[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25051-25052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11652]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Fiscal Year 2003 Competitive Application Cycle for the Black Lung 
Clinics Program (BLCP) CFDA Number 93.965; HRSA-03-086

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces the availability of up to $250,000 to support one grant 
project to an eligible entity for the purpose of carrying out a program 
to seek out and provide services to active and inactive miners, in 
southwest Indiana, who were exposed to coal dust as a result of 
employment. The former grantee in southwest Indiana relinquished the 
grant on September 23, 2002. As a result, an interim grantee was 
identified. The project period for the interim grantee ends on June 30, 
2003. Eligible entities are expected to provide services described 
below in ``Program Expectations. The Bureau of Primary Health Care 
(BPHC) intends to fund no more than one award.
    Authorizing Legislation: The Black Lung Clinics Program (BLCP) was 
authorized by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 as amended 
by the Black Lung Benefits Reform Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95-239), in 
order to provide treatment and rehabilitation for individuals who 
currently or formerly worked within a coal or other mining industry 
and, as a result, were exposed to coal dust. It provides the authority 
for competitive grants to States, private, or public entities to 
provide the services listed below in ``Program Expectations'' to the 
population described above. Services may be provided either directly or 
through formal arrangements with appropriate health care providers. The 
implementing regulations for the BLCP may be found at 42 CFR part 55a.

DATES: The intended timeline for application submission, review and 
award are as follows: June 13, 2003, application deadline; July 31, 
2003, grant awards announced.
    Applications will be considered on time if they are: (1) Received 
on or before the established deadline date; or (2) postmarked on or 
before the deadline date given in the Federal Register notice. Late 
applications will be returned to the applicant. Applicants should 
obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. 
Postal Service or request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. 
Private metered postmarks shall not be accepted as proof of timely 
mailing. Applications sent to any address other than that specified 
below are subject to being returned. Applicants will receive 
notification of their application receipt. Electronic submission is not 
available for this program announcement.
    Application Requests: To receive a complete application kit (i.e., 
application instructions, necessary forms, and application review 
criteria), contact the HRSA Grants Application Center at:

HRSA Grants Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20879. Phone: 1-877-HRSA-123 (1-877-477-2123). Fax: 1-
877-HRSA-345 (1-877-477-2345). E-mail: [email protected].

    When contacting the HRSA Grants Application Center (GAC) please use 
the following program announcement when requesting application 
materials: HRSA-03-086. Applications must be submitted to the HRSA GAC. 
Applicants should note that beginning April 1, 2003, HRSA will begin 
accepting grant applications online. Please refer to the HRSA grants 
schedule at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm for more information. 
Applications must be postmarked by the due date as specified above for 
each program area.
    Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible to apply 
for the funds described in this notice:
    [sbull] Any State, private, or public entities, including faith-
based and community-based organizations, proposing to serve miners or 
coal miners, in southwest Indiana, exposed to coal dust as a result of 
employment.
    Program Expectations: The purpose of the BLCP is to improve the 
health status of miners or coal miners exposed to coal dust as a result 
of employment and to increase coordination with other services and 
benefits programs to meet the health-related needs of this population.
    The following is a list of core services that must be provided by 
all grantees:
    [sbull] Primary care, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, 
and rehabilitation
    [sbull] Patient and family education and counseling
    [sbull] Outreach

[[Page 25052]]

    [sbull] Patient care coordination, including individual patient 
care plans for all patients, and referrals, as indicated
    [sbull] Antismoking advice
    [sbull] Other symptomatic treatments, including pulmonary 
rehabilitation
    [sbull] The applicant must provide services in consultation with a 
physician with special training or experience in the diagnosis and 
treatment of respiratory diseases. In addition, the applicant must meet 
all criteria for approval and designation by the Department of Labor 
under 20 CFR part 725 to perform disability examination and provide 
treatment under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as 
amended. All services must be provided regardless of a person's ability 
to pay. Grants funds under this program must supplement and not 
supplant existing services of the grantee.
    Matching or Cost Sharing Requirement: Matching in not required, 
however, cost participation is encouraged.
    Application Review and Funding Criteria: Each application submitted 
by the deadline will be reviewed initially for eligibility. Those 
applications that are determined to be ineligible, incomplete or non-
responsive will be returned to the applicant without further 
consideration. Those applications that are determined to be eligible 
will be reviewed by a panel of reviewers comprised of non-Federal 
experts using the following objective review criteria:
    [sbull] Need and Readiness--the extent to which the applicant can 
demonstrate a need for these services in their area and their readiness 
to provide them.
    [sbull] Administration--the extent to which the applicant 
demonstrates that it has the administrative experience and capacity to 
successfully implement this program.
    [sbull] Health Care Services--the extent to which the applicant has 
the capacity to provide or arrange for the required services (quality 
and breadth).
    [sbull] Collaborative Arrangements--the extent to which the 
applicant has developed and documented collaborative arrangements with 
other local providers to conduct outreach, receive referrals and 
provide services, number of miners to be served and their needs.
    [sbull] Appropriateness of Budget--the extent to which the 
applicant's budget is appropriate for the scope of the proposed 
activities.
    Funding Preferences and Priorities: The Bureau of Primary Health 
Care (BPHC) intends to fund one award. The goal of the BPHC is to award 
funds to organizations that can best provide comprehensive services to 
the largest number of eligible individuals in a cost-effective manner.

Funding Preferences

    A funding preference is defined as the funding of a specific 
category or group of approved applications ahead of other categories or 
groups of applications. The BPHC will give preference to applicants 
that are State entities which meet the legislative requirements of the 
Federal Mine and Safety Health Act of 1977 as amended by the Black Lung 
Benefits Reform Act of 1977. States are given preference per the 
relevant regulations, specifically 42 CFR 55a.103. The requirements are 
detailed in regulations.

Funding Priorities

    A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment of 
aggregate review scores of individually approved applications when 
applications meet specific criteria. The following funding priority is 
applicable to the Black Lung Clinics Program.
    [sbull] Applicants that are currently operating a Black Lung for 
patients in compliance with Program Expectations will receive 3 
additional points.
    Estimated Amount of Available Funds: Up to $250,000 will be 
available in fiscal year 2003 for this program.
    Estimated Project Period: 3 years.
    Estimated Number of Awards: It is estimated that one award will be 
made.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shirl Taylor-Wilson, Black Lung 
Clinics Program, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources 
Services Administration, 4350 East-West Highway, 9th Floor, Bethesda, 
Maryland 20818. Phone: 301-594-4420. Fax: 301-594-2470. E-mail: 
[email protected].
    Public Health System Reporting Requirements: Under these 
requirements (approved by the Office of Management and Budget 0937-
0195), a community-based non-governmental applicant must prepare and 
submit a Public Health System Impact Statement to the head of the 
appropriate State and local health agencies in the area(s) to be 
impacted no later than the Federal application receipt due date. This 
statement must include:
    (a) A copy of the face page of the application (SF 424)
    (b) A summary of the project, not to exceed one page, which 
provides:
    [sbull] A description of the population to be served,
    [sbull] A summary of the services to be provided, and
    [sbull] A description of the coordination planned with the 
appropriate State and local health agencies.

Executive Order 12372

    This program has been determined to be a program which is subject 
to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 concerning intergovernmental 
review of Federal programs by appropriate health planning agencies, as 
implemented by 45 CFR part 100. Executive Order 12372 allows States the 
option of setting up a system for reviewing applications from within 
their States for assistance under certain Federal programs. The 
application packages to be made available under this notice will 
contain a listing of States that have chosen to set up such a review 
system and will provide a single point of contact (SPOC) in the States 
for review. Applicants (other than Federally-recognized Indian tribal 
government) should contact their State SPOC as early as possible to 
alert them to the prospective applications and receive any necessary 
instructions on the State process. For proposed projects serving more 
than one State, the applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each 
affected State. The due date for State process recommendations is 60 
days after the application deadline for new and competing awards. The 
granting agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for 
State process recommendations it receives after that date. (See part 
148, Intergovernmental Review of Public Health Service Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 and 45 CFR part 100 for a description of the 
review process and requirements.)

    Dated: April 16, 2003.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-11652 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
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