[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14923-14925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7839]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Availability of Funds To Provide Technical and Non-Financial 
Assistance to Federally Funded Migrant Health Centers on Environmental 
and Occupational Health Services for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds, CFDA #: 93.129.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
anticipates that approximately $305,000 will be available in FY 1997 to 
support two cooperative agreements for the purpose of providing 
technical and non-financial assistance to Migrant Health Centers (MHCs) 
receiving funding under Section 330(g) of the Public Health Service 
(PHS) Act. These cooperative agreements will provide environmental and 
occupational health services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers 
(MSFWs) and their families. These cooperative agreements will be 
awarded under section 330(k) of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(k)) with a 
budget period of one year and a project period of up to three years.
    The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting health priorities. These 
cooperative agreements are related to the objectives cited for special 
populations, particularly socio-economically depressed minorities and 
other underserved populations, which constitute a significant portion 
of the migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) population. Potential 
applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report; Stock 
No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy People

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2000 (Summary Report; Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, 
D.C. 20402-9325 (telephone 202/783-3238). Applicants should also 
request copies of the Recommendations of the National Advisory Council 
on Migrant Health through the Migrant Health Program (MHP), Bureau of 
Primary Health Care, 4350 East/West Hwy., Bethesda, MD 20814.
    The PHS strongly encourages all cooperative agreement recipients to 
provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco 
products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 
1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any 
portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, 
day care, health care or early childhood development services are 
provided to children.

DATES: Applications are due April 28, 1997. Applications will be 
considered to have met the deadline if they are: (1) Received on/or 
before the deadline date; or (2) postmarked on/or before the deadline 
date and received in time for submission to the review committee. 
Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark 
or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. 
Postal Service. Private metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof 
of timely mailing. Faxed copies of applications will not be accepted. 
Applications not received in time to be considered for review will not 
be considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Application kits (PHS form 5161-1 with revised face sheets 
DHHS Form 424, as approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under control number 0937--0189), may be obtained from: HRSA Grants 
Application Center, Suite 100, 40 W. Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. 
The telephone number is toll-free 1-888-300-HRSA (4772). The e-mail 
address is [email protected]. Completed applications for awards 
for the provision of technical and other non-financial assistance to 
MHCs must be sent to: HRSA Grants Application Center at the above 
address. For information on grants management issues, please contact 
the Grants Management Specialist, Nancy Benson, at 301/594-4232.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general program information and 
information about these technical assistance funds, contact Jack Egan, 
Deputy Director, MHP, 4350 East-West Highway, Room 7-4A2, Bethesda, MD 
20814, (301) 594-4303 ([email protected]) or Susan Hagler at the same 
address and phone number ([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: One cooperative agreement of up to $260,000 
will be for a national resource center on environmental and 
occupational health issues concerning farmworkers. This resource center 
will respond to MHC requests for information and support in the 
following areas: (1) The promotion, development, and implementation of 
environmental and occupational health services for migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers, such as the detection and alleviation of unhealthful 
conditions, accident prevention, including pesticide exposures, and 
infection and parasitic disease screening and control; and (2) the 
development of migrant health center specific patient and provider 
educational and guidance materials and technical publications for 
farmworkers and growers, which are culturally and linguistically 
appropriate.
    The recipient will provide technical assistance and contracts to 
BPHC funded Migrant Health Centers and Programs in order to alleviate 
and correct conditions among migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their 
families. This assistance should be provided in the following areas: 
(1) Field sanitation; (2) safe drinking water; (3) housing; (4) rodent 
and parasitic infestation; (5) solid waste disposal; (6) sewage 
treatment; and (7) other environmental areas related to health.
    Examples of the technical assistance to be provided in addressing 
these problems include: (a) Well water testing, (b) outreach to educate 
growers and farmworkers on the importance of safe drinking water and 
handwashing facilities and proper usage procedures to prevent 
environmentally induced illness, (c) assistance to migrant health 
centers by providing expert advice on local, State, and federal laws 
and regulations, and (d) referral to sources of private and public 
funding which may be available to improve housing and environmental 
health conditions for migrant farmworkers.
    The other cooperative agreement of up to $45,000 will be used for a 
national resource center that will focus its technical assistance and 
training on changes to the Worker Protection Standards designed to 
protect agricultural workers from pesticide risks. In addition, the 
grantee will provide environmental and occupational health and safety 
information for farmworkers. Technical assistance and training will be 
provided for MHC employees at national migrant health conferences and 
forums, enabling the staff to stay up to date on environmental/
occupational health issues in the following areas: (1) Workers' 
Compensation Coverage for farmworkers in the 50 states and Puerto Rico; 
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency's Worker Protection Standards; 
(3) changes in legislation that will affect farmworkers' access to 
health care; and (4) environmental/occupational health issues that 
impact farmworkers.

Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for the technical assistance cooperative 
agreement are public and private nonprofit entities.

Criteria for Evaluating Applications

    Applications will be evaluated and rated on the applicant's ability 
to meet the following criteria:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an adequate 
understanding of the environmental/occupational health needs of MSFWs;
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a capability to 
serve as a resource to federally funded Migrant Health Centers/Projects 
to maximize collaboration, and identify and integrate resources in 
assisting farmworkers in addressing their environmental and 
occupational health needs;
    (3) Experience of the proposed project personnel in working with 
migrant farmworker environmental/occupational health issues;
    (4) The adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed work plan with 
project approaches that will support the initiation or completion of 
specific environmental health activities in local, State, and regional 
areas served by migrant health centers;
    (5) The adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed work plan in 
addressing specific Migrant Health Program priorities and focusing on 
the outcomes as well as the methodology to be employed;
    (6) Appropriateness and reasonableness of proposed budget and 
staffing;
    (7) Adequacy of the proposal to evaluate the outcomes of the 
activities proposed;
    (8) The number of entities to be served by the applicant; and
    (9) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capability 
to insure that the personnel, training, programs, materials and 
curricula are culturally and linguistically appropriate.

[[Page 14925]]

Federal Responsibilities Under Cooperative Agreements

    Federal responsibilities under the cooperative agreement, in 
addition to the usual monitoring and technical assistance, will 
include: (1) Participation in the development and approval of an 
initial workplan, in accord with changing events in government policies 
and in the environmental/occupational health care environment, and 
modification thereof, as appropriate; (2) consultation and cooperation 
with the recipient regarding the recipient's preparation and 
dissemination of materials; (3) approval of specific studies and 
projects; and (4) participation in the design, planning, setting target 
task completion dates and final approval of work plans for activities 
under the cooperative agreement, including the selection of migrant 
health centers which will receive technical and non-financial 
assistance.

Other Award Information

    These awards are not subject to the provision of Executive Order 
12372 or the Public Health System Reporting Requirement.

    Dated: March 24, 1997.
Claude Earl Fox,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-7839 Filed 3-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P