[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7814-7819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3892]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Refugee Resettlement Program; Proposed Availability of Formula 
Allocation Funding for FY 1998 Targeted Assistance Grants for Services 
to Refugees in Local Areas of High Need

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed availability of formula allocation funding 
for FY 1998 targeted assistance grants to States for services to 
refugees \1\ in local areas of high need.
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    \1\ In addition to persons who meet all requirements of 45 CFR 
400.43, ``Requirements for documentation of refugee status,'' 
eligibility for targeted assistance includes Cuban and Haitian 
entrants, certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the 
U.S. as immigrants, and certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are U.S. 
citizens. (See section II of this notice on ``Authorization.'') The 
term ``refugee'', used in this notice for convenience, is intended 
to encompass such additional persons who are eligible to participate 
in refugee program services, including the targeted assistance 
program.
    Refugees admitted to the U.S. under admissions numbers set aside 
for private-sector-initiative admissions are not eligible to be 
served under the targeted assistance program (or under other 
programs supported by Federal refugee funds) during their period of 
coverage under their sponsoring agency's agreement with the 
Department of State--usually two years from their date of arrival, 
or until the obtain permanent resident alien status, whichever comes 
first.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the proposed availability of funds and 
award procedures for FY 1998 targeted assistance grants for services to 
refugees under the Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP). These grants are 
for service provision in localities with large refugee populations, 
high refugee concentrations, and high use of public assistance, and 
where specific needs exist for supplementation of currently available 
resources.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Address written comments, in duplicate, to: Toyo Biddle, 
Director, Division of Refugee Self-Sufficiency, Office of Refugee 
Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW, Washington, DC 20447.
    Application Deadline: The deadline for applications will be 
established by the final notice; applications should not be sent in 
response to this notice of proposed allocations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toyo Biddle (202) 401-9250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Purpose and Scope

    This notice announces the proposed availability of funds for grants 
for targeted assistance for services to refugees in counties where, 
because of factors such as unusually large refugee populations, high 
refugee concentrations, and high use of public assistance, there exists 
and can be demonstrated a specific need for supplementation of 
resources for services to this population.
    The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has available $49,477,000 
in FY 1998 funds for the targeted assistance program (TAP) as part of 
the FY 1998 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human 
Services (Pub. L. No. 105-78).
    The Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) proposes 
to use the $49,477,000 in targeted assistance funds as follows:
     $35,371,300 will be allocated to States under the 5-year 
population formula, as set forth in this notice.
     $14,105,700 will be used to award discretionary grants to 
States under separate grant announcements, including TAP 10% grants and 
as well as other discretionary grants.
    In addition, the Office of Refugee Resettlement will have available 
an additional $5,000,000 in FY 1998 funds for the targeted assistance 
discretionary program through the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, 
and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1998 (Pub. L. No. 105-118). 
These funds will augment the 10-percent of the targeted assistance 
program which is set-aside for grants to localities most heavily 
impacted by the influx of refugees such as Laotian Hmong, Cambodians 
and Soviet Pentecostals, including secondary migrants who entered the 
United States after October 1, 1979.
    The purpose of targeted assistance grants is to provide, through a 
process of local planning and implementation, direct services intended 
to result in the economic self-sufficiency and reduced welfare 
dependency of refugees through job placements.
    The targeted assistance program reflects the requirements of 
section 412(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 
which provides that targeted assistance grants shall be made available 
``(i) primarily for the purpose of facilitating refugee employment and 
achievement of self-sufficiency, (ii) in a manner that does not 
supplant other refugee program funds and that assures that not less 
than 95 percent of the amount of the grant award is made available to 
the county or other local entity.''

II. Authorization

    Targeted assistance projects are funded under the authority of 
section 412(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as 
amended by the Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986 (Pub. L. No. 
99-605), 8 U.S.C. 1522(c); section 501(a) of the Refugee Education 
Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96-433), 8 U.S.C. 1522 note, 
insofar as it incorporates by reference with respect to Cuban and 
Haitian entrants the authorities pertaining to assistance for refugees 
established by section 412(c)(2) of the INA, as cited above; section 
584(c) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related 
Programs Appropriations Act, 1988, as included in the FY 1988 
Continuing Resolution (Pub. L. No. 100-202), insofar as it incorporates 
by reference with respect to certain Amerasians from Vietnam the 
authorities pertaining to assistance for refugees established by 
section 412(c)(2) of the INA, as cited above, including certain 
Amerasians from Vietnam who are U.S. citizens, as provided under title 
II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
Appropriations Acts, 1989 (Pub. L. No. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. No. 101-
167), and 1991 (Pub. L. No. 101-513).

[[Page 7815]]

III. Client and Service Priorities

    Targeted assistance funding must be used to assist refugee families 
to achieve economic independence. To this end, States and counties are 
required to ensure that a coherent family self-sufficiency plan is 
developed for each eligible family that addresses the family's needs 
from time of arrival until attainment of economic independence. (See 45 
CFR 400.79 and 400.156(g).) Each family self-sufficiency plan should 
address a family's needs for both employment-related services and other 
needed social services. The family self-sufficiency plan must include: 
(1) A determination of the income level a family would have to earn to 
exceed its cash grant and move into self-support without suffering a 
monetary penalty; (2) a strategy and timetable for obtaining that level 
of family income through the placement in employment of sufficient 
numbers of employable family members at sufficient wage levels; and (3) 
employability plans for every employable member of the family. In local 
jurisdictions that have both targeted assistance and refugee social 
services programs, one family self-sufficiency plan may be developed 
for a family that incorporates both targeted assistance and refugee 
social services.
    Services funded through the targeted assistance program are 
required to focus primarily on those refugees who, either because of 
their protracted use of public assistance or difficulty in securing 
employment, continue to need services beyond the initial years of 
resettlement. States may not provide services funded under this notice, 
except for referral and interpreter services, to refugees who have been 
in the United States for more than 60 months (5 years).
    In accordance with 45 CFR 400.314, States are required to provide 
targeted assistance services to refugees in the following order of 
priority, except in certain individual extreme circumstances: (a) 
Refugees who are cash assistance recipients, particularly long-term 
recipients; (b) unemployed refugees who are not receiving cash 
assistance; and (c) employed refugees in need of services to retain 
employment or to attain economic independence.
    In addition to the statutory requirement that TAP funds be used 
``primarily for the purpose of facilitating refugee employment'' 
(section 412(c)(2)(B)(i)), funds awarded under this program are 
intended to help fulfill the Congressional intent that ``employable 
refugees should be placed on jobs as soon as possible after their 
arrival in the United States'' (section 412(a)(1)(B)(i) of the INA). 
Therefore, in accordance with 45 CFR 400.313, targeted assistance funds 
must be used primarily for employability services designed to enable 
refugees to obtain jobs with less than one year's participation in the 
targeted assistance program in order to achieve economic self-
sufficiency as soon as possible. Targeted assistance services may 
continue to be provided after a refugee has entered a job to help the 
refugee retain employment or move to a better job. Targeted assistance 
funds may not be used for long-term training programs such as 
vocational training that last for more than a year or educational 
programs that are not intended to lead to employment within a year.
    In accordance with Sec. 400.317, if targeted assistance funds are 
used for the provision of English language training, such training must 
be provided in a concurrent, rather than sequential, time period with 
employment or with other employment-related activities.
    A portion of a local area's allocation may be used for services 
which are not directed toward the achievement of a specific employment 
objective in less than one year but which are essential to the 
adjustment of refugees in the community, provided such needs are 
clearly demonstrated and such use is approved by the State. Allowable 
services include those listed under Sec. 400.316.
    Reflecting section 412(a)(1)(A)(iv) of the INA, States must 
``insure that women have the same opportunities as men to participate 
in training and instruction.'' In addition, in accordance with 
Sec. 400.317, services must be provided to the maximum extent feasible 
in a manner that includes the use of bilingual/bicultural women on 
service agency staffs to ensure adequate service access by refugee 
women. The Director also strongly encourages the inclusion of refugee 
women in management and board positions in agencies that serve 
refugees. In order to facilitate refugee self-support, the Director 
also expects States to implement strategies which address 
simultaneously the employment potential of both male and female wage 
earners in a family unit. States and counties are expected to make 
every effort to assure availability of day care services for children 
in order to allow women with children the opportunity to participate in 
employment services or to accept or retain employment. To accomplish 
this, day care may be treated as a priority employment-related service 
under the targeted assistance program. Refugees who are participating 
in TAP-funded or social services-funded employment services or have 
accepted employment are eligible for day care services for children. 
For an employed refugee, TAP-funded day care should be limited to one 
year after the refugee becomes employed. States and counties, however, 
are expected to use day care funding from other publicly funded 
mainstream programs as a prior resource and are encouraged to work with 
service providers to assure maximum access to other publicly funded 
resources for day care.
    In accordance with Sec. 400.317, targeted assistance services must 
be provided in a manner that is culturally and linguistically 
compatible with a refugee's language and cultural background, to the 
maximum extent feasible. In light of the increasingly diverse 
population of refugees who are resettling in this country, refugee 
service agencies will need to develop practical ways of providing 
culturally and linguistically appropriate services to a changing ethnic 
population. Services funded under this notice must be refugee-specific 
services which are designed specifically to meet refugee needs and are 
in keeping with the rules and objectives of the refugee program. 
Vocational or job-skills training, on-the-job training, or English 
language training, however, need not be refugee-specific.
    When planning targeted assistance services, States must take into 
account the reception and placement (R&P) services provided by local 
resettlement agencies in order to utilize these resources in the 
overall program design and to ensure the provision of seamless, 
coordinated services to refugees that are not duplicative. See 
Sec. 400.156(b).
    ORR strongly encourages States and counties when contracting for 
targeted assistance services, including employment services, to give 
consideration to the special strengths of mutual assistance 
associations (MAAs), whenever contract bidders are otherwise equally 
qualified, provided that the MAA has the capability to deliver services 
in a manner that is culturally and linguistically compatible with the 
background of the target population to be served. ORR also strongly 
encourages MAAs to ensure that their management and board composition 
reflect the major target populations to be served.
    ORR defines MAAs as organizations with the following 
qualifications:
    a. The organization is legally incorporated as a nonprofit 
organization; and
    b. Not less than 51% of the composition of the Board of Directors 
or governing board of the mutual assistance association is comprised of

[[Page 7816]]

refugees or former refugees, including both refugee men and women.
    Finally, in order to provide culturally and linguistically 
compatible services in as cost-efficient a manner as possible in a time 
of limited resources, ORR strongly encourages States and counties to 
promote and give special consideration to the provision of services 
through coalitions of refugee service organizations, such as coalitions 
of MAAs, voluntary resettlement agencies, or a variety of service 
providers. ORR believes it is essential for refugee-serving 
organizations to form close partnerships in the provision of services 
to refugees in order to be able to respond adequately to a changing 
refugee picture. Coalition-building and consolidation of providers is 
particularly important in communities with multiple service providers 
in order to ensure better coordination of services and maximum use of 
funding for services by minimizing the funds used for multiple 
administrative overhead costs.
    The award of funds to States under this notice will be contingent 
upon the completeness of a State's application as described in section 
IX, below.

IV. [Reserved for Discussion of Comments in the Final Notice]

V. Eligible Grantees

    Eligible grantees are those agencies of State governments that are 
responsible for the refugee program under 45 CFR 400.5 in States 
containing counties which qualify for FY 1998 targeted assistance 
awards.
    The use of targeted assistance funds for services to Cuban and 
Haitian entrants is limited to States which have an approved State plan 
under the Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP).
    The State agency will submit a single application on behalf of all 
county governments of the qualified counties in that State. Subsequent 
to the approval of the State's application by ORR, local targeted 
assistance plans will be developed by the county government or other 
designated entity and submitted to the State.
    A State with more than one qualified county is permitted, but not 
required, to determine the allocation amount for each qualified county 
within the State. However, if a State chooses to determine county 
allocations differently from those set forth in this notice, in 
accordance with Sec. 400.319, the FY 1998 allocations proposed by the 
State must be based on the State's population of refugees who arrived 
in the U.S. during the most recent 5-year period. A State may use 
welfare data as an additional factor in the allocation of its targeted 
assistance funds if it so chooses; however, a State may not assign a 
greater weight to welfare data than it has assigned to population data 
in its allocation formula. In addition, if a State chooses to allocate 
its FY 1998 targeted assistance funds in a manner different from the 
formula set forth in this notice, the FY 1998 allocations and 
methodology proposed by the State must be included in the State's 
application for ORR review and approval.
    Applications submitted in response to the final notice are not 
subject to review by State and areawide clearinghouses under Executive 
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

VI. Qualification and Allocation

A. Qualified Counties

    The 47 counties listed as qualified for TAP funding in the FY 1997 
final TAP notice will remain qualified for TAP funding in FY 1998. We 
do not plan to consider the eligibility of additional counties for FY 
1998. In the FY 1996 targeted assistance final notice (61 FR 36739, 
July 12, 1996) the ORR Director indicated her intention to determine 
the qualification of counties for targeted assistance funds once every 
three years, beginning in FY 1996. Therefore, in FY 1999, ORR will 
again review data on all counties that could potentially qualify for 
TAP funds on the basis of the most current 5-year refugee/entrant 
population data available at that time.

B. Allocation Formula

    Of the funds available for FY 1998 for targeted assistance, 
$35,317,300 is allocated by formula to States for qualified counties 
based on the initial placements of refugees, Amerasians, entrants, and 
Kurdish asylees in these counties during the 5-year period from FY 1993 
through FY 1997 (October 1, 1992-September 30, 1997).
    With regard to Havana parolees, in the absence of reliable data on 
the State-by-State resettlement of this population, we are crediting 
5,992 Havana parolees who arrived in the U.S. in FY 1997 according to 
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), to qualified targeted 
assistance counties based on the counties' proportion of the 5-year 
entrant arrival population. For FY 1995 and FY 1996, Florida's Havana 
parolees for each qualified county are based on actual data submitted 
by the State of Florida, while Havana parolees credited to counties in 
other States were prorated based on the counties' proportion of the 5-
year entrant population in the U.S. The proposed allocations in this 
notice reflect these additional parolee numbers.
    If a qualified county does not agree with ORR's population estimate 
and believes that its 5-year initial resettlement population from FY 
1993-FY 1997 was undercounted and wishes ORR to reconsider its 
population estimate, the county must provide the following evidence: 
The county must submit to ORR a letter from each local voluntary agency 
that resettled refugees in the county that attests to the fact that the 
refugees/entrants listed in an attachment to the letter were resettled 
as initial placements during the 5-year period from FY 1993-FY 1997 in 
the county making the claim. Documentation must include the name, alien 
number, date of birth, and date of arrival in the U.S. for each 
refugee/entrant claimed. Listings of refugees who are not identified by 
their alien numbers will not be considered. Counties should submit such 
evidence separately from comments on the proposed allocation formula no 
later than 30 days from the date of publication of this notice and 
should be addressed to: Loren Bussert, Division of Refugee Self-
Sufficiency, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, 
SW., Washington, DC 20447, telephone: (202) 401-4732. Failure to submit 
the required documentation within the required time period will result 
in forfeiture of consideration.

VII. Allocations

    Table 1 lists the qualified counties, the number of refugee and 
entrant arrivals in those counties during the 5-year period from 
October 1, 1992-September 30, 1997, the prorated number of Havana 
parolees credited to each county based on the county's proportion of 
the 5-year entrant population in the U.S., the sum of the third, 
fourth, and fifth columns, and the proposed amount of each county's 
allocation based on its 5-year total population.
    Table 2 provides proposed State totals for targeted assistance 
allocations.

[[Page 7817]]



                          Table 1.--Proposed Assistance Allocations By County: FY 1998                          
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                                                                                                     $35,371,300
                                                                                           Total       Total FY 
            County                   State         Refugees     Entrants      Havana    arrivals FY      1997   
                                                     \1\                     parolees    1993-1997     proposed 
                                                                               \2\                    allocation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maricopa County..............  Arizona.........        5,920          652          242        6,814      586,972
Alameda County...............  California......        4,029           19            8        4,056      349,392
Fresno County................  California......        4,596            2            0        4,598      396,081
Los Angeles County...........  California......       20,709          465          268       21,442    1,847,057
Merced County................  California......        1,067            0            0        1,067       91,914
Orange County................  California......       17,950           27           15       17,992    1,549,867
Sacramento County............  California......       11,463            4            2       11,469      987,963
San Diego County.............  California......       10,780          517          205       11,502      990,806
SAN FRANCISCO AREA...........  California......        9,706           85           73        9,864      849,705
San Joaquin County...........  California......        1,708            7            3        1,718      147,992
Santa Clara County...........  California......       13,706           50           15       13,771    1,186,262
Denver County................  Colorado........        3,384            3            1        3,388      291,849
District of Col..............  District of Col.        3,859           14            7        3,880      334,231
Broward County...............  Florida.........        1,124        1,558          575        3,257      280,565
Dade County..................  Florida.........        9,486       34,623       17,902       62,011    5,341,754
Duval County.................  Florida.........        3,416           41           25        3,482      299,947
Palm Beach County............  Florida.........          690        1,092          428        2,210      190,374
DeKalb County................  Georgia.........        6,051           13            8        6,072      523,054
Fulton County................  Georgia.........        5,866          210           89        6,165      531,066
CHICAGO AREA.................  Illinois........       17,240          412          182       17,834    1,536,257
Polk County..................  Iowa............        3,301            1            0        3,302      284,441
Jefferson County \3\.........  Kentucky........        3,213          551          158        3,922      337,849
Baltimore City...............  Maryland........        2,683            3            0        2,686      231,378
Suffolk County...............  Massachusetts...        5,090           73          103        5,266      453,624
Ingham County................  Michigan........        1,715          319          102        2,136      183,999
Oakland County...............  Michigan........        3,409            8            4        3,421      294,692
Hennepin County..............  Minnesota.......        5,490            3            0        5,493      473,178
Ramsey County................  Minnesota.......        3,744           10            4        3,758      323,722
St. Louis City...............  Missouri........        6,614            1            0        6,615      569,830
Lancaster County.............  Nebraska........        2,218           36           10        2,264      195,026
Hudson County................  New Jersey......        1,910          827          362        3,099      266,954
Bernalillo County............  New Mexico......        1,322        1,228          517        3,067      264,198
Broome County................  New York........        1,336           16           11        1,363      117,412
Monroe County................  New York........        2,884          514          209        3,607      310,714
NEW YORK CITY AREA...........  New York........       69,582          728          454       70,764    6,095,755
Oneida County................  New York........        3,470            1            0        3,471      298,999
Cass County..................  North Dakota....        1,535            3            1        1,539      132,573
Cuyahoga County..............  Ohio............        4,131            6            2        4,139      356,542
PORTLAND OREGON AREA.........  Oregon..........       10,451          549          209       11,209      965,566
Philadelphia County..........  Pennsylvania....        6,756           55           30        6,841      589,298
Davidson County..............  Tennessee.......        3,243           54           14        3,311      285,216
DALLAS AREA..................  Texas...........       11,398          610          243       12,251    1,055,326
Harris County................  Texas...........        9,645          169           64        9,878      850,911
FAIRFAX AREA.................  Virginia........        4,337            8            3        4,348      374,546
Richmond City................  Virginia........        1,981          103           42        2,126      183,138
Pierce County................  Washington......        2,713           10            3        2,726      234,823
SEATTLE AREA.................  Washington......       15,355           52           15       15,422    1,328,482
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
      Total..................                        342,276       45,732       22,608      410,616  $35,371,300
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Refugees include: refugees, Kurdish asylees, and Amerasian immigrants from Vietnam.                         
\2\ For 1997, 5101 Havana Parolees (HP's) were prorated to the qualifying counties based on the counties'       
  proportion of the five year (FY 1993-1997) entrant population in the U.S.                                     
  For FY 1996, HP arrivals to the qualifying Florida counties (6910) were based on actual data while HP's in the
  non-Florida qualifying counties (1415) were prorated based on the counties' proportion of the five year (FY   
  1992-1996) entrant population in the U.S.                                                                     
  For FY 1995, HP arrivals to the qualifying Florida counties (7855) were based on actual data while HP's in the
  non-Florida qualifying counties (1327) were prorated based on the counties' proportion of the five year (FY   
  1991-1995) entrant population in the U.S.                                                                     
\3\ The allocation for Jefferson, KY will be awarded to the Kentucky Wilson-Fish project.                       


[[Page 7818]]


  Table 2.--Proposed Targeted Assistance Allocations By State: FY 1998  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             $35,371,300
                                                               Total FY 
                           State                                 1997   
                                                               proposed 
                                                              allocation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona....................................................     $586,972
California.................................................    8,397,039
Colorado...................................................      291,849
District of Columbia.......................................      334,231
Florida....................................................    6,112,640
Georgia....................................................    1,054,120
Illinois...................................................    1,536,257
Iowa.......................................................      284,441
Kentucky...................................................      337,849
Maryland...................................................      231,378
Massachusetts..............................................      453,624
Michigan...................................................      478,691
Minnesota..................................................      796,900
Missouri...................................................      569,830
Nebraska...................................................      195,026
New Jersey.................................................      266,954
New Mexico.................................................      264,198
New York...................................................    6,822,880
North Dakota...............................................      132,573
Ohio.......................................................      356,542
Oregon.....................................................      965,566
Pennsylvania...............................................      589,298
Tennessee..................................................      285,216
Texas......................................................    1,906,237
Virginia...................................................      557,684
Washington.................................................    1,563,305
      Total................................................   35,371,300
------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIII. Application and Implementation Process

    Under the FY 1988 targeted assistance program, States may apply for 
and receive grant awards on behalf of qualified counties in the State. 
A single allocation will be made to each State by ORR on the basis of 
an approved State application. The State agency will, in turn, receive, 
review, and determine the acceptability of individual county targeted 
assistance plans.
    Pursuant to Sec. 400.210(b), FY 1998 targeted assistance funds must 
be obligated by the State agency no later than one year after the end 
of the Federal fiscal year in which the Department awarded the grant. 
Funds must be liquidated within two years after the end of the Federal 
fiscal year in which the Department awarded the grant. A State's final 
financial report on targeted assistance expenditures must be received 
no later than two years after the end of the Federal fiscal year in 
which the Department awarded the grant. If final reports are not 
received on time, the Department will deobligate any unexpended funds, 
including any unliquidated obligations, on the basis of the State's 
last filed report.
    The requirements regarding the discretionary portions of the 
targeted assistance program will be addressed separately in the grant 
announcements for those funds. Applications for these funds are 
therefore not subject to provisions contained in this notice but to 
other requirements which will be conveyed separately.

IX. Application Requirements

    The proposed State application requirements for grants for the FY 
1998 targeted assistance formula allocation are as follows:
    States that are currently operating under approved management plans 
for their FY 1996 or FY 1997 targeted assistance program and wish to 
continue to do so for their FY 1998 grants may provide the following in 
lieu of resubmitting the full currently approved plan:
    The State's application for FY 1998 funding shall provide:
    A. Assurance that the State's current management plan for the 
administration of the targeted assistance program, as approved by ORR, 
will continue to be in full force and effect for the FY 1998 targeted 
assistance program, subject to any additional assurances or revisions 
required by this notice which are not reflected in the current plan. 
Any proposed modifications to the approved plan will be identified in 
the application and are subject to ORR review and approval. Any 
proposed changes must address and reference all appropriate portions of 
the FY 1996 or FY 1997 application content requirements to ensure 
complete incorporation in the State's management plan.
    B. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will be used in 
accordance with the requirements in 45 CFR 400.
    C. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will be used primarily 
for the provision of services which are designed to enable refugees to 
obtain jobs with less than one year's participation in the targeted 
assistance program. States must indicate what percentage of FY 1998 
targeted assistance formula allocation funds that are used for services 
will be allocated for employment services.
    D. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will not be used to 
offset funding otherwise available to counties or local jurisdictions 
from the State agency in its administration of other programs, e.g. 
social services, cash and medical assistance, etc.
    E. The mount of funds to be awarded to the targeted county or 
counties. If a State with more than one qualifying targeted assistance 
county chooses to allocate its targeted assistance funds differently 
from the formula allocation for counties presented in the ORR targeted 
assistance notice in a fiscal year, its allocations must be based on 
the State's population of refugees who arrived in the U.S. during the 
most recent 5-year period. A State may use welfare data as an 
additional factor in the allocation of targeted assistance funds if it 
so chooses; however, a State may not assign a greater weight to welfare 
data than it has assigned to population data in its allocation formula. 
The application must provide a description of, and supporting data for, 
the State's proposed allocation plan, the data to be used, and the 
proposed allocation for each county.
    F. Assurance that local administrative budgets will not exceed 15% 
of the lcoal allocation. Targeted assistance grants are cost-based 
awards. Neither a State nor a county is entitled to a certain amount 
for administrative costs. Rather, administrative cost requests should 
be based on projections of actual needs. States and counties are 
strongly encouraged to limit administative costs to the extent possible 
to maximize available funding for services to clients.
    G. All applicants must establish targeted assistance proposed 
performance goals for each of the 6 ORR performance outcome measures 
for each targeted assistance county's proposed service contract(s) or 
sub-grants for the next contracting cycle. Proposed performance goals 
must be included in the application for each performance measure. The 6 
ORR performance measures are: entered employments, cash assistance 
reductions due to employment, each assistance terminations due to 
employment, 90-day employment retentions, average wage at placement, 
and job placements with available health benefits. Targeted assistance 
program activity and progress achieved toward meeting performance 
outcome goals are to be reported quarterly on the ORR-6, the 
``Quarterly Performance Report.''
    States which are currently grantees for targeted assistance funds 
should base projected annual outcome goals on the past year's 
performance. Proposed targeted assistance outcome goals should reflect 
improvement over past performance and strive for continuous improvement 
during the project period from one year to another.
    H. A line item budget and justification for State adminstrative 
costs limited to a maximum of 5% of the total award to the State. Each 
total budget period funding amount requested must be necessary, 
reasonable, and allocable to the project. States that administer the 
program locally in lieu of the county, through a mutual agreement with 
the qualifying county, may add up to, but

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not exceed, 10% of the county's TAP allocation to the State's 
administrative budget.
    I. A line item budget and justification for State administaratgve 
cost limited to a maximoum of 5% of the total award to the State. Each 
total budget period funding amount requested must be necessary, 
reasonable, and allocable to the project.
    States administering the program locally: States that have 
administered the program locally or provide direct service to the 
refugee population (with the concurrence of the county) must submit a 
program summary to ORR for prior review and approval. The summary must 
include a description of the proposed services; a justification for the 
projected allocation for each component including relationship of funds 
allocated to numbers of clients served, characteristics of clients, 
duration of training and services, and cost per placement. In addition, 
the program component summary must describe any ancillary services or 
subcomponents such as day care, transportation, or language training.

X. Reporting Requirements

    States are required to submit quarterly reports on the outcomes of 
the targeted assistance program, using Schedule A and Schedule C of the 
new ORR-6 Quarterly Performance Report form which was sent to States in 
ORR State Letter 95-35 on November 6, 1995.

    Dated: Febuary 11, 1998.
Lavinia Limon,
Director, Office of Refuguee Resettlement.
 [FR Doc. 98-3892 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M