Description

Overview

Access to VA care for veterans that are in highly rural areas
continues to be an issue across the United States. VA has established
this program to help address barriers to access to care. This program
funds innovative approaches to transporting veterans in highly rural
areas who typically have longer commute times to Department of Veterans
Affairs medical centers (VA Medical Centers).

Purpose

VA Veterans Transportation Program (VTP) is pleased to announce
that it is seeking grant renewal applications for Grants for
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas. This program furthers
the Department's mission by offering renewal grants to current grantees
to enable them to continue to assist veterans in highly rural areas
through innovative transportation services to travel to VA medical
centers and to otherwise assist in providing transportation services in
connection with the provision of VA medical care to these veterans.

Authority

Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by section 307
of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus

[[Page 53197]]

Health Services Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111-163, 307 (the 2010 Act), as
implemented by regulations codified at 38 CFR 17.700-730, Grants for
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas. Funds made available
under this Notice are subject to the requirements of the aforementioned
regulations and other applicable laws and regulations.

Award Information

In accordance with 38 CFR 17.710, VA is issuing this Notice for
renewal grants under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in
Highly Rural Areas Program for fiscal year 2016. Approximately $3
million is authorized to be appropriated for this fiscal year. If
additional funding becomes available, VA will issue additional Notices
of Funding Availability to permit other grantees to apply for Grants
under the Program (in accordance with the terms and conditions of such
Notices of Funding Availability). The following requirements apply to
grants awarded under this Notice:
One renewal grant may be awarded to each grantee for
fiscal year 2016 for each highly rural area in which the grantee
provides transportation services.(A listing of the highly rural
counties can be found at this Web site under additional
resources:http://www.va.gov/HEALTHBENEFITS/vtp/grant_applicants.asp).
Transportation services may not be simultaneously provided
by more than one grantee in any single highly rural area.
No single grant will exceed $50,000.
A veteran who is provided transportation services through
a grantee's use of these grant monies will not be charged for such
services.
Renewal grants awarded under this Notice will be for a 1-
year period.
All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated
funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be
imposed by law.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Current 2015 grantees are the only eligible entities that are
eligible to apply for a renewal grant. Interested eligible entities
must submit a complete renewal grant application package to be
considered for a grant renewal. Further, a renewal grant will only be
awarded if the grantee's program will remain substantially the same as
the program for which the original grant was awarded. How the grantee
will meet this requirement must be specifically addressed in the
renewal grant application.

Cost Sharing or Matching

This solicitation does not require grantees to provide matching
funds as a condition of receiving such grants.

Other

Additional grant application requirements are specified in the
application package. Submission of an incorrect or incomplete
application package will result in the application being rejected
during the threshold review, the initial review conducted by VA, to
ensure the application package contains all required forms and
certifications. Complete packages will then be subject to the
evaluation/scoring and selection processes described in Sec. 17.705(c)
and (d), respectively. Applicants will be notified of any additional
information needed to confirm or clarify information provided in the
renewal grant application and the deadline by which to submit such
information.

Application and Submission Information

Renewal applications will be submitted through Grants.gov.
Grants.gov is a ``one-stop storefront'' that provides a unified process
for all customers of federal awards to find funding opportunities and
apply for funding. Complete instructions on how to register and submit
a renewal grant application can be found at www.Grants.gov. If the
applicant experiences technical difficulties at any point during this
process, please call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-
518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.
Registration in Grants.gov is required prior to submission. VA
strongly encourages registering with Grants.gov several weeks before
the deadline for application submission. The deadline for applying for
funding under this announcement is September 12, 2016.
Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. Please use the
following identifying information when searching for the funding
opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) number for this solicitation is 64.035, titled ``Veterans
transportation program,'' and the funding opportunity number is VA-
HRTG-2016.
Submit an application consistent with this solicitation by
following the directions in Grants.gov. Within 24-48 hours after
submitting the electronic application, the applicant should receive an
email validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will
state whether the renewal grant application has been received and
validated, or rejected, with an explanation. Important: Applicants are
urged to submit their applications at least 72 hours prior to the due
date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message
and to correct any problems that may have caused a rejection
notification.
If an applicant experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues
beyond the applicant's control that prevents submission of its
application by the deadline, the applicant must contact the VTP Office
staff no later than 24 hours after the deadline and request approval to
submit its application. At that time, VTP Office staff will instruct
the applicant to submit specific information detailing the technical
difficulties. The applicant must email: a description of the technical
difficulties, a timeline of submission efforts, the complete grant
application, the applicant's Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number, and Grants.gov Help Desk tracking number(s) received. After the
program office reviews all of the information submitted, and contacts
the Grants.gov Help Desk to validate the technical issues reported, VA
will contact the applicant to either approve or deny the request to
submit a late application. If the technical issues reported cannot be
validated, the application will be rejected as untimely.
To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the
following conditions are not valid reasons to permit late submissions:
(1) Failure to begin the registration process in sufficient time, (2)
failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply
as posted on its Web site, (3) failure to follow all of the
instructions in the VA solicitation, and (4) technical issues
experienced with the applicant's computer or information technology
(IT) environment. Notifications regarding known technical problems with
Grants.gov, if any, are posted on the Grants.gov Web site.

Content and Form of Application Submission

This section describes what a renewal application must include.
Applicants should anticipate that failure to submit an application that
contains all of the specified elements will result in the rejection of
their application at the threshold review stage. Moreover, applicants
should anticipate that if applications are not adequately responsive to
the scope of the

[[Page 53198]]

solicitation, particularly to any critical element, or fail to include
a program narrative, budget detail worksheet including a budget
narrative, tribal resolution (if applicable), eligibly entity
designation, or a list of the highly rural county or counties to be
served, they will be rejected and receive no further consideration.

Threshold Review Criteria: (Critical Elements)

Application deadline: Applications not received by the
application deadline through www.grants.gov will not be reviewed.
Eligibility: Applications that do not conform to the
eligibility requirements at the beginning section of this document will
not be reviewed.
Budget detail worksheet including a budget narrative: VA
strongly recommends use of appropriately descriptive file names (e.g.,
``Program Narrative,'' ``Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget
Narrative,'' ``Timelines,'' ``Memoranda of Understanding,''
``Resumes'') for all attachments. VA recommends that resumes be
included in a single file.
Information to complete the Application for Federal
Assistance (SF-424): The SF-424 is a standard form required for use as
a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and
related information. Grants.gov takes information from the applicant's
profile to populate the fields on this form.
Program Narrative: Provide a detailed narrative of your
program scope and specifically discuss the innovative modes and methods
of transportation services to be provided. If the provision of
transportation services will necessitate procurement or use of specific
equipment, such equipment must be specifically listed.
Note on project evaluations: Applicants that propose to use funds
awarded through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations should
be aware that certain project evaluations (such as systematic
investigations designed to develop or contribute to knowledge) may
constitute research. However, project evaluations that are intended
only to generate internal improvements to a program or service, or are
conducted only to meet VA's performance measure data reporting
requirements, likely do not constitute research. Research, for the
purposes of VA-funded programs, is defined as, ``a systematic
investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation,
designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.'' 38 CFR
16.102(d). In addition, research involving human subjects is subject to
certain added protections, as set forth in 38 CFR part 16. Applicants
should provide sufficient information for VA to determine whether
particular project activities they propose would either intentionally
or unintentionally collect and/or use information in such a way that it
meets VA's regulatory definition of research and thereby invoke the
requirements and procedures set forth in 38 CFR part 16.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet: A sample SF 424A Budget Detail Worksheet
can be found at the www.grants.gov Web site. Please submit a budget and
label it, as the example above indicates. If the budget is submitted in
a different format, the budget categories listed in the sample budget
worksheet must be included.
Budget Narrative: The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and
clearly describe every category of expense listed in the Budget Detail
Worksheet. The narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond
with the information and figures provided in the Budget Detail
Worksheet. The narrative should explain how all costs were estimated
and calculated and how they are relevant to the completion of the
proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification
purposes but need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget
Detail Worksheet, the Budget Narrative must be broken down by year.
Note: All non-federal entities have to be in compliance with 2 CFR
200.400-475 Cost Principles and all Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Regulations and Circulars.
Budget Brief (example):
1. Our organization requests __ for the acquisition of __ van(s).
2. The total cost of the van(s) __. This is the amount requested
from VA.
3. Our organization will utilize __ for innovative approaches for
transporting veterans. This is the amount requested from VA for a
maximum of $50,000.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if Applicable)

Indirect costs are allowed only if the applicant has a federally
approved indirect cost rate. (This requirement does not apply to units
of local government.) A copy of the rate approval must be attached. If
the applicant does not have an approved rate, one can be requested by
contacting the applicant's cognizant federal agency, which will review
all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant organization or,
if the applicant's accounting system permits, costs may be allocated in
the direct cost categories. If VA is the cognizant federal agency,
obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at
the contact person listed in this solicitation.

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if Applicable)

If an application identifies a subrecipient that is either (1) a
tribe or tribal organization or (2) a third party proposing to provide
direct services or assistance to residents on tribal lands, then a
current authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal
entity or other enactment of the tribal council or comparable governing
body authorizing the inclusion of the tribe or tribal organization and
its membership must be included with the application. In those
instances when an organization or consortium of tribes proposes to
apply for a grant on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes,
then the application must include a resolution from all tribes that
will be included as a part of the services/assistance provided under
the grant. A consortium of tribes for which existing consortium bylaws
allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e.,
without authorizing resolution or other enactment of each tribal
governing body) may submit a copy of its consortium bylaws with the
application in order to satisfy this requirement.

Submission Dates and Times

Renewal grant applications under the Grants for Transportation of
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program must be submitted to
www.grants.gov by 4:00 p.m. eastern daylight time on September 12,
2016. In the interest of fairness to all competing applicants, this
deadline is firm as to date and hour and with the single exception
described above regarding unforeseen technical problems beyond the
control of the applicant with the Grants.gov Web site, VA will treat as
ineligible for consideration any application that is received after the
deadline. Applicants should take this into account and make early
submission of their materials to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility
brought about by unanticipated delays, computer service outages (in the
case of grants.gov), or other delivery-related problems.
The application can be found at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html, utilizing the ``search by Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance number'' function, and entering in that search
field the number 64.035. Questions should be referred to

[[Page 53199]]

the Veterans Transportation Program Office at (404) 828-5380 (this is
not a toll-free number) or by email at HRTG@va.gov. For further
information on Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural
Areas Program requirements, see the governing regulations codified at
38 CFR 17.700-730.
Renewal grant applications may not be sent by facsimile. These
applications must be submitted to www.grants.gov by the application
deadline; they must also be submitted as a complete package. Materials
arriving separately will not be included in the application package for
consideration and may result in the application being rejected. All
applicable forms cited in the application description must be included.

Intergovernmental Review

Some states require that applicants must contact their State's
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out and comply with the State's
process, to comply with Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 (1982). Names and
addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and
Budget's homepage at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/

Funding Restrictions

Grants will only be awarded to those organizations that are
eligible under law as described in the eligibility information section.

Other Submission Requirements

For technical assistance with submitting the application, contact
the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or via email to
support@grants.gov.
Note: The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. For assistance
with any other requirement of this solicitation, contact Darren
Wallace, National Program Coordinator for Grants for Transportation of
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas, at (404) 828-5380 (this is not a toll-
free number) or by email to Sylvester.Wallace2@va.gov.
Additional forms that may be required in connection with an award
are available for download on www.grants.gov. Examples of these forms
can be viewed at the www.grants.gov Web site. For successful
applicants, receipt of funds will be contingent upon submission of all
necessary forms. Please note in particular the following forms:
Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other
Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirement; Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities (Required for any applicant that expends any funds
for lobbying activities; this form must be downloaded, completed, and
then uploaded); and Standard Assurances (SF 424B) (Required to be
submitted to the VTP Office prior to the receipt of any award funds).

Application Review Information

Criteria

VA is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding
these renewal grants. The VTP Office will review the renewal grant
application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable,
understandable, measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with
the solicitation. Peer reviewers will conduct a threshold review of all
applications submitted under this solicitation to ensure they meet all
of the critical elements and all other minimum requirements as
identified herein. The VTP Office may use either internal peer
reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination to review the
applications under this solicitation. An external peer reviewer is an
expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who
is NOT a current VA employee. An internal reviewer is a current VA
employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of
this solicitation. Eligible applications will then be evaluated,
scored, and rated by a peer review panel. Peer reviewers' ratings and
any resulting recommendations are advisory only.
The VTP, Member Services Office conducts a financial review of
applications for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the fiscal
integrity and financial capability of applicants; examines proposed
costs to determine if the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative
accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are
reasonable, necessary, and allowable under applicable federal cost
principles and agency regulations.
Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of
authority to the contrary, the Veterans Health Administration, through
the VTP Office, will forward the reviewers' recommendations for award
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who will then review and approve
each award decision. Such determinations by the Secretary will be
final. VA will also give consideration to factors including, but not
limited to: underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic
priorities, and available funding when making awards.

Review and Selection Process

Selection of Renewal Grants for Transportation of Veterans in
Highly Rural Areas is very competitive. Listed below are the scoring
and selection criteria:
1. Renewal Grant Scoring: Renewal applications will be scored using
the following selection criteria:
A. VA will award up to 55 points (an applicant must score at a
minimum of 27.5 points) based on the success of the grantee's program,
as demonstrated by the following: Application shows that the grantee or
identified subrecipient provided transportation services which allowed
participants to be provided medical care timely and as scheduled; and
application shows that participants were satisfied with the
transportation services provided by the grantee or identified
subrecipient, as described in the Notice;
B. VA will award up to 35 points (an applicant must score at a
minimum of 17.5 points) based on the cost effectiveness of the program,
as demonstrated by the following: The grantee or identified
subrecipient administered the program on budget and grant funds were
utilized in a sensible manner, as interpreted by information provided
by the grantee to VA under 38 CFR 17.725(a)(1-7); and
C. VA will award up to 15 (an applicant must score at a minimum of
7.5 points) points based on the extent to which the program complied
with the grant agreement and applicable laws and regulations.
2. Renewal Grant Selection: VA will use the following process to
award renewal grants:
A. VA will rank those grantees who receive at least the minimum
amount of total points (52.5) and points per category set forth in the
Notice. The grantees will be ranked in order from highest to lowest
scores.
B. VA will use the grantee's ranking as the basis for selection for
funding. VA will fund the highest-ranked grantees for which funding is
available.

Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) signed
and dated by the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for
Administrative Operations that will set forth the amount of the award
and other pertinent information. The NoA is the legal document/
instrument issued to notify the awardee that an award has been made and
that funds may be requested. It will also include standard Terms and

[[Page 53200]]

Conditions related to participation in the Program.
The NoA will be sent through the U.S. Postal Service to the awardee
organization as listed on its SF424. Note that any communication
between the VTP Office and awardees prior to the issuance of the NoA is
not authorization to begin performance on the project.
Recipients will use the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Payment Management System for grant drawdowns. Instructions
for submitting requests for payment may be found at http://www.dpm.psc.gov/.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified of their status by letter,
which will likewise be sent through the U.S. Postal Service to the
applicant organization as listed on its SF 424.

Renewal Grant Agreements

After an applicant is selected for a renewal grant in accordance
with 38 CFR 17.705(d), VA will draft a renewal grant agreement to be
executed by the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for
Administrative Operations in VA and the grantee. Upon execution of the
renewal grant agreement, VA will obligate the approved amount. The
renewal grant agreement will provide that:
1. The grantee must operate the program in accordance with the
provisions of this section and the grant application;
2. If a grantee's renewal application identified a subrecipient,
such subrecipient must operate the program in accordance with the
provisions of this section and the grant application; and
3. If a grantee's application identified that funds will be used to
procure or operate vehicles to directly provide transportation
services, the following requirements must be met:
A. Title to the vehicles must vest solely in the grantee or in the
identified subrecipient or with leased vehicles in an identified
lender;
B. The grantee or identified subrecipient must, at a minimum,
provide motor vehicle liability insurance for the vehicles to the same
extent they would insure vehicles procured with their own funds;
C. All vehicle operators must be licensed in a U.S. State or
Territory to operate such vehicles;
D. Vehicles must be safe and maintained in accordance with the
manufacturer's recommendations; and
E. Vehicles must be operated in accordance with applicable
Department of Transportation regulations concerning transit
requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Successful applicants selected for awards must agree to comply with
additional applicable legal requirements upon acceptance of an award.
(VA strongly encourages applicants to review the information pertaining
to these additional requirements prior to submitting a renewal
application.) As to those additional requirements, we note that while
their original grants were subject to additional legal requirements as
set forth in 38 CFR parts 43 and 49 those regulatory provisions have
since been superseded by the Common Rule governing all Federal Grant
Programs. The Common Rule is codified at 2 CFR part 200. Thus, grantees
and identified subrecipients awarded renewal grants under the Program
must agree as part of their grant agreement to comply with all
requirements of the Common Rule, as applicable.

Reporting

Progress Reports

Awardees must agree to cooperate with any VA evaluation of the
program and provide required quarterly, annual, and final (at the end
of the fiscal year) reports in a form prescribed by VTP. A final report
consists of a summation of grant activities which include progress
toward goals, financial administration of grant funds, grant
administration issues and barriers. Reports are to be submitted
electronically. These reports must outline how grant funds were used,
describe program progress and barriers, and provide measurable
outcomes.
Required quarterly and annual reports must include the following
information:
Record of time expended assisting with the provision of
transportation services;
Record of grant funds expended assisting with the
provision of transportation services;
Trips completed;
Total distance covered;
Veterans served;
Locations which received transportation services; and
Results of veteran satisfaction survey.

Program Monitoring

The VTP is responsible for program monitoring. All awardees will be
required to cooperate in providing the necessary data elements to the
VTP. The goal of program monitoring is to ensure program requirements
are met; this will be accomplished by tracking performance and
identifying quality and compliance problems through early detection.
Methods of program monitoring may include: Monitoring the performance
of a grantee's or subrecipient's personnel, procurements, and/or use of
grant-funded property; collecting, analyzing data, and assessing
program implementation and effectiveness; assessing costs and
utilization; and providing technical assistance when needed. Site visit
monitoring will include the above-described activities, in addition to
the conduct of safety assessments and, if applicable, verification of
both current driver's licenses and vehicle insurance coverage.

Federal Financial Report

Awardees are required to submit the FFR SF 425 on a quarterly
basis. More details will be announced in the NoA.

Audit Requirements

Awardees must comply with the audit requirements of Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance 2 CFR part 200 subpart F.
Information on the scope, frequency and other aspects of the audits can
be found on the internet at https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-30465.

Program Variations

Any changes in a grantee's program activities which result in
deviations from the grant renewal agreement must be reported to VA.

Additional Reporting

Additional reporting requirements may be requested by VA to allow
VA to fully assess program effectiveness.

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements

Applicants should anticipate that all recipients (excluding an
individual recipient of Federal assistance) of awards of $25,000 or
more under this solicitation, consistent with the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), Pub. L. 109-282
(Sept. 26, 2006), will be required to report award information on the
subaward reporting system of any first-tier subawards totaling $25,000
or more, and, in certain cases, to report information on the names and
total compensation of the five most highly compensated executives of
the recipient and first-tier subrecipients. Each applicant entity must
ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems in place to
comply with the reporting requirements should it receive funding.
It is expected that reports regarding subawards will be made
through the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) found at https://www.fsrs.gov. The FFATA Subaward Reporting

[[Page 53201]]

System is the reporting tool Federal prime awardees (i.e. prime
contractors and prime grants recipients) use to capture and report
subaward and executive compensation data regarding their first-tier
subawards to meet the FFATA reporting requirements. Prime contract
awardees will report against sub-contracts awarded and prime grant
awardees will report against sub-grants awarded. Prime Contractors
awarded a Federal contract or order that is subject to Federal
Acquisition Regulation clause 52.204-10 (Reporting Executive
Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards) are required to file a
FFATA subaward report by the end of the month following the month in
which the prime contractor awards any subcontract greater than $25,000.
Please note also that applicants should anticipate that no subaward
of an award made under this solicitation may be made to a subrecipient
that is subject to the terms of FFATA unless the potential subrecipient
acquires and provides a DUNS number.

Other Information

Pursuant to 38 CFR 17.730(a), VA may recover from the grantee any
funds that are not used in accordance with a grant agreement. If VA
decides to recover funds, VA will issue to the grantee a notice of
intent to recover grant funds, and the grantee will then have 30 days
to submit documentation demonstrating why the grant funds should not be
recovered. After review of all submitted documentation, VA will
determine whether action will be taken to recover the grant funds. When
VA determines action will be taken to recover grant funds from the
grantee, the grantee is then prohibited under 38 CFR 17.730(b) from
receipt of any further grant funds.

Signing Authority

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina S.
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs,
approved this document on August 2, 2016, for publication.

Dated: August 2, 2016.
Martin,
Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation Policy & Management,
Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-19163 Filed 8-10-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P