[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 136 (Monday, July 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41231-41232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14025]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Notice of Issuance of Final Policy Directive

AGENCY: Administration for Native Americans (ANA), HHS.
SUMMARY: The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) herein issues 
final interpretive rules, general statement of policy, and rules of 
agency procedure or practice in relation to the Social and Economic 
Development Strategies (SEDS) project SMART NA Communities 
(Strengthening Marriages and Relationships in Tribal and Native 
American Communities). For FY 2005, ANA reserved an amount of funding 
under the SEDS program to fund projects that are beneficial to the 
development of healthy Native American communities. ANA has decided to 
participate in ACF's Healthy Marriage Initiative, and intends to use 
the reserved SEDS funds to support projects that improve child well-
being by removing barriers associated with forming and retaining 
healthy families and marriages in Native American communities. Under 
the statute, ANA is required to provide members of the public an 
opportunity to comment on proposed changes in interpretive rules, 
statements of general policy, and rules of agency procedure or 
practice, and to give notice of the final adoption of such changes at 
least 30 days before the changes become effective. The notice also 
provides additional information about ANA's plan for administering the 
programs.

DATES: June 28, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Cooper, Director of Program 
Operations, at (877) 922-9262.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 814 of the Native 
American Programs Act of 1974 (the Act), as amended, ANA is required to 
provide notice of its proposed interpretive rules, statements of policy 
and rules of agency organization, procedure or practice. The 
Administration for Native Americans published a Notice of Public 
Comment (NOPC) on May 27, 2005 (70 FR 30755), on proposed ANA policy 
and program

[[Page 41232]]

clarifications, modifications and activities for the FY 2005 SEDS-SMART 
NA program announcement. The NOPC closed June 27, 2005. ANA did not 
receive any public comments on the NOPC, and this notice shall suffice 
as ANA's final policy.

Additional Information

Final Policies and Procedures

1. General
    This SEDS SMART NA Communities program area incorporates a majority 
of the requirements as contained in the SEDS program announcement. 
There are a few instances where ANA has opted to change the request for 
information for this program area only. The differences are noted 
below.
2. Evaluation Criteria
    The Impact Indicators, as established in the FY 2005 SEDS program 
announcement under ANA Evaluation Criteria Five, will be used for this 
program area except for the following: (2) Number of codes or 
ordinances developed and implemented; (3) number of people to 
successfully complete a workshop/training; (8) number of community-
based small businesses established or expanded; (9) identification of 
Tribal or Village government business, industry, energy or financial 
codes or ordinances that were adopted or enacted; and (10) number of 
micro-businesses started. ANA does not believe that the capture of this 
data will affect the impact or demonstrate the success of the grants. 
The number of suggested ANA Impact Indicators has been reduced to five 
indicators. (Legal authority: Section 803(a) of the Native American 
Programs Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 2991b)
3. ANA Funding Restrictions
    ANA will use the Funding Restrictions established under the FY 2005 
SEDS program announcement, except for the following: Core 
Administration has been modified to remove the last sentence, ``Under 
Alaska SEDS projects, ANA will consider funding core administrative 
capacity building projects at the Village government level if the 
Village does not have governing systems in place.'' and the sentence, 
``Projects that do not further the three interrelated ANA goals of 
economic development, social development and governance or meet the 
purpose of this program announcement.'' This program area is not 
associated with the Alaska SEDS program area nor is it intended to 
interrelate to the goals of economic development, social development or 
governance. (Legal authority: Section 803(a) of the Native American 
Programs Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 2991b)
4. Administrative Policies
    ANA will be using the administrative policies as included in the FY 
2005 SEDS program announcement except: ``An applicant can have only one 
active ANA SEDS grant operating at any given time'' and ``Applicants 
proposing an Economic Development project must address the project's 
viability. A business plan, if applicable, must be included to describe 
the project's feasibility, cash flow and approach for the 
implementation and marketing of the business.'' Neither of these 
policies applies to this program. Special initiative awards such as 
this program will be issued a SEDS grant number and therefore an entity 
will be able to administer a regular SEDS award in addition to this 
project. Business development and the promotion of economic development 
are not components of this demonstration. (Legal authority: Section 
803(a) of the Native American Programs Act of 1974, 45 U.S.C. 2991b)
5. Funding Thresholds
    The funding threshold for this program area will be $50,000 (floor 
amount) to $150,000 (ceiling amount) per budget period. Applications 
exceeding the $150,000 threshold will be considered non-responsive and 
will not be considered for funding under this announcement. (Legal 
authority: Section 803(a) of the Native American Programs Act of 1974, 
42 U.S.C. 2991b)

Technical Correction

    Upon general review of the Notice, the phrase ``demonstration 
project'' has been replaced with the text ``program area''. The 
reference to demonstration projects was inadvertently placed in the 
text. Upon general review, the legal authority was clarified to reflect 
that specific section of the authority under which this program area 
will be funded.

    Dated: June 28, 2005.
Quanah Crossland Stamps,
Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans.
[FR Doc. 05-14025 Filed 7-15-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P