[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41907-41908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19751]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Request for Proposals for Grants for Emergency Assistance to Low 
Income Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Notice requests proposals to assist migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers under the terms of the Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Act of FY 1999, Public Law 106-31 which made available 
$20,000,000 for this purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 2, 1999.


[[Page 41908]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Juan Marinez of the Cooperative State 
Research, Education, and Extension Service at 202-720-3430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
Act of FY 1999, Pub. L. 106-31, signed into law on May 21, 1999, made 
available $20,000,000, to assist low income migrant and seasonal farm 
workers. This Notice requests proposals from public agencies or private 
organizations with tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of title 
26 United States Code, that have experience in providing emergency 
services to low income migrant and seasonal farmworkers where the 
Secretary determines that a local, State, or national emergency or 
disaster has caused low income migrant or seasonal farmworkers to lose 
income, be unable to work, or to stay at home or return home in 
anticipation of work shortages. The types of service could include 
assistance in meeting rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, child 
care, transportation, school supplies, food, repair or rehabilitation 
of farmworker housing (not restricted to units financed by the Rural 
Housing Service), facilities related to farmworker housing such as an 
infirmary for emergency care of a child care facility, and the 
construction of new farmworker housing units. Prospective applicants 
should be aware they need to be in compliance with 7 CFR parts 3016 and 
3019, which establish the uniform administrative requirements for 
grants and cooperative agreements to state and local governments and to 
non-profit organizations, as applicable.

Eligibility to Submit Proposals

    Eligibility to submit proposals under this Notice is limited to 
States and local non-profit community development organizations with 
experience in delivering direct emergency assistance to farmworkers and 
their families.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of proposals in response to this Notice 
is 5:00 p.m. eastern daylight savings time, August 15, 1999. Proposals 
submitted after this deadline will not be accepted. Applicants 
intending to mail proposals must provide sufficient time to permit 
delivery on or before the closing deadline. Proposals will be accepted 
by Electronic Mail at,[email protected], or by facsimile copy at 202-
720-8987. Acceptance by a post office or private mailer does not 
constitute delivery. Postage due or COD proposals will not be accepted.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be sent to Juan Marinez, Cooperative State 
Research, Education, and Extension Service, Room 305A Whitten Bldg., 
Mail Stop 2201, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14th Street and 
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-0320.

Proposal Processing Deadlines

    The deadline for the receipt of proposals is 5:00 p.m. eastern 
daylight savings time, August 15, 1999. Because of the relatively short 
time frame for processing selected proposals to permit obligation of 
the funds by September 30, 1999, the following review and processing 
time frames have been established:

August 15, 1999--Receipt of proposals closes.
August 31, 1999--Proposals reviewed and ranked by National Office 
staff.
September 30, 1999--Deadline for obligations of funds.

Discussion of Notice

    Emergency grants to assist low income migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers are authorized by section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Grant assistance must be made 
available in an area experiencing a local emergency or a State or 
national disaster declaration. Proposals for this grant assistance must 
contain the nature and the date of the emergency or disaster and 
specifically identify the experience of the applicant in delivering 
such assistance to low income migrant or seasonal farmworkers defined 
as an individual:
    (1) Who has, during any consecutive 12 month period within the 
preceding 24 month period, performed farm work for wages;
    (2) Who has received not less than one-half of such individual's 
total income, or been employed at least one-half of total work time in 
farm work; and
    (3) Whose annual family income within the 12 month period referred 
to in paragraph (1) does not exceed the higher of the poverty level or 
70 percent of the lower living standard income level. The latter was 
defined in a Department of Labor, Federal Register Notice, dated May 6, 
1998, Volume 63, No. 87, p. 25086. Copies of that Notice shall be made 
available on request.

Evaluation of Proposals

    Evaluation and Scoring Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated by a 
team representing the appropriate Mission Areas in USDA. Proposals will 
be evaluated by the types of assistance to be provided to migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers. Because the types of assistance may differ 
depending on the geographic area to be served, and the nature of the 
disaster or emergency experienced, equal weight will be applied to each 
form of assistance to be rendered.
    Proposals will be scored on the following basis:
     Experience of applicant providing emergency services.
     Number of farmworkers affected by the emergency.
     Number of farmworkers to be assisted by the proposal.
     Economic and social benefits to the farmworkers and their 
families from the services to be provided.

    Dated: July 21, 1999.
Dan Glickman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-19751 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
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