[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45014-45016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16784]



[[Page 45013]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part IV





Department of Health and Human Services





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Announcement of Anticipated Availability of Funds for Family Planning 
Services Grants; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 129 / Friday, July 5, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 45014]]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Announcement of Anticipated Availability of Funds for Family 
Planning Services Grants

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Population 
Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

AUTHORITY: Section 1001 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.
SUMMARY: The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) announces the 
anticipated availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 family 
planning services grants under the authority of Title X of the Public 
Health Service Act and solicits applications for competing grant awards 
to serve the areas and/or populations set out below. Only applications 
which propose to serve the populations and/or areas listed in Table I 
will be accepted for review and possible funding.

DATES: Application and funding dates vary. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

ADDRESSES: Applications for grants in DHHS Regions I-X should be sent 
to: Office of Grants Management for Family Planning Services, 1301 
Young Street, Suite 766, Dallas, TX 75202.
    Application kits are also available online at the Office of 
Population Affairs web site at http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov or may be 
requested by fax at (214) 767-3425.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Administrative and Budgetary Requirements

    Regions I-X: Maudeen Pickett, Office of Grants Management for 
Family Planning Services, 214-767-3401.

Program Requirements

    Regional Program Consultants for Family Planning: Region I 
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, 
Vermont)--Suzanne Theroux, 617-565-1063; Region II (New Jersey, New 
York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)--Robin Lane, 212-264-3935; Region 
III (Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West 
Virginia)--Louis Belmonte, 215-861-4641; Region IV (Kentucky, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 
South Carolina)--Cristino Rodriguez, 404-562-7900; Region V (Illinois, 
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)--Janice Ely, 312-886-
3864; Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)--
Evelyn Glass, 214-767-3088; Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, 
Nebraska)--Elizabeth Curtis, 816-426-2924; Region VIII (Colorado, 
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)-- Jill Leslie, 303-
844-7856 or Laura Grogan, 303-844-7849; Region IX (Arizona, California, 
Hawaii, Nevada, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American 
Samoa, Guam, Republic of Palau, Federal States of Micronesia, Republic 
of the Marshall Islands)--Nadine Simons, 415-437-7984; Region X 
(Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)--Janet Wildeboor, 206-615-2776.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Definitions

    For the purposes of this announcement, the following definitions 
apply:
    Application--a request for financial support of a project submitted 
to OPA on specified forms and in accordance with instructions provided.
    Eligible Applicants--any public or nonprofit private entity located 
in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, the District of 
Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, 
Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands) is eligible to apply for a Title X family 
planning grant. Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for 
these Title X family planning grants.
    Evidence-based--relevant scientific evidence that has undergone 
comprehensive review and rigorous analysis.
    Grant--financial assistance in the form of money, awarded by the 
Federal Government to an eligible recipient (a grantee or recipient is 
the entity that receives a Federal grant and assumes the legal and 
financial responsibility and accountability for the awarded funds and 
performance of activities approved for funding).
    Project--those activities described in the grant application and 
supported under the approved budget.
    Title X of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 300 et seq., 
authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award 
grants for projects to provide family planning services to persons from 
low-income families and others. Section 1001 of the Act, as amended, 
authorizes grants ``to assist in the establishment and operation of 
voluntary family planning projects which shall offer a broad range of 
acceptable and effective family planning methods and services 
(including natural family planning methods, infertility services, and 
services for adolescents).'' The broad range of services should include 
abstinence education. Section 1001 of the statute also requires that, 
to the extent practicable, Title X service providers shall encourage 
family participation in family planning services projects. Section 1008 
of the Act, as amended, stipulates that ``none of the funds 
appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion 
is a method of family planning.''
    Requirements regarding the provision of family planning services 
under Title X can be found in the Title X statute, the implementing 
regulations which govern project grants for family planning services 
(42 CFR part 59, subpart A), and the ``Program Guidelines for Project 
Grants for Family Planning Services,'' published in January 2001. 
Copies of the Title X statute, regulations, and Program Guidelines may 
be obtained by contacting the Office of Grants Management for Family 
Planning Services (at the address above), or downloaded from the Office 
of Population Affairs web site at http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov/grants. 
All Title X requirements--including those derived from the statute, the 
regulations, and the Program Guidelines--apply to all activities funded 
under this announcement. (For example, projects must meet the 
regulatory requirements set out at 42 CFR 59.5 regarding charges to 
clients, and the funding criteria set out at 42 CFR 59.7 apply to all 
applicants under this announcement. As stated in Sec. 59.7(b) ``* * * 
No grant may be made for less than 90 percent of the project's costs, 
as so estimated, unless the grant is to be made for a project that was 
supported, under section 1001, for less than 90 percent of its costs in 
fiscal year 1975. In that case, the grant shall not be for less than 
the percentage of costs covered by the grant in fiscal year 1975.'' 
Furthermore, Sec. 59.7(c) stipulates that ``no grant may be made for an 
amount equal to 100 percent for the project's estimated costs.'') A 
description of the Title X Family Planning Program can be found at OMB 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.217.
    The anticipated FY 2003 appropriation for the Title X Family 
Planning program is approximately $265 million. Of this amount, 
approximately $100 million will be made available for competing grant 
awards. This notice announces the anticipated availability of funds for 
competitive family planning service grants in 22 states. (See Table I 
for competing areas and approximate amount of awards). The remaining

[[Page 45015]]

funds will be used for continued support of grants and activities which 
are not competitive in FY 2003. This program announcement is subject to 
the appropriation of funds and is a contingency action taken to ensure 
that, should funds become available for this purpose, applications can 
be processed in an orderly manner, and funds can be awarded in a timely 
fashion. Competing grant applications are invited for the following 
areas (please note, in order to maximize access to family planning 
services, one or more grants may be awarded for each area listed):

                                                     Table I
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               Approximate
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
             Populations/areas to be served                                  Application due     Approx. grant
                                                         Funding available         date           funding date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Region I
 
Massachusetts-Central/Southeast........................         $1,471,813           09-01-02           01-01-03
 
                       Region II
 
New Jersey.............................................          7,974,484           09-01-02           01-01-03
 
                       Region III
 
Delaware...............................................          1,009,643           12-01-02           04-01-03
Maryland...............................................          3,729,883           12-01-02           04-01-03
Pennsylvania...........................................         11,951,606           03-01-03           07-01-03
Virginia...............................................          4,299,203           12-01-02           04-01-03
West Virginia..........................................          2,008,201           12-01-02           04-01-03
 
                       Region IV
 
Alabama................................................          4,315,101           03-01-03           07-01-03
Florida................................................          7,652,636           03-01-03           07-01-03
Georgia................................................          7,080,259           03-01-03           07-01-03
Kentucky...............................................          4,759,359           03-01-03           07-01-03
Mississippi............................................          4,508,789           03-01-03           07-01-03
North Carolina.........................................          6,076,410           03-01-03           07-01-03
 
                        Region V
 
Minnesota..............................................          2,242,934           09-01-02           01-01-03
Minneapolis, Minnesota.................................            187,945           05-29-03           09-29-03
Ohio                                                             5,202,414           12-01-02           03-01-03
    Portage, Summit & Medina Counties, Ohio............            749,745           03-01-03           07-01-03
 
                       Region VI
 
Louisiana..............................................          3,743,201           03-01-03           07-01-03
 
                       Region VII
 
Iowa...................................................          2,206,340           03-01-03           07-01-03
                                                                   951,128           05-30-03           09-30-03
 
                      Region VIII
 
None competing in FY 2003
 
                       Region IX
Arizona................................................          3,811,522           09-01-02           01-01-03
California.............................................         20,123,818           09-01-02           01-01-03
Washoe County, Nevada..................................            613,415           03-01-03           07-01-03
 
                        Region X
 
Idaho..................................................            949,660           03-01-03           07-01-03
Seattle, WA............................................            163,438           05-30-03           09-30-03
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title X Program Priorities

    The following priorities represent overarching goals for the Title 
X program. The application should describe how the proposed project 
will address each priority:
    (1) Assurance of continued high quality clinical family planning 
and reproductive health services that will improve the overall health 
of individuals;
    (2) Increasing access to family planning and reproductive health 
services by partnering with public health providers and other 
community-based organizations that have related interests and that work 
with similar populations;
    (3) Emphasis on clinical services for hard-to-reach populations, 
e.g., uninsured or under-insured women, males in need of clinical 
services, adolescents, substance abusers, migrant workers, and the 
homeless; and
    (4) Assuring access to a broad range of family planning and 
reproductive health clinical services, including provision of highly 
effective contraceptive methods; breast and cervical cancer screening 
and prevention; STD and HIV prevention education, counseling, and 
testing; and abstinence education and counseling. The broad range of 
services does not include abortion as a method of family planning.

Key Issues

    The following key issues impact the current and future delivery of 
family planning services, and should be considered when developing the 
proposal:
    (1) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' priorities 
and Healthy People 2010 objectives (http://www.health.gov/healthypeople);
    (2) Medicaid waivers, managed care, State Children's Health 
Insurance Program (SCHIP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 
(TANF), Title XX of the Social Services Block Grant, state

[[Page 45016]]

support, and private insurance coverage related to family planning and 
reproductive health services, teen pregnancy and abstinence education 
(e.g., Title XX of the PHS Act--Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Program, 
Title V of the Social Security Act--SPRANS and State Block Grants for 
Abstinence Education), and ACF Infant Adoption Awareness Training 
Program;
    (3) Increased need for current and reliable data to use in program 
planning and monitoring program performance;
    (4) Use of electronic technologies in program activities and 
management;
    (5) Use of evidence-based information to support program 
activities; and
    (6) Legislative mandates such as counseling teens on involving 
families and avoiding coercive sexual relationships, and program 
compliance with state reporting laws regarding child abuse, child 
molestation, sexual abuse, rape or incest.

Application Requirements

    Application kits (including the application form, Form OPHS-1, 
Revised 6/01), may be obtained by contacting the Office of Grants 
Management for Family Planning Services (at the address listed above), 
or downloaded from the Office of Population Affairs web site at http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov/grants. Applications should be limited to 60 
double-spaced pages, not including appendices. Appendices may provide 
examples of organizational capabilities or other supplemental 
information. Completed applications must be submitted to the Office of 
Grants Management for Family Planning Services.
    A copy of the legislation and regulations governing this program 
will be included as part of the application kit package. Applications 
must address all applicable regulatory requirements. Applicants should 
use the legislation, regulations, and information included in this 
announcement to guide them in developing their applications. The 
information collections (reporting requirements) contained in this 
notice have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget and 
assigned control number 0937-0189.
    Applications will be considered as meeting the deadline if they are 
postmarked on or before the application due date (listed for all areas 
in Table I). A legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. 
Postal Service will be accepted in lieu of a postmark. Private metered 
postmarks will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. All hand 
delivered applications must be received between the hours of 8:30 a.m. 
and 5 p.m. on or before the application due date. Applications which do 
not meet the deadline will be considered late and will not be accepted 
for review. Also, applications which do not meet the requirements of 
this program announcement and/or the applicable regulatory requirements 
at 42 CFR part 59, subpart A, will not be accepted for review. Any 
application which is not accepted will be returned to the applicant. 
Applications will not be accepted by fax or e-mail. The submission 
deadlines will not be extended.
    The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) requires all grant 
recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and to promote the non-use 
of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the OPHS mission to 
protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American 
people.

Application Consideration and Assessment

    Each regional office is responsible for evaluating applications and 
setting funding levels according to criteria in 42 CFR 59.7. 
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria (42 CFR 
59.7(a)):
    (1) The degree to which the project plan adequately provides for 
the requirements set forth in the Title X regulations at 42 CFR part 
59, subpart A (20 points);
    (2) The extent to which family planning services are needed locally 
(20 points);
    (3) The number of patients, and, in particular, the number of low-
income patients to be served (15 points);
    (4) The adequacy of the applicant's facilities and staff (15 
points);
    (5) The capacity of the applicant to make rapid and effective use 
of the Federal assistance (10 points);
    (6) The relative availability of non-Federal resources within the 
community to be served and the degree to which those resources are 
committed to the project (10 points); and
    (7) The relative need of the applicant (10 points).
    In making grant award decisions, the Regional Health Administrator 
will fund those projects which will, in his judgement, best promote the 
purposes of section 1001 of the Act, within the limits of funds 
available for such projects.
    Grants are generally approved for project periods of three to five 
years. Grants are funded in annual increments (budget periods). An 
annual non-competitive continuation application is required to obtain 
continued support. Application kits for non-competing grants will 
automatically be sent to the project director indicated on the Notice 
of Grant Award. Funding for all approved budget periods beyond the 
first year of the grant is contingent upon the availability of funds, 
satisfactory progress of the project, and efficient and effective use 
of grant funds. In all cases, continuation awards require a 
determination by HHS that continued funding is in the best interest of 
the Federal Government.

Review Under Executive Order 12372

    Applicants under this announcement are subject to the review 
requirements of Executive Order 12372, as implemented by 45 CFR part 
100, ``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human 
Services Programs and Activities.'' As soon as possible, the applicant 
should discuss the project with the State Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) for each State to be served. The application kit contains the 
currently available listing of the SPOCs which have elected to be 
informed of the submission of applications. For those States not 
listed, further inquiries regarding the review process designed by 
their State should be made to the Governor's office of the pertinent 
State. The SPOC should forward any comment(s) to the Office of Grants 
Management for Family Planning Services, 1301 Young Street, Ste. 766, 
Dallas, TX 75202. The SPOC has 60 days from the applicable closing date 
as listed in Table I of this announcement to submit any comments.

Notification of Grant Award

    When final funding decisions have been made, each applicant will be 
notified by letter of the outcome. The official document notifying an 
applicant that a project application has been approved for funding is 
the Notice of Grant Award. This document specifies to the grantee the 
amount of money awarded, the purposes of the grant, the length of the 
project period, and terms and conditions of the grant award.

    Dated: June 7, 2002.
Mireille B. Kanda,
Acting Director, Office of Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 02-16784 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-34-P