[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43388-43398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20245]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of Refugee Resettlement
Refugee Resettlement Program: Final Notice of Availability of
Formula Allocation Funding for FY 1999 Targeted Assistance Grants for
Services to Refugees in Local Areas of High Need
AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS.
ACTION: Final notice of availability of formula allocation funding for
FY 1999 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 (1) Cuban and Haitian
entrants, under section 501 of the Refugee Education Assistance Act
of 1980 (Pub. L. 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. 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
Acts, 1989 (Pub. L. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101-167), and 1991 (Pub.
L. 101-513). For convenience, the term ``refugee'' is used in this
notice to encompass all such additional persons who are eligible to
participate in refugee program services, including the targeted
assistance program.
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SUMMARY: ORR announces the availability of funds and award procedures
for FY 1999 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. The
final notice reflects adjustments in final allocations to States as a
result of additional arrival data.
A notice of proposed allocations of targeted assistance funds was
published for public comment in the Federal Register on March 10, 1999
(64 FR 11927).
DATES: The closing date for submission of applications is September 9,
1999. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on
submitting applications.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Smith, Acting Director, Division
of Refugee Self-Sufficiency, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 370
L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20447 Telephone
(202) 205-3590, or e-mail: [email protected].
For Further Information on Application Procedures: States should
contact their State Analyst in ORR.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program announcement consists of four
parts:
Part I. General Information
Background--program purpose and scope, legislative authority.
Discussion of Comments Received, Funding Availability, Use of
Funds, Assurances/Information, Local Program Administration.
Project and Applicant Eligibility--Qualification and Allocation,
Funding Priorities, Eligible Applicants, project and budget periods,
multiple applications.
Part II: The Project Description
Part III: The Review Process--intergovernmental review, initial ACF
screening, evaluation criteria and application review.
Part IV: The Application--application materials, development and
submission.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13): 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-6, Quarterly Performance Report (QPR), which expires
7/31/2002. 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.
[[Page 43389]]
Part I. General Information/Background
Purpose and Scope
This notice announces the availability of funds for grants to
States 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 by
refugees, there exists and can be demonstrated a specific need for
supplementation of resources for services to this population.
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.
Legislative Authority
Targeted assistance projects are funded under the authority of
section 412(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8
U.S.C. 1522(c)); section 501(a) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act
of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-422), 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. 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. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101-167), and 1991 (Pub. L. 101-
513).
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.''
Discussion of Comments Received
Ten letters of comment were received in response to the notice of
proposed availability of FY 1999 funds for targeted assistance. The
comments are summarized below and are followed in each case by the
Department's response.
Comment: Eight commenters requested that ORR consider the impact
that loss of targeted assistance funding will have on large counties
with large number of refugee arrivals. These same commenters indicated
that several arbitrary decisions by ORR, such as use of concentration
rate as an index of impact, the weighting of concentration rate in the
calculations, and the failure of ORR to use some assessments of impact
such as welfare dependency and median household income in the formula
make it possible for large counties to be disqualified. One commenter
requested a modification of the proposed targeted assistance allocation
methodology based on an increase in arrivals during FY 1998 and heavy
utilization of public assistance by refugees in a county.
Resonse: ORR understands that discontinuance of targeted assistance
program (TAP) funds in the counties that no longer qualify will have an
impact on the services in those counties. Counties losing targeted
assistance formula funds may wish to apply for ORR targeted assistance
discretionary funds through their States.
Regarding the suggestion that ORR use welfare dependency or median
household income as qualifying criteria, ORR must take into account all
eligibility factors which are outlined in the statute for which data
are available.
In section 412(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the
three factors listed for targeted assistance are high population, high
refugee concentration, and high use of public assistance. While we do
not have welfare dependency data, data are available on refugee
population and refugee concentration. Therefore, ORR is required to use
both factors in determining county qualification. As stated in the
notice of proposed allocations, ORR assigns a double weight to
population because we believe that large numbers of refugee/entrant
arrivals to a county create a significant impact, regardless of the
ratio of refugees to the county general population.
Regarding the suggestion that ORR use median household income as a
qualifying criterion for targeted assistance funds, this criterion is
not one of the factors outlined in the statute governing the targeted
assistance allocation formula.
Comment: Two commenters questioned the number of Havana parolees
credited to each county in the proposed notice.
Response: At the time of the proposed notice, ORR had received no
data on FY 1998 Havana parolees other than the gross number reported
(13,442) for the fiscal year by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS). Rather than delay publication of the Proposed Notice,
ORR credited each county in the U.S. with a portion of the FY 1998
arrivals according to its share of the five-year population of entrant
arrivals. During the comment period, ORR obtained additional records
from the Florida Department of Health on parolees arriving in Florida
counties. The Final Notice reflects these data. As was done in the FY
1998 Final Notice, each Florida country is credited with the number of
arrivals identified by the Florida Department of Health; each non-
Florida county is credited with a proportional share of the remaining
Havana Parolees according to its share of the five-year entrant
population.
Funding Availability
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has available $49,477,000
in FY 1999 funds for the targeted assistance program (TAP) as part of
the FY 1999 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human
Services (Pub. L. 105-277).
The Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) will use
the $49,477,000 in targeted assistance funds as follows:
$44,529,300 will be allocated to States under the five-
year population formula, as set forth in this notice.
$4,947,700 (10% of the total) will be used to award
discretionary grants to States under separate grant announcements.
Use of Funds
Targeted assistance funding must be used to assist refugee families
to achieve economic independence.
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
[[Page 43390]]
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 45 CFR 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 45 CFR 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 45 CFR
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
refugees 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 45 CFR 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 45 CFR
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.
Assurances/Information
The State's application for FY 1999 funding shall provide:
1. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will be used in
accordance with the requirements in 45 CFR Part 400.
2. Assurance that the 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. Of the FY 1999 targeted assistance formula
allocation used for services, States must indicate the percentage that
will be used for employment services.
3. 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.
4. Assurance that local administrative budgets will not exceed 15%
of the local 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 administrative costs to the extent
possible to maximize available funding for services to clients.
5. Assurance that the State will make available to the county or
designated local entity not less than 95% of the amount of its formula
allocation for purposes of implementing the activities proposed in the
plan, except in the case of a State that administers the program
locally as described below.
6. Assurance that the State and its contractors or sub-recipients
will follow appropriate State procurement and contracting requirements
in the acquisition, administration and management of targeted
assistance service contracts and sub-grants.
7. Identification of the contracting cycle for targeted assistance
service contracts in each county. States with more than one qualified
county are encouraged to ensure that all counties participating in TAP
in the State use the same contracting cycle dates.
[[Page 43391]]
8. A description of the State's plan for conducting fiscal and
program monitoring of the targeted assistance program, including
frequency of on-site monitoring.
9. Identification of the local administering agency.
States Administering the Program Locally
States that propose to administer the program locally or propose to
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 sub-components such as
day care, transportation, or language training.
Qualification and Allocation
Qualifying New Counties
In order to qualify for application for FY 1999 targeted assistance
funds, a county (or group of counties with the same Standard
Metropolitan Statistical Area, or SMSA) or independent city is required
to rank above a selected cut-off point of jurisdictions for which data
were reviewed, based on two criteria: (1) The number of refugee/entrant
arrivals placed in the county during the most recent 5-year period (FY
1994-1998); and (2) the 5-year refugee/entrant population as a
percentage of the county's overall population. County arrival numbers
have been adjusted based on updated refugee and entrant arrival data.
Welfare dependency will no longer be used as a qualifying criterion
since welfare dependency data for refugee AFDC and now TANF recipients
have not been available at the national level since FY 1989.
Each county was ranked on the basis of its 5-year arrival
population and its concentration of refugees, with a relative weighting
of 2 to 1 respectively, because we believe that large numbers of
refugee/entrant arrivals into a county create a significant impact,
regardless of the ratio of refugees to the general population.
Each county was then ranked in terms of the sum of a county's rank
on refugee/entrant arrivals and its rank on concentration. In order to
target a sufficient level of funding to the most impacted counties, a
county had to rank within the top 50 counties in order to qualify. It
is ORR's intent that the 50 counties listed as qualified for TAP
funding in the FY 1999 final TAP notice will remain qualified for TAP
funding through FY 2001.
ORR has screened data on all counties that have received awards for
targeted assistance since FY 1983 and on all other counties that could
potentially qualify for TAP funds based on the criteria in this notice.
Analysis of these data indicates that: (1) 40 counties which have
previously received targeted assistance continue to qualify; (2) 7
counties which have previously received targeted assistance no longer
qualify; and (3) 10 new counties qualify.
Table 1 provides a list of the counties that remain qualified and
the new counties that qualify, the number of refugee/entrant arrivals
in those counties within the past 5 years, the percent that the 5-year
arrival population represents of the overall county population, and
each county's rank, based on the qualification formula described above.
Table 2 lists the counties that have previously received targeted
assistance funding which no longer qualify, the number of refugee/
entrant arrivals in those counties within the past 5 years, the percent
that the 5-year arrival population represents of the overall county
population, and each county's rank, based on the qualification formula.
Allocation Formula
Of the funds available for FY 1999 for targeted assistance,
$44,529,300 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 1994
through FY 1998 (October 1, 1993-September 30, 1998).
With regard to Havana parolees, we are crediting 13,442 Havana
parolees who arrived in FY 1998 to qualified counties in Florida based
on data the State submitted to ORR during the public comment period. We
have credited FY 1998 Havana parolee arrivals to the remaining
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
allocations in this notice reflect these additional parolee numbers.
Allocations
Table 3 lists the qualifying counties, the number of refugee and
entrant arrivals in those counties during the 5-year period from
October 1, 1993-September 30, 1998, 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 first 3
columns, and the amount of each county's allocation based on its 5-year
total population.
Table 4 provides State totals for targeted assistance allocations.
Table 5 indicates the areas that each qualified county represents.
Table 1.--Top 50 Counties Eligible for Targeted Assistance
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5-year
County State arrival Concentration Sum of
total (in percent) ranks
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Targeted Assistance Counties Eligible for Continuation
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Dade County.................................. FL............................. 67,889 3.5047 3
Sacramento County............................ CA............................. 11,795 1.1328 30
New York..................................... NY............................. 55,411 0.7567 30
City of St. Louis............................ MO............................. 7,672 1.9340 32
Multnomah.................................... OR............................. 12,231 0.8660 36
King/Snohomish............................... WA............................. 14,507 0.7353 38
DeKalb County................................ GA............................. 6,584 1.2062 41
Santa Clara County........................... CA............................. 10,899 0.7278 49
Oneida County................................ NY............................. 4,125 1.6445 50
[[Page 43392]]
Fulton County................................ GA............................. 5,681 0.8754 55
Orange County................................ CA............................. 12,858 0.5334 58
Jefferson County............................. KY............................. 5,155 0.7753 65
Suffolk County............................... MA............................. 4,757 0.7165 72
Dallas/Tarrant............................... TX............................. 12,652 0.4185 77
San Francisco................................ CA............................. 8,108 0.5056 78
Polk County.................................. IA............................. 3,435 1.0500 79
Hennepin County.............................. MN............................. 5,323 0.5156 86
District of Columbia......................... DC............................. 3,889 0.6408 86
Cook/Kane.................................... IL............................. 17,362 0.3202 90
Maricopa County.............................. AZ............................. 8,686 0.4093 91
Duval County................................. FL............................. 3,851 0.5722 94
Monroe County................................ NY............................. 3,863 0.5411 94
San Diego County............................. CA............................. 9,332 0.3736 97
Denver County................................ CO............................. 3,246 0.6942 102
Harris County................................ TX............................. 9,382 0.3329 103
Bernalillo County............................ NM............................. 3,226 0.6713 106
Davidson County.............................. TN............................. 3,249 0.6361 107
Philadelphia County.......................... PA............................. 5,794 0.3654 109
Ingham County................................ MI............................. 2,514 0.8918 113
City of Richmond............................. VA............................. 2,335 1.1499 115
Lancaster County............................. NE............................. 2,335 1.0930 116
Hudson County................................ NJ............................. 2,991 0.5408 125
Ramsey County................................ MN............................. 2,700 0.5558 129
Fairfax County............................... VA............................. 3,610 0.3764 129
Los Angeles County........................... CA............................. 17,313 0.1953 129
Fresno County................................ CA............................. 3,014 0.4515 136
Cass County.................................. ND............................. 1,669 1.6224 139
Pierce County................................ WA............................. 2,658 0.4534 147
Cuyahoga County.............................. OH............................. 3,817 0.2703 152
Broward County............................... FL............................. 3,449 0.2747 156
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New Counties That Qualify
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Spokane County............................... WA............................. 3,009 0.8327 99
Davis/Salt Lake.............................. UT............................. 4,605 0.3911 113
Clark County................................. NV............................. 3,462 0.4669 118
Hillsborough County.......................... FL............................. 3,084 0.3698 148
Guilford County.............................. NC............................. 2,093 0.6024 153
Minnehaha County............................. SD............................. 1,430 1.1550 154
Kent County.................................. MI............................. 2,372 0.4738 154
Erie County.................................. PA............................. 1,873 0.6797 155
Hampden County............................... MA............................. 2,239 0.4907 157
Yolo County.................................. CA............................. 1,433 1.0156 158
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Table 2.--Counties That No Longer Qualify
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5-year
County State arrival Concentration Sum of
total (in percent) ranks
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Alameda County............................... CA............................. 3,329 0.2602 165
Oakland County............................... MI............................. 2,826 0.2608 180
Palm Beach County............................ FL............................. 2,398 0.2777 190
Baltimore City............................... MD............................. 2,105 0.2860 198
Broome County................................ NY............................. 1,098 0.5175 222
San Joaquin County........................... CA............................. 1,221 0.2540 259
Merced County................................ CA............................. 690 0.3868 296
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Table 3.--Targeted Assistance Allocations by County
[FY 1999]
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Total Total FY 1999
County State Refugees Entrants Havana arrival FY final
\1\ parolees 94-98 allocation
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1 Maricopa County...... Arizona......... 7,394 780 512 8,686 $979,275
[[Page 43393]]
2 Fresno County........ California...... 3,011 2 1 3,014 339,804
3 Los Angeles County... California...... 16,581 434 298 17,313 1,951,899
4 Orange County........ California...... 12,817 23 18 12,858 1,449,634
5 Sacramento County.... California...... 11,788 4 3 11,795 1,329,790
6 San Diego County..... California...... 8,476 517 339 9,332 1,052,107
7 San Francisco........ California...... 8,028 48 32 8,108 914,111
8 Santa Clara County... California...... 10,815 51 33 10,899 1,228,773
9 Yolo County.......... California...... 1,425 5 3 1,433 161,559
10 Denver County........ Colorado........ 3,241 3 2 3,246 365,960
11 District of Columbia. District of 3,866 14 9 3,889 438,453
Columia.
12 Broward County....... Florida......... 978 1,578 893 3,449 388,847
13 Dade County.......... Florida......... 8,426 33,125 26,338 67,889 7,653,928
14 Duval County......... Florida......... 3,788 28 35 3,851 434,169
15 Hillsborough County.. Florida......... 1,525 767 792 3,084 347,696
16 DeKalb County........ Georgia......... 6,562 13 9 6,584 742,292
17 Fulton County........ Georgia......... 5,334 209 138 5,681 640,486
18 Cook/Kane............ Illinois........ 16,699 399 264 17,362 1,957,424
19 Polk County.......... Iowa............ 3,433 1 1 3,435 387,268
20 Jefferson County \3\. Kentucky........ 3,605 934 616 5,155 581,184
21 Hampden County....... Massachusetts... 2,224 9 6 2,239 252,429
22 Suffolk County....... Massachusetts... 4,648 63 46 4,757 536,313
23 Ingham County........ Michigan........ 1,785 440 289 2,514 283,433
24 Kent County.......... Michigan........ 2,304 41 27 2,372 267,424
25 Hennepin County...... Minnesota....... 5,318 3 2 5,323 600,125
26 Ramsey County........ Minnesota....... 2,683 10 7 2,700 304,403
27 City of St. Louis.... Missouri........ 7,670 1 1 7,672 864,955
28 Lancaster County..... Nebraska........ 2,272 38 25 2,335 263,252
29 Clark County \4\..... Nevada.......... 1,363 1,264 835 3,462 390,312
30 Hudson County........ New Jersey...... 1,605 809 577 2,991 337,211
31 Bernalillo County.... New Mexico...... 1,137 1,261 828 3,226 363,705
32 Monroe County........ New York........ 2,723 688 452 3,863 435,522
33 New York............. New York........ 54,272 682 457 55,411 6,247,137
34 Oneida County........ New York........ 4,123 1 1 4,125 465,060
35 Guilford County...... North Carolina.. 2,081 7 5 2,093 235,969
36 Cass County.......... North Dakota.... 1,664 3 2 1,669 188,166
37 Cuyahoga County...... Ohio............ 3,805 6 6 3,817 430,336
38 Multnomah............ Oregon.......... 11,216 613 402 12,231 1,378,945
39 Erie County.......... Pennsylvania.... 1,873 0 0 1,873 211,165
40 Philadelphia County.. Pennsylvania.... 5,708 52 34 5,794 653,226
41 Minnehaha County \5\. South Dakota.... 1,430 0 0 1,430 161,221
42 Davidson County...... Tennessee....... 3,160 54 35 3,249 366,298
43 Dallas/Tarrant....... Texas........... 11,479 707 466 12,652 1,426,410
44 Harris County........ Texas........... 9,065 189 128 9,382 1,057,744
45 Davis/Salt Lake...... Utah............ 4,603 1 1 4,605 519,176
46 Fairfax County....... Virginia........ 3,595 8 7 3,610 406,998
47 City of Richmond..... Virginia........ 2,153 110 72 2,335 263,252
48 King/Snohomish....... Washington...... 14,423 51 33 14,507 1,635,546
49 Pierce County........ Washington...... 2,641 10 7 2,658 299,668
50 Spokane County....... Washington...... 3,009 0 0 3,009 339,240
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T ..................... ................ 313,824 46,056 35,087 394,967 44,529,300
o.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Refugees includes refugees, Kurdish asylees, and Amerasian immigrants from Vietnam.
\2\ For all years, Havana parolee arrivals to the qualifying Florida counties (28,058) are based on actual data,
while parolees in the non-Florida counties (7,029) are prorated based on the counties' proportion of the five-
year (FY 1994-1998) entrant population.
\3\ The allocation for Jefferson County, Kentucky will be awarded to the Kentucky Wilson/Fish project.
\4\ The allocation for Clark County, Nevada will be awarded to the Nevada Wilson/Fish project.
\5\ The allocation for Minnehaha County, South Dakota will be awarded to the South Dakota Wilson/Fish project.
Table 4.--Targeted Assistance Final Allocations by State
[FY 1999]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total FY 1999
State allocation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona................................................. $979,275
California.............................................. 8,427,677
Colorado................................................ 365,960
District of Columbia.................................... 438,453
[[Page 43394]]
Florida................................................. 8,824,640
Georgia................................................. 1,382,778
Illinois................................................ 1,957,424
Iowa.................................................... 387,268
Kentucky................................................ 581,184
Massachusetts........................................... 788,742
Michigan................................................ 550,857
Minnesota............................................... 904,528
Missouri................................................ 864,955
Nebraska................................................ 263,252
Nevada.................................................. 390,312
New Jersey.............................................. 337,211
New Mexico.............................................. 363,705
New York................................................ 7,147,719
North Carolina.......................................... 235,969
North Dakota............................................ 188,166
Ohio.................................................... 430,336
Oregon.................................................. 1,378,945
Pennsylvania............................................ 864,391
South Dakota............................................ 161,221
Tennesee................................................ 366,298
Texas................................................... 2,484,154
Utah.................................................... 519,176
Virginia................................................ 670,250
Washington.............................................. 2,274,454
---------------
Total............................................... 44,529,300
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 5.--Targeted Assistance Areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeted assistance
State area Definition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona..................... Maricopa County.....
California.................. Fresno County.......
Los Angeles County..
Orange County.......
Sacramento County...
San Diego...........
San Francisco....... Marin, San
Francisco, and San
Mateo Counties.
San Clara County....
Yolo County.........
Colorado.................... Denver..............
District of Columbia........
Florida..................... Broward County......
Dade County.........
Duval County........
Hillsborough County.
Georgia..................... DeKalb County.......
Fulton County.......
Illinois.................... Cook and Kane
Counties.
Iowa........................ Polk County.........
Kentucky.................... Jefferson County....
Massachusetts............... Hampden County......
Suffolk County......
Michigan.................... Ingham County.......
Kent County.........
Minnesota................... Hennepin County.....
Ramsey County.......
Missouri.................... City of St. Louis...
Nebraska.................... Lancaster County....
Nevada...................... Clark County........
New Jersey.................. Hudson County.......
New Mexico.................. Bernalillo County...
New York.................... Monroe County.......
New York............ Bronx, Kings,
Queens, New York,
and Richmond
Counties.
Oneida County.......
North Carolina.............. Cuilford County.....
North Dakota................ Cass County.........
Ohio........................ Cuyahoga County.....
Oregon...................... Multnomah........... Clackamas,
Multnomah, and
Washington
Counties, Oregon,
and Clark County,
Washington.
Pennsylvania................ Erie................
Philadelphia........
South Dakota................ Minnehaha County....
Tennesee.................... Davidson County.....
Texas....................... Dallas/Tarrant......
Harris County.......
Utah........................ Davis/Salt Lake..... Davis, Salt Lake,
and Utah Counties.
Virginia.................... Fairfax............. Fairfax County and
the cities of Falls
Church, Fairfax,
and Alexandria.
City of Richmond....
Washington.................. King/Snohomish......
Pierce Count........
[[Page 43395]]
Spokane County......
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligible Applicants
ORR invites eligible entities to submit grant applications for
Targeted Assistance Grants for Services to Refugees in Local Areas of
High Need.
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 1999 targeted assistance
awards.
Under the FY 1999 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. 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.
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).
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 45 CFR 400.319, the FY 1999 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 1999 targeted assistance funds in a manner different from the
formula set forth in this notice, the FY 1999 allocations and
methodology proposed by the State must be included in the State's
application for ORR review and approval.
This announcement is inviting applications for project periods up
to 3 years. Awards will be for a one-year budget period, although
project periods may be for 3 years. Applications for continuation
grants funded under these awards beyond the one-year budget period but
within the 3 year project period will be entertained in subsequent
years 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 II: The Project Description
Purpose
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, to carry out the
proposed project, and it is important 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 intergral 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.
General Instructions for Preparing a Full Project Description
Introduction
Applicants required to submit a full project description shall
prepare the project description statement in accordance with the
following instructions.
Project Summary/Abstract
Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with
reference to the funding request.
Objectives and Need for Assistance
Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial,
institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need
for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate
objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting
documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from
concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any
relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred
to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and
participation/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the
project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to
provide information on the total range of projects currently being
conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be
outside the scope of the program announcement.
Results or Benefits Expected
Identify the results and benefits to be derived. For example, when
applying for a grant to establish a neighborhood child care center,
describe who will occupy the facility, who will use the facility, how
the facility will be used, and how the facility will benefit the
community which it will serve.
Approach
Outline a plan of action which describes the scope and detail of
how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions
[[Page 43396]]
or activities identified in the applications. Cite factors which might
accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the
proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of
the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in
cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the
accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such
terms as the number of people to be served and the number of microloans
made. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or
function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of
accomplishments and their target dates.
Identify the kinds of data to be collected, maintained, and/or
disseminated. Note that clearance from the U.S. Office of Management
and Budget might be needed prior to a ``collection of information''
that is ``conducted or sponsored'' by ACF. List organizations,
cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will
work on the project along with a short description of the nature of
their effort or contribution.
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.
General
The following guidelines are for preparing the budget and budget
justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed
and justified in the budget and narrative justification. For purposes
of preparing the budget and budget justification, ``Federal resources''
refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying. Non-Federal
resources are all other Federal and non-Federal resources. It is
suggested that budget amounts and computations be presented in a
columnar format: first column, object class categories; second column,
Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s), and last column,
total budget. The budget justification should be a narrative.
Part III: The Review Process
A. Intergovernmental Review
This program is not 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.''
B. 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 instruction in
this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.
C. Application Review and Review Criteria
Applications which pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated
and rated based on the completeness of the application as described
below.
Criteria 1: Objectives and Need
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 that incorporates both targeted assistance
and refugee social services may be developed for a family.
In instances where a State received targeted assistance funding for
impacted counties contained in a standard metropolitan statistical area
(SMSA) which includes a county or counties located in a neighboring
State, the State receiving those funds must provide a description of
the coordination and planning activities undertaken with the State
Refugee Coordinator of the neighboring State in which the impacted
county or counties are located. These planning and coordination
activities should result in a proposed allocation plan for the
equitable distribution of targeted assistance funds by county based on
the distribution of the eligible population by county within the SMSA.
The proposed allocation plan must be included in the State's
application to ORR.
Criteria 2: Approach
A description of the State's guidelines for the targeted assistance
plans for the required content of county targeted assistance plans or
requests for proposals (RFPs), in the case of States that administer
the program directly on behalf of an impacted county, and a description
of the State's review/approval process for such county plans or RFPs.
Acceptable county plans must minimally include the following:
a. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will be used in
accordance with the requirements of 45 CFR Part 400.
b. Procedures for carrying out a local planning process for
determining targeted assistance priorities and service strategies. All
local targeted assistance plans will be developed through a planning
process that involves, in addition to the State Refugee Coordinator,
representatives of the private sector (for example, private employers,
the private industry council, Chamber of Commerce, etc.), leaders of
refugee/entrant community-based organizations, voluntary resettlement
agencies, refugees from the impacted communities, and other public
officials associated with the social services and employee agencies
that serve refugees. Counties are encouraged to foster coalition-
building among those participating organizations.
c. Identification of the refugee/entrant populations to be served
by targeted assistance projects, including approximate numbers of
clients to be served, and a description of characteristics and needs of
targeted populations. (As per 45 CFR 400.314).
d. Description of specific strategies and services to meet the
needs of targeted populations. These should be justified where possible
through analysis of strategies and outcomes from projects previously
implemented under targeted assistance programs, and any other services
available to the refugee populations.
e. The relationship of targeted assistance services to other
services available to refugees in the county
[[Page 43397]]
including State-allocated ORR social services.
f. Analysis of available employment opportunities in the local
community. Examples of acceptable analysis of employment opportunities
might include surveys of employers or potential employers of refugee
clients and reviews of studies on employment opportunities/forecasts
which would be appropriate to the refugee populations. Description of
the monitoring and oversight responsibilities to be carried out by the
county or qualifying jurisdiction.
Criteria 3: Budget and Budget Justification
Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget
object class identified on the Budget Information form (SF-424A).
Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit
costs, and other similar quantitive 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 necessary, reasonableness,
and allocability for the proposed costs. Tnt Office of Refugee
Resettlement is particularly interested in the following:
A line item budget and budget, justification for State
administrative 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. Sates that
administer the program locally in lieu of the country, through a mutual
agreement with the qualifying county, may request administrative costs
that add up to, but may not exceed, 10% of the country's TAP allocation
to the State's administrative budget.
Each applicant should describe the amount 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, and
the proposed allocation for each county.
In instances where a State receives targeted assistance funding for
impacted counties contained in a standard metropolitan statistical area
(SMSA) which includes a county or counties located in a neighboring
State, the State receiving those funds must provide a description of
the coordination and planning activities undertaken with the State
Refugee Coordinator.
A line item budget and justification for State Administrative costs
limited to a maximum of 5% of the total award to the State. Each budget
request must be necessary, reasonable and allocable to the project.
States that administer the program locally in lieu of the county may
use up to, but not exceed, 10% of the county's TAP allocation for the
State's administrative budget.
Criteria 4: Results or Benefits Expected
All applicants must establish targeted assistance proposed
performance goals for each of the 6 ORR performance outcome measures
for each impacted county's proposed service contracts 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 terminations due to
employment, cash assistance reductions due to employment, 90-day
employment retentions, average wage at placement, and entered
employments 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 (OMB Approval No. 0970-0036, expires 7/31/2002).
States that are currently grantees for targeted assistance funds
should base projected annual outcome goals for each performance measure
on past performance.
States identified as new eligible targeted assistance grantees and
States that are currently grantees that have new qualifying counties
are also required to set proposed outcome goals for each of the 6 ORR
performance outcome measures. New grantees may use baseline data, as
available, and current data as reported on the ORR-6 for social
services program activity to assist them in the goal-setting process.
Proposed targeted assistance goals should reflect improvement over past
performance and strive for continuous improvement during the project
period from one year to another.
Part IV. The Application
A. Application Development
In order to be considered for a grant under this program
announcement, an application must be submitted on the forms supplied
and in the manager prescribed by ACF. Application materials including
forms and instructions are available from the ORR State Analyst
assigned to your State.
B. Application Submission
1. Mailed applications postmarked after the closing date will be
classified as late.
2. Deadline: Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an
announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date
to DHHS, ACF, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Attention: Shirley B.
Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Sixth Floor,
Washington, DC 20447.
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 deliver as agreed.)
Applications hand-carried by applicants, applicant 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 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EDT, 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.'' Applicants
are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always
deliver as agreed.
ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or
through other electronic media.
[[Page 43398]]
Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF electronically will not be
accepted regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.
3. Late applications. Applications which do not meet the criteria
above are considered late applications.
4. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline
when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.)
occur, or when there are widespread disruptions of the mail service, or
in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline
requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.
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
ORR-6 Quarterly Performance Report, OMB Approval No. 0970-0036, which
expires 7/31/2002.
Pursuant to 45 CFR 400.210(b), FY 1999 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.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93-584.
Dated: August 2, 1999.
Lavinia Limon,
Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.
[FR Doc. 99-20245 Filed 8-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M