[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9929-9930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03153]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Current Traumatic Brain Injury State Implementation Partnership 
Grantees; Non-Competitive One-Year Extension Funds

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of Non-Competitive One-Year Extension Funds for Current 
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Implementation Partnership (H21) 
Grantees.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will 
issue funding for a non-competitive one-year extension for the State 
Implementation Partnerships (H21) awards to current grantees whose 
awards are scheduled to end in fiscal year (FY) 2013. Up to $250,000 
per

[[Page 9930]]

grantee will be awarded over a one-year extended project period.
    The HRSA TBI Program was initially authorized by the Traumatic 
Brain Injury Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-166) and was most recently 
reauthorized by the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-
206). Under this authority, the HRSA TBI Program is charged with 
improving access to rehabilitation and other services for individuals 
with traumatic brain injury and their families. The TBI State 
Implementation Partnership Grants support activities that complement 
existing state infrastructure to provide needed services following TBI. 
Through comprehensive and periodic needs and resources assessments, 
activities supported by grant funds are aligned with the highest 
priority areas as determined by providers, individuals with TBI and 
their families, advocates, and other stakeholders. Recipients of grant 
funds are expected to modify infrastructure in such a way that 
improvements in service delivery will be sustained beyond the grant 
period. As part of this charge, grantees must specifically have or 
develop the following four core components:
    (1) A Statewide Advisory Board consisting of members of the 
community, and representatives of other state agencies with an interest 
in TBI, such as State Departments of Health, Rehabilitation, Human 
Services, Education, Transportation, or Labor. This board should also 
have strong representation from individuals with TBI and/or family 
members; and also organizations that serve individuals with TBI; and 
other service providers, medical and non-medical;
    (2) A designated state agency that takes responsibility for 
carrying out activities of the grant;
    (3) A statewide needs and resources assessment; and
    (4) A comprehensive Statewide Action Plan for assisting individuals 
with TBI and their families to increase access to needed services and 
supports.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Grantees of record and intended award 
amounts are:

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                                                                                      FY2012          FY2013
              Grantee/organization name                 Grant number     State      authorized       estimated
                                                                                   funding level   funding level
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Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services........      H21MC06738         AL        $245,100        $245,100
Arizona Department of Economic Security..............      H21MC06754         AZ         249,915         249,915
Idaho State University...............................      H21MC07735         ID         250,000         250,000
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services...........      H21MC06756         IN         249,739         249,739
Iowa Department of Public Health.....................      H21MC06748         IA         250,000         250,000
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission..............      H21MC06737         MA         250,000         250,000
Michigan Department of Community Health..............      H21MC06747         MI         250,000         250,000
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services....      H21MC06740         MO         250,000         250,000
Nebraska Department of Education.....................      H21MC06758         NE         250,000         250,000
Health Research, Inc./New York State Department of         H21MC06742         NY         249,909         249,909
 Health..............................................
North Carolina Department of Health and Human              H21MC06746         NC         250,000         250,000
 Services............................................
State of Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission.....      H21MC06771         OH         248,500         248,500
Tennessee Department of Health.......................      H21MC06739         TN         250,000         250,000
Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services.......      H21MC06763         VA         250,000         250,000
West Virginia University.............................      H21MC11468         WV         250,000         250,000
Oregon State Department of Education.................      H21MC06769         OR         249,999         249,999
Texas Health & Human Services Commission.............      H21MC16375         TX         250,000         250,000
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    Amount of the Award(s): Up to $250,000 per grantee over a one-year 
project period. CFDA Number: 93.234
    Current Project Period:
     All grants in this cohort except Texas: 4/1/2006-3/31/2013 
(competing continuations awarded 4/1/2009)
     Texas: 4/1/2006-8/31/2013 (competing award 9/1/2009)
    Period of Additional Funding:
     All grants in this cohort except Texas: 4/1/2013--3/31/
2014
     Texas: 9/1/2013--8/31/2014

    Authority:  Public Health Service Act, Title XII, Section 1252 
(42 USC 300d-52) as amended by the Children's Health Act of 2000, 
sec.1304, Pub. L. 106-310, as further amended by the Traumatic Brain 
Injury Act of 2008, sec. 6(a), Pub. L. 110-206.

    Justification: The Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) within HRSA 
has determined, through assessment of its State Implementation 
Partnership (H21) grants, that a series of services are commonly 
identified as ``needs'' via state-conducted assessments and as such are 
common programmatic activities pursued under the auspices of H21 
grants. MCHB proposes a one-year extension of the current grant cohort 
to allow time to refine the focus of the H21 program, defining these 
common activities, crafting appropriate performance measures, and 
securing clearance to collect uniform data on these activities that 
demonstrate the impact of this program on the target population.
    In the interest of continuing to align the structure of the program 
with the needs of this population, and therefore fulfilling our 
legislative charge, the TBI Program proposes this course of action: To 
align the next grant competition with demonstrated areas of need, to 
capture uniform data on the impact of this program, to provide for 
sufficient fiscal resources to continue programmatic activities, and to 
maintain MCHB programmatic support with the least disruption to the 
state, community, affected constituencies who are currently receiving 
assistance and services from these grantees, and the grantees 
themselves.
    In general, the project period for 17 TBI State Implementation 
Partnership grantees would end March 31, 2013, and a robust competitive 
process would have taken place in December 2012. MCHB does not believe 
the idea of conducting a competition at this time is appropriate or 
cost effective. Therefore, MCHB proposes to extend the project period 
of these grants into FY 2014. Awards will be subject to the 
availability of funds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LCDR Donelle McKenna, Maternal and 
Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Room 13-61, Rockville, Maryland 20857 or email 
[email protected].

    Dated: February 5, 2013.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-03153 Filed 2-11-13; 8:45 am]
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