[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 123 (Monday, June 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34662-34667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16281]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)


Program Announcement CFDA #93.576: Refugee Resettlement Program; 
Community and Family Strengthening

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS

ACTION: Notice of Availability of FY 1999 discretionary social service 
funds for refugee \1\ community and family strengthening and 
integration.
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    \1\ In addition to persons who meet all requirements of 45 CFR 
400.43, eligibility for refugee social services also includes: (1) 
Cuban and Haitian entrants, under section 501 of the Refugee 
Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96-422); (2) certain 
Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as immigrants 
under section 584 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); and (3) certain 
Amerasians from Vietnam, including U.S. citizens, under title II of 
the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
Appropriations Act, 1989 (Pub. L. No. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. No. 
101-167) and 1991 (Pub. L. No. 101-513). For convenience, the term 
``refugee'' is used in this notice to encompass all such eligible 
persons unless the specific context indicates otherwise.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities 
to submit competitive grant applications for community and family 
strengthening and integration services. Applications will be screened 
and evaluated based on criteria as indicated in this program 
announcement and the availability of funds.

CLOSING DATE: For submission of applications is July 27, 1999. For more 
application information, see Part IV of this announcement.

ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY: This announcement is published on the ORR 
website at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Mary Portz, Program Manager, ACF/
ORR Division of Community Resettlement, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, 6th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20447 telephone (202) 401-1196, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement consists of four parts: 
Part I. Background--Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, 
Purpose and Objectives; Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility--
Eligible Applicants, Project Period; Part III. The Review Process--
Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, 
Review Criteria;

[[Page 34663]]

and, Part IV. The Application--Application Development, Guidelines for 
Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Regulations 
and Reporting.
    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average four hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and 
reviewing the collection of information. The following information 
collections are included in the program announcement: OMB Approval No. 
0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 10/31/
2000, and OMB Approval No. 0970-0036, ORR Quarterly Performance Report 
(QPR). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Part I. Background

Legislative Authority:

    Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 
U.S.C. 1522, authorizes the Director of ORR ``to make grants to, and 
enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit agencies for 
projects specifically designed--* * *(iii) to provide where specific 
needs have been shown and recognized by the Director,* * * social 
services, educational and other services.'' Projects funded through ORR 
discretionary programs are not restricted to serving refugees who have 
arrived within the last five years.

Funding Availability

    ORR expects to award $3 million in FY 1999 discretionary social 
service funds through approximately 15 grants ranging in amounts from 
$150,000 to $350,000.
    The Director may award more or less than the funds described in the 
announcement. Applicants may be required to reduce the scope of 
selected projects based on the amount of the approved grant award.

Purpose and Objectives

    This program announcement governs the availability of and award 
procedures for the FY 1999 Community and Family Strengthening and 
Integration (CFSI) Program and provides an opportunity for States and 
nonprofit organizations to request funding for activities which 
supplement and complement employment-related services by strengthening 
refugee families and communities and by enhancing their integration 
into mainstream society.

Cultural and Linguistic Compatibility

    In all cases, regardless of the nature of the organization proposed 
to provide services or conduct activities funded under this 
announcement, the services/activities should be conducted by staff 
linguistically and culturally compatible with the refugee families or 
communities to be served. In addition, the applicant must describe how 
proposed providers will have access to the families and to the 
community to be served.
    Project planners must consult with representatives of the target 
population. For example, a project designed to assist refugee single 
mothers needs to be designed in consultation with them.
    Furthermore, if interpreters are proposed in the first budget 
period, applicants must demonstrate how these staff will be used in 
subsequent years of the project, and whether they will be trained to 
assume an integral role in the project, such as to become service 
providers.
    Applicants and all private partners should provide evidence that 
their governing bodies, boards of directors, or advisory bodies are 
representative of the refugee communities being served, and have both 
male and female representation.
Cost-sharing
    This announcement is intended to encourage service planners and 
providers to address the various unmet needs of refugee families and 
communities relative to existing services, the capacity of the service-
providing network, and ultimately the community's capacity to continue 
the activity without additional ORR resources beyond the three-year 
project period of this announcement. Long-range viability may depend 
on: Linkages to activities funded by other sources, the availability of 
expertise in the community, the likelihood of tangible results, the 
relatedness of proposed activities to existing activities, and the 
willingness of the community to participate actively in assuring the 
success of the project including volunteer commitment.
    Because funding under this program announcement is limited, 
applicants are urged to plan for the use of these funds together with 
other Federal, State, and private funds available to assist the target 
populations and to carry out similar programs and activities. To this 
end, successful applicants will propose and commit to a minimum cost-
sharing (cash or in-kind) of ten percent of the initial budget period 
(first year) costs. In subsequent continuation applications, the 
grantee will be asked to document receipt of non-ORR funds from other 
sources. The requirement will be not less than 25 percent of the full 
budget for the second year award and not less than 40 percent for the 
third year. For example, if the original budget is $150,000, the 
federal share for that year may be $135,000 (90%). In the second year, 
the federal award might be $112,500, and the grantee would be required 
to provide, at a minimum, cost-sharing of $37,500, or 25 percent of the 
full budget, in cash or in-kind support. Only in unusual circumstances 
will the Director of ORR entertain a request from the grantee to reduce 
or waive the cost-sharing requirement.
Allowable Activities
    ORR will consider applications for services which an applicant 
justifies, based on an analysis of service needs and available 
resources to address the social and economic problems and integration 
needs of refugee families and of the refugee community. It should be 
clear what is the goal or expected outcome of the activity, how it 
responds to the particular needs of families in that community or to a 
broader need of the community of families, who is committed to do what 
in order to accomplish this goal, and how the proposed activity fits 
into the existing network of services.
    The specific services proposed may be as diverse as the refugee 
populations and the resettlement communities themselves. Proposed 
activities and services should be planned in conjunction with existing 
service providers and should supplement and complement their services. 
Special attention should be placed on enhancing refugee access to 
services available to all citizens, such as those for the elderly, 
youth or special needs populations.
    Some examples of allowable activities:

Integration Into U.S. Communities

    Activities designed to inform the refugee community about issues 
essential to effective participation in the new society.
    Assistance to parents in connecting with the school system and 
other local community organizations.
    Continuing education programs for U.S.-recognized recertification 
or skill-building.
    Classes in parenting skills, including information about U.S. 
cultural and legal issues, e.g., corporal punishment, generational 
conflict, and child abuse.
    Providing immigration-related services, e.g., adjustment of status,

[[Page 34664]]

family reunification, and naturalization, through Board of Immigration 
Appeals (BIA) accredited agencies.
    Facilitating assimilation of refugee groups through skill-building 
workshops or technical assistance services.
    Information and community involvement that will ensure that 
refugees are accurately counted in the Year 2000 Census.

Mentoring Programs and Peer Support

    Pairing participant individuals or families with community 
volunteers. Programs should target refugees who are past the initial 
resettlement phase, and mentoring should target needs they identify.
    Assisting subgroups to form a common bond for resolution of peer-
specific problems. The purposes are to solve individual, family, and 
community problems with the support of peers and to solve common 
problems through group action.
    Promoting pride and self-confidence in personal identity.

Specialized English Language Training

    Specialized classes for groups outside the regular classes, e.g., 
homebound women, or elderly. Use of volunteers is encouraged. 
Accessibility of site and time is important.

Combating Violence in Families

    Information and training against domestic violence, child abuse, 
sexual harassment and coercion, roles of men and women in U.S. culture, 
and techniques for protection.
    Linkages to mainstream service providers to ensure access to 
culturally appropriate services.
    Training and/or bilingual staff for women's shelters.

Crime Prevention/Victimization

    Activities designed to improve relations between refugees and the 
law enforcement communities: (a) Public service officers or community 
liaisons; (b) neighborhood storefronts and/or watch programs; (c) gang 
prevention programs; (d) cross cultural training for the law 
enforcement community (police departments, court system, mediation or 
dispute management centers).

    Note: Law enforcement activities, such as hiring sworn police 
officers (except those who are public service officers or community 
liaison officers), fingerprinting, incarceration, etc., are outside 
the scope of allowable services under the Refugee Act and will not 
be considered for funding. Other unallowable activities are those 
limited to, or principally focused on, parole counseling, court 
advocacy, and child protection services.

Refugee Community Centers and Organizing

    Operating community centers for the delivery of services to refugee 
individuals and families. Centers may also be used for recreation, 
information and referral services, childcare, community gatherings, and 
documentation and analysis of refugee success stories and best 
practices in successful integration. (Costs related to construction or 
renovation will not be considered, and costs for food or beverages are 
not allowable).
    Communities may be organized for housing or consumer cooperatives, 
for youth activities, for services to elderly refugees, for volunteer 
mentoring services, and for crime prevention.
    The above are only examples of services. They are not intended to 
limit potential applicants in community planning. They are listed and 
generically described without regard to the population to be served. It 
will be necessary in the application to describe more specifically the 
target population. For example, one activity might appropriately be 
designed to serve only homebound women. Another might be designed for 
teenagers and their parents; another for elderly. Some might be 
targeted for all members of the family. Applications should correlate a 
planned activity with specific target audiences and discuss the 
relationship between the proposed activities and the target population.
Non-Allowable Activities
    Funds will not be awarded to applicants who propose to engage in 
activities which are designed primarily to promote the preservation of 
cultural heritage or which have an international or political 
objective. ORR encourages refugee community efforts to preserve 
cultural heritage, but believes communities should support these 
activities with alternative funding.

Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

    Public and private nonprofit organizations, including current CFS 
grantees whose projects end on September 30, 1999, are eligible to 
apply for ORR grants.
    Any nonprofit organization submitting an application must submit 
proof of its nonprofit status in its application at the time of 
submission. The nonprofit agency can accomplish this by providing a 
copy of the applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) 
most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 
501(c)(3) of the IRS code or by providing a copy of the currently valid 
IRS tax exemption certificate, or by providing a copy of the articles 
of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation 
or association is domiciled.
Coalitions
    Refugee programs and local organizations, which have not already 
done so, are encouraged to build coalitions for the purpose of 
providing services funded under this announcement. The activities 
funded by these grants are intended to serve as a catalyst to bring the 
community together to address the economic and social problems of 
refugee families and the refugee community. The goal in all cases 
should be to build and strengthen the community's capacity to serve its 
members in improving the quality of life and standard of living for 
refugee families.
    ORR strongly encourages single applications from partnerships or 
consortia of three or more eligible organizations. Applicants must 
demonstrate that wherever potential partners for collaboration exist, 
the applicant, at a minimum, has planned the proposed activities in 
collaboration with these potential partners. Partners may be in the 
refugee services provider community of organizations and institutions, 
or in mainstream services organizations, e.g., adult basic education 
providers, child care coalitions, or women's shelters. Collaboration 
may also include the Mayor's office, school parent-teacher groups, 
local police departments, and other mainstream community service 
organizations. All applicants should demonstrate existing refugee 
community support for their agency and their proposed project. If the 
applicant is located in an area where no other organizations work with 
refugees, and a coalition with other organizations is not possible, the 
applicant should demonstrate how the proposed services will be 
effectively provided by a single agency.
    The process of coalition-building is key to strengthening 
cooperation and coordination among the local service providers, 
community leaders, Mutual Assistance Associations, voluntary agencies, 
churches, and other public and private organizations involved in 
refugee resettlement or community service. ORR intends that this 
process will be part of local efforts to build strategic partnerships 
among these groups to expand their capacity to serve the social and 
economic needs of refugees and to give support and direction to ethnic 
communities facing problems in economic independence

[[Page 34665]]

and social adjustment. In this context, ORR is defining partnership as 
a formal negotiated arrangement among organizations that provides for a 
substantive collaborative role for each of the partners in the planning 
and conduct of the project. Applications which represent a coalition of 
providers should include a signed partnership agreement stating a 
commitment or an intent to commit or receive resources from the 
prospective partner(s) contingent upon receipt of ORR funds. The 
agreement should state how the partnership arrangement relates to the 
objectives of the project. The applicant should also include: 
Supporting documentation identifying the resources, experience, and 
expertise of the partner(s); evidence that the partner(s) has been 
involved in the planning of the project; and a discussion of the role 
of the partner(s) in the implementation and conduct of the project.

Project Period

    This announcement invites applications for project periods up to 
three years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year 
budget period, although project periods may be for three years. 
Applications for subsequent year continuation grants funded under these 
awards will be entertained on a noncompetitive basis, subject to: 
availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a 
determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of 
the Government.

Part III: The Review Process

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR Part 100, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services 
Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own 
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance 
under covered programs.

    Note: State/territory participation in the intergovernmental 
review process does not signify applicant eligibility for financial 
assistance under A program. A potential applicant must meet the 
eligibility requirements of the program for which it is applying 
prior to submitting an application to its single point of contact 
(SPOC), if applicable, or to ACF.

As of November 20, 1998, the following jurisdictions have elected not 
to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these 
jurisdictions or for projects administered by federally-recognized 
Indian Tribes need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372: Alabama, 
Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, 
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, 
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, 
Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
    Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in 
the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the 
program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, 
Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. All remaining jurisdictions 
participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. 
Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs 
as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and 
receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to 
the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and 
review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must 
submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the 
date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is 
required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), 
a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed 
new or competing continuation awards.
    SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine 
endorsements as official recommendations. Further, SPOCs are requested 
to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those 
official State process recommendations which may trigger the 
``accommodate or explain'' rule.
    When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be 
addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration 
for Children and Families, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, 
SW, Sixth Floor East, Washington, DC 20447. A list of the Single Points 
of Contact for each State and Territory is included with this program 
announcement.

Initial ACF Screening

    Each application submitted under this program announcement will 
undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was received 
by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions 
in this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.

Competitive Review and Review Criteria

    Applications which pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated 
and rated by an independent review panel.
    The review criteria are closely related and are considered as a 
whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are 
awarded only to applications which are responsive to the criteria 
within the context of this program announcement. Applicants are 
encouraged to organize their narrative accordingly. Proposed projects 
will be reviewed based on the following criteria.
1. Objectives and Need for Assistance (25 points)
    Profile of refugee community and target population by geographic 
area or ethnic group of the refugee community to be served, including 
numbers, ethnicity, welfare utilization pattern, number of refugee 
families in the community, family characteristics, and an assessment of 
attitudes of the refugees and the general community toward each other. 
Clarity of description and soundness of rationale for selection of 
targeted community or population.
    Adequacy and quality of data provided and quality of the analysis 
of data provided in the application with special regard to ethnic 
group, refugee families, women, or youth. Clarity and comprehensiveness 
of needs identification and problem statement and of the description of 
the local context in which grant activities are proposed. 
Comprehensiveness of description of existing services and community 
network and explanation of how the proposed services complement what is 
already in place. Evidence of consultation with target population.
2. Approach and Results Expected (30 points)
    Soundness of strategy and program design for meeting identified 
needs. Identification of projected performance outcomes and proposed 
milestones measuring progress, as appropriate to the services proposed 
by the end of the first budget period and over the entire requested 
project period. (ORR encourages applicants, to the extent possible, to 
develop innovative quantifiable measures related to the desired service 
impact for purposes of monitoring and project assessment.)
    The tangibility of the outcomes proposed and the potential for 
achieving the outcomes within the grant's project period. The potential 
of the project to have a positive impact on the quality of the lives of 
refugee families and communities (1) by improving refugees'

[[Page 34666]]

abilities: To access services, to provide mutual assistance, and to 
demand or create services where they are not already available; and (2) 
by instituting changes among service providers to make them more 
accessible to refugees.
    Adequate detail in the description of linkages with other providers 
and roles of collaborating agencies in project implementation.
    Extent to which the need described is expected to be met and to 
which the services will be augmented, supplemented, or integrated with 
existing services.
3. Applicant/Coalition Capability (25 points)
    Validity and reasonableness of the proposed coalition arrangement 
to perform the proposed activities. Commitment of coalition partners in 
implementing the activities as demonstrated by letters or the terms of 
the signed agreement among participants. (Where potential coalition 
partners are documented to be unavailable, the applicant will not be 
penalized under this criteria. However, the applicant should describe 
any consultation efforts undertaken and consultation with the refugee 
community.)
    Experience of the applicant coalition in performing the proposed 
services. Adequacy of gender balance and constituent representatives of 
board members of participant organizations or of the proposed project's 
advisory board. Adequacy of assurance that proposed services will be 
delivered by staff linguistically and culturally appropriate to the 
target population.
    Qualifications of the individual organization staff and any 
volunteers. Detailed description of the administrative and management 
features of the project including a plan for fiscal and programmatic 
management of each activity, proposed start-up times, ongoing 
timelines, major milestones or benchmarks, a component/project 
organization chart, and a staffing chart. A description of information 
collection (participant and outcome data) and monitoring proposed.
4. Budget And Financial Management (20 points)
    Reasonableness of budget and narrative justification in relation to 
the proposed activities and anticipated results.
    Adequacy of proposed monitoring and information collection. 
Realistic plan for the continuation of services with a phase-out of ORR 
grant funding over the multi-year project period. Extent to which the 
application makes provision for cost-sharing (i.e. leveraging ORR funds 
with non-Federal funds or in-kind support) to maintain the full budget 
during the overall project. If available, the value of such leveraged 
funds or in-kind support and any preliminary commitments.
    The extent to which the award is projected to be augmented or 
supplemented by other funding during and beyond (i.e. in the second and 
any subsequent year of) the grant period, or can be integrated into 
other existing service systems.

Part IV. The Application

Application Development

     In order to be considered for a grant under this program 
announcement, an original application and two copies must be submitted 
on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. 
Applicants are encouraged to limit project descriptions to 15 pages 
(typewritten, double-spaced on standard, letter-size paper) plus no 
more than 20 pages of appended material. These limitations should be 
considered as a maximum, and not necessarily a goal to be achieved. 
Applicants are advised to use standard (12 point) font size for the 
application narrative. Standard Federal application forms and 
instructions are available from the contact named in the preamble of 
this announcement.

Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description

    The project description provides a major means by which an 
application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications 
for available assistance. The project description should be concise and 
complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are 
being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can 
present information clearly and succinctly.
    Applicants are encouraged to provide information on their 
organizational structure, staff, related experience, and other 
information considered to be relevant. Awarding offices use this and 
other information to determine whether the applicant has the capability 
and resources necessary to carry out the proposed project. It is 
important, therefore, that this information be included in the 
application. However, in the narrative the applicant must distinguish 
between resources directly related to the proposed project from those 
that will not be used in support of the specific project for which 
funds are requested.
General Instructions
    Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. ACF is 
particularly interested in specific factual information and statements 
of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are 
evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are 
not required. (Supporting information concerning activities that will 
not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not 
directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity 
should be placed in an appendix.) Pages should be numbered and a table 
of contents should be included for easy reference.
Budget and Budget Justification
    Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget 
object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed 
calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, 
and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to 
be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the 
funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
    Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the 
categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, 
and allocability of the proposed costs. Program income from activities 
funded under this program may be added to the funds committed to the 
project (if any income is expected to be generated from this project).
Non-competing Continuations
    For subsequent budget periods within the three-year project period, 
a full project description will not be required unless requested in 
writing by the Director of ORR, an ACF Program Official.
Supplemental Applications
    For a supplemental assistance request, explain the reason for the 
request and justify the need for additional funding. Provide a budget 
and budget justification only for those costs for which additional 
funds are requested.

Application Submission

    1. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced 
deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or 
sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the 
independent review to: DHHS, ACF, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 
Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20447.

[[Page 34667]]

    Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 
postmark or a legibly dated, machine-produced postmark of a commercial 
mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the 
application(s). To be acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark 
from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the 
commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package 
was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. 
Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely 
mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services 
do not always reflect the date of mailing on the package or deliver as 
agreed.)
    Applications hand-carried by applicants, couriers, or by other 
representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an 
announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, 
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the Department of 
Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Refugee Resettlement, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor (near loading 
dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024, 
between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address 
must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the 
note ``Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer.''
    ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or 
through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to 
ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of 
submission and time of receipt.
    2. Late applications. Applications which do not meet the criteria 
above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late 
applicant that its application will not be considered in the current 
competition.
    3. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline 
when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) 
occur, or when there is widespread disruption of the mail service, or 
in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline 
requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.

Regulations and Reporting

    Applicable HHS regulations can be found in 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
    Grantees under this program announcement will be required to 
provide semi-annual program performance reports on the ORR Quarterly 
Performance Report (QPR--OMB Approval No. 0970-0036) including 
appropriate reports on Schedule C. Grantees will submit semi-annual 
financial reports using the Financial Status Report form (SF-269). A 
Final Financial and Program Report shall be due 90 days after the end 
of the Grant Project Period (i.e. only after the final budget period).

    Dated: June 22, 1999.
Lavinia Limon,
Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.
[FR Doc. 99-16281 Filed 6-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P