[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 173 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53923-53928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22576]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans 
in Highly Rural Areas

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability (grant renewals).

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the 
availability of funds under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans 
in Highly Rural Areas. This Notice contains information concerning the 
Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas program, 
grant renewal application process, and amount of funding available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darren Wallace, National Coordinator, 
Highly Rural Transportation Grants, Veterans Transportation Program, 
Chief Business Office (10NB2G), 2957 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30329; 
(404) 828-5380 (this is not a toll-free number); and Sylvester Wallace 
at [email protected].

[[Page 53924]]

    Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Availability (Grant Renewals).
    Funding Opportunity Number: VA-HRTG-2015.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 64.035.
    Dates and Addresses: Applications for assistance under the Grants 
for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program must be 
submitted to www.grants.gov by 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time on 
October 8, 2015. In the interest of fairness to all competing 
applicants and with the single exception described farther below 
regarding unforeseen technical problems beyond the control of the 
applicant with the Grants.gov Web site, this deadline is firm as to 
date and hour, and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any 
application that is received after the deadline. Applicants should take 
this practice into account and make early submission of their materials 
to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated 
delays, computer service outages (in the case of grants.gov), or other 
delivery-related problems.

Access to the Application

    The application can be found at www.grants.gov/search/basic.do, 
utilizing the ``search by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number'' function, and entering in that search field the number 64.035. 
Questions should be referred to the Veterans Transportation Program 
Office at (404) 828-5380 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email 
at [email protected]. For further information on Grants for Transportation of 
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program requirements, see the Final Rule 
published in the Federal Register (78 FR 19586) on April 2, 2013, which 
is codified in 38 CFR 17.700 through 17.730.

Submission of Application Package

    Applications may not be sent by facsimile. Applications must be 
submitted to www.grants.gov by the application deadline. Applications 
must be submitted as a complete package. Materials arriving separately 
will not be included in the application package for consideration and 
may result in the application being rejected. All applicable forms 
cited in the application description must be included.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Funding Opportunity Description

Overview

    Access to VA care for Veterans that are in highly rural areas 
continues to be an issue across the United States. The VA has 
established this program to help address barriers to access to care. 
This program funds innovative approaches to transporting veterans in 
highly rural areas who typically have longer commute times to 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VA Medical Centers).

Purpose

    VA Veterans Transportation Program (VTP) is pleased to announce 
that it is seeking grant renewal applications for Grants for 
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas. This program furthers 
the Department's mission by offering renewal grants to current grantees 
to enable them to continue to assist veterans in highly rural areas 
through innovative transportation services to travel to VA Medical 
Centers and to otherwise assist in providing transportation services in 
connection with the provision of VA medical care to these veterans.

Authority

    Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by section 307 
of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, 
Public Law 111-163, section 307 (the 2010 Act), as implemented by 
regulations codified at 38 CFR 17.700 through 17.730, Grants for 
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas. Funds made available 
under this Notice are subject to the requirements of the aforementioned 
regulations and other applicable laws and regulations.

Award Information

    In accordance with 38 CFR 17.710, VA is issuing this Notice of 
Funding Availability (Notice) for renewal grants under the Grants for 
Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program for fiscal 
year 2015. Approximately $3 million is authorized to be appropriated 
for this fiscal year. If additional funding becomes available, VA will 
issue additional Notices of Funding Availability to permit other 
grantees to apply for Grants under the Program (in accordance with the 
terms and conditions of such Notices of Funding Availability). The 
following requirements apply to grants awarded under this Notice:
     One renewal grant may be awarded to each grantee for 
fiscal year 2015 for each highly rural area in which the grantee 
provides transportation services. Transportation services may not be 
simultaneously provided by more than one grantee in any single highly 
rural area.
     No single grant will exceed $50,000.
     A veteran who is provided transportation services through 
a grantee's use of these grant monies will not be charged for such 
services.
     Renewal grants awarded under this Notice will be for a 1-
year period.
     All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be 
imposed by law.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

    Current 2014 grantees are the only eligible entities that are 
eligible to apply for a renewal grant. Interested eligible entities 
must submit a complete renewal grant application package to be 
considered for a grant renewal. Further, a renewal grant will only be 
awarded if the grantee's program will remain substantially the same as 
the program for which the original grant was awarded. How the grantee 
will meet this requirement must be specifically addressed in the 
renewal grant application.

Cost Sharing or Matching

    This solicitation does not require grantees to provide matching 
funds as a condition of receiving such grants.

Other

    Additional grant application requirements are specified in the 
application package. Submission of an incorrect or incomplete 
application package will result in the application being rejected 
during the threshold review, the initial review conducted by VA, to 
ensure the application package contains all required forms and 
certifications. Complete packages will then be subject to the 
evaluation/scoring and selection processes described in Sec.  17.705(c) 
and (d), respectively. Applicants will be notified of any additional 
information needed to confirm or clarify information provided in the 
renewal grant application and the deadline by which to submit such 
information.

Application and Submission Information

    Renewal applications will be submitted through Grants.gov. 
Grants.gov is a ``one-stop storefront'' that provides a unified process 
for all customers of federal awards to find funding opportunities and 
apply for funding. Complete instructions on how to register and submit 
a renewal grant application can be found at www.Grants.gov. If the 
applicant experiences technical difficulties at any point during this 
process, please call the

[[Page 53925]]

Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, except federal holidays.
    Registration in Grants.gov is required prior to submission. VA 
strongly encourages registering with Grants.gov several weeks before 
the deadline for application submission. The deadline for applying for 
funding under this announcement is October 8, 2015.
    Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. Please use the 
following identifying information when searching for the funding 
opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
(CFDA) number for this solicitation is 64.035, titled ``Veterans 
transportation program,'' and the funding opportunity number is VA-
HRTG-2015.
    Submit an application consistent with this solicitation by 
following the directions in Grants.gov. Within 24-48 hours after 
submitting the electronic application, the applicant should receive an 
email validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will 
state whether the renewal grant application has been received and 
validated, or rejected, with an explanation. Important: Applicants are 
urged to submit their applications at least 72 hours prior to the due 
date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message 
and to correct any problems that may have caused a rejection 
notification.
    If an applicant experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues 
beyond the applicant's control that prevent submission of its 
application by the deadline, the applicant must contact the Veterans 
Transportation Program Office staff no later than 24 hours after the 
deadline and request approval to submit its application. At that time, 
Veterans Transportation Program Office staff will instruct the 
applicant to submit specific information detailing the technical 
difficulties. The applicant must email: A description of the technical 
difficulties, a timeline of submission efforts, the complete grant 
application, the applicant DUNS number, and Grants.gov Help Desk 
tracking number(s) received. After the program office reviews all of 
the information submitted, and contacts the Grants.gov Help Desk to 
validate the technical issues reported, VA will contact the applicant 
to either approve or deny the request to submit a late application. If 
the technical issues reported cannot be validated, the application will 
be rejected as untimely.
    To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the 
following conditions are not valid reasons to permit late submissions: 
(1) Failure to begin the registration process in sufficient time, (2) 
failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply 
as posted on its Web site, (3) failure to follow all of the 
instructions in the VA solicitation, and (4) technical issues 
experienced with the applicant's computer or information technology 
(IT) environment. Notifications regarding known technical problems with 
Grants.gov, if any, are posted on the Grants.gov Web site.

Content and Form of Application Submission

    This section describes what a renewal application must include. 
Applicants should anticipate that failure to submit an application that 
contains all of the specified elements will result in the rejection of 
their application at the threshold review stage. Moreover, applicants 
should anticipate that if applications are not adequately responsive to 
the scope of the solicitation, particularly to any critical element, or 
fail to include a program narrative, budget detail worksheet including 
a budget narrative, tribal resolution (if applicable), eligibly entity 
designation, or a list of the highly rural county or counties to be 
served, they will be rejected and receive no further consideration.

Threshold Review Criteria: (Critical Elements)

     Application deadline: Applications not received by the 
application deadline through www.grants.gov will not be reviewed.
     Eligibility: Applications that do not conform to the 
eligibility requirements at the beginning section of this document will 
not be reviewed.
     Budget detail worksheet including a budget narrative. VA 
strongly recommends use of appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., 
``Program Narrative,'' ``Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget 
Narrative,'' ``Timelines,'' ``Memoranda of Understanding,'' 
``Resumes'') for all attachments. VA recommends that resumes be 
included in a single file.
     Information to complete the Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF-424). The SF-424 is a standard form required for use as 
a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and 
related information. Grants.gov takes information from the applicant's 
profile to populate the fields on this form.
     Program Narrative (Only required if you are making 
significant changes that do not substantially change the nature of the 
originally funded program.) The title should read, ``Change of Scope''. 
Provide a detailed narrative of your program scope and specifically 
discuss the innovative modes and methods of transportation services to 
be provided. If the provision of transportation services will 
necessitate procurement or use of specific equipment, such equipment 
must be specifically listed.
    Note on project evaluations: Applicants that propose to use funds 
awarded through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations should 
be aware that certain project evaluations (such as systematic 
investigations designed to develop or contribute to knowledge) may 
constitute research. However, project evaluations that are intended 
only to generate internal improvements to a program or service or are 
conducted only to meet VA's performance measure data reporting 
requirements likely do not constitute research. Research, for the 
purposes of VA-funded programs, is defined as, ``a systematic 
investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, 
designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.'' 38 CFR 
16.102(d). In addition, research involving human subjects is subject to 
certain added protections, as set forth in 38 CFR part 16. Applicants 
should provide sufficient information for VA to determine whether 
particular project activities they propose would either intentionally 
or unintentionally collect and/or use information in such a way that it 
meets VA's regulatory definition of research and thereby invoke the 
requirements and procedures set forth 38 CFR part 16.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet

    A sample SF 424A Budget Detail Worksheet can be found at 
www.grants.gov Web site. Please submit a budget as the example above 
indicates, and label it if the budget is submitted in a different 
format, the budget categories listed in the sample budget worksheet 
must be included.
    Budget Narrative: The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and 
clearly describe every category of expense listed in the Budget Detail 
Worksheet. The narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond 
with the information and figures provided in the Budget Detail 
Worksheet. The narrative should explain how all costs were estimated 
and calculated and how they are relevant to the completion of the 
proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification 
purposes but need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget 
Detail Worksheet,

[[Page 53926]]

the Budget Narrative must be broken down by year. Note: All non-federal 
entities have to be in compliance with 2 CFR 200.400-475 Cost 
Principles and all Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Regulations 
and Circulars.
    Budget Brief (example):

1. Our organization requests ______for the acquisition of 
_________van(s).
2. The total cost of the van(s)_______________. This is the amount 
requested from VA.
3. Our organization will utilize _______________for innovative 
approaches for transporting veterans. This is the amount requested from 
VA for a maximum of $50,000.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

    Indirect costs are allowed only if the applicant has a federally 
approved indirect cost rate. (This requirement does not apply to units 
of local government.) A copy of the rate approval must be attached. If 
the applicant does not have an approved rate, one can be requested by 
contacting the applicant's cognizant federal agency, which will review 
all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant organization or, 
if the applicant's accounting system permits, costs may be allocated in 
the direct cost categories. If VA is the cognizant federal agency, 
obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 
the contact person listed in this solicitation.

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

    If an application identifies a subrecipient that is either (1) a 
tribe or tribal organization or (2) a third party proposing to provide 
direct services or assistance to residents on tribal lands, then a 
current authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal 
entity or other enactment of the tribal council or comparable governing 
body authorizing the inclusion of the tribe or tribal organization and 
its membership must be included with the application. In those 
instances when an organization or consortium of tribes proposes to 
apply for a grant on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes, 
then the application must include a resolution from all tribes that 
will be included as a part of the services/assistance provided under 
the grant. A consortium of tribes for which existing consortium bylaws 
allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e., 
without authorizing resolution or other enactment of each tribal 
governing body) may submit a copy of its consortium bylaws with the 
application in order to satisfy this requirement.

Submission Dates and Times

    Renewal grant applications under the Grants for Transportation of 
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program must be submitted to 
www.grants.gov by 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time on October 8, 2015. 
In the interest of fairness to all competing applicants, this deadline 
is firm as to date and hour and with the single exception described 
above regarding unforeseen technical problems beyond the control of the 
applicant with the Grants.gov Web site, VA will treat as ineligible for 
consideration any application that is received after the deadline. 
Applicants should take this into account and make early submission of 
their materials to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about 
by unanticipated delays, computer service outages (in the case of 
grants.gov), or other delivery-related problems.
    The application can be found at www.grants.gov/search/basic.do, 
utilizing the ``search by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number'' function, and entering in that search field the number 64.035. 
Questions should be referred to the Veterans Transportation Program 
Office at (404) 828-5380 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email 
at [email protected]. For further information on Grants for Transportation of 
Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Program requirements, see the governing 
regulations codified at 38 CFR 17.700 through 17.730.
    Renewal grant applications may not be sent by facsimile. These 
applications must be submitted to www.grants.gov by the application 
deadline; they must also be submitted as a complete package. Materials 
arriving separately will not be included in the application package for 
consideration and may result in the application being rejected. All 
applicable forms cited in the application description must be included.

Intergovernmental Review

    Some states require that applicants must contact their State's 
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out and comply with the State's 
process, to comply with Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 (1982). Names and 
addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and 
Budget's homepage at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/.

Funding Restrictions

    Grants will only be awarded to those organizations that are 
eligible under law as described in the eligibility information section.

Other Submission Requirements

    For technical assistance with submitting the application, contact 
the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or via email to 
[email protected].

    Note:  The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 
hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays. For assistance 
with any other requirement of this solicitation, contact Darren 
Wallace, National Program Coordinator for Grants for Transportation 
of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas, at (404) 828-5380 (this is not a 
toll-free number) or by email to [email protected].

    Additional forms that may be required in connection with an award 
are available for download on www.grants.gov. Examples of these forms 
can be viewed at the www.grants.gov Web site. For successful 
applicants, receipt of funds will be contingent upon submission of all 
necessary forms. Please note in particular the following forms: 
Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 
Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirement; Disclosure of 
Lobbying Activities (Required for any applicant that expends any funds 
for lobbying activities; this form must be downloaded, completed, and 
then uploaded); and Standard Assurances (SF 424B) Standard Assurances 
(required to be submitted to the Veterans Transportation Program Office 
prior to the receipt of any award funds).

Application Review Information

Criteria

    VA is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding 
these renewal grants. The Veterans Transportation Program Office will 
review the renewal grant application to make sure that the information 
presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, and achievable, as 
well as consistent with the solicitation. Peer reviewers will conduct a 
threshold review of all applications submitted under this solicitation 
to ensure they meet all of the critical elements and all other minimum 
requirements as identified herein. The Veterans Transportation Program 
Office may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, 
or a combination to review the applications under this solicitation. An 
external peer reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter 
of a given solicitation who is NOT a current U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs employee. An internal reviewer is a current U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs employee who is well-

[[Page 53927]]

versed or has expertise in the subject matter of this solicitation. 
Eligible applications will then be evaluated, scored, and rated by a 
peer review panel. Peer reviewers' ratings and any resulting 
recommendations are advisory only.
    The Chief Business Office Veterans Transportation Program Office 
conducts a financial review of applications for potential discretionary 
awards to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of 
applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the Budget Detail 
Worksheet and Budget Narrative accurately explain project costs; and 
determines whether costs are reasonable, necessary, and allowable under 
applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations.
    Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of 
authority to the contrary, the Veterans Health Administration, through 
the Veterans Transportation Program Office, will forward the reviewers' 
recommendations for award to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs who will 
then review and approve each award decision. Such determinations by the 
Secretary will be final. VA will also give consideration to factors 
including, but not limited to, underserved populations, geographic 
diversity, strategic priorities, and available funding when making 
awards.

Review and Selection Process

    Selection of Renewal Grants for Transportation of Veterans in 
Highly Rural Areas is very competitive. Listed below are the scoring 
and selection criteria:
    1. Renewal Grant Scoring: Renewal applications will be scored using 
the following selection criteria:
    A. VA will award up to 55 points based on the success of the 
grantee's program, as demonstrated by the following: Application shows 
that the grantee or identified subrecipient provided transportation 
services which allowed participants to be provided medical care timely 
and as scheduled; and application shows that participants were 
satisfied with the transportation services provided by the grantee or 
identified subrecipient, as described in the Notice of Fund 
Availability;
    B. VA will award up to 35 points based on the cost effectiveness of 
the program, as demonstrated by the following: The grantee or 
identified subrecipient administered the program on budget and grant 
funds were utilized in a sensible manner, as interpreted by information 
provided by the grantee to VA under Sec.  17.725(a)(1) through (a)(7); 
and
    C. VA will award up to 15 points based on the extent to which the 
program complied with the grant agreement and applicable laws and 
regulations.
    2. Renewal Grant Selection: VA will use the following process to 
award renewal grants:
    A. VA will rank those grantees who receive at least the minimum 
amount of total points and points per category set forth in the Notice 
of Fund Availability. The grantees will be ranked in order from highest 
to lowest scores.
    B. VA will use the grantee's ranking as the basis for selection for 
funding. VA will fund the highest-ranked grantees for which funding is 
available.

Award Administration Information

Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) signed 
and dated by the Veterans Transportation Program Office that will set 
forth the amount of the award and other pertinent information. The NoA 
is the legal document/instrument issued to notify the awardee that an 
award has been made and that funds may be requested. It will also 
include standard Terms and Conditions related to participation in the 
Program.
    The NoA will be sent through the U.S. Postal Service to the awardee 
organization as listed on its SF 424. Note that any communication 
between the Veterans Transportation Program Office and awardees prior 
to the issuance of the NoA is not authorization to begin performance on 
the project.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified of their status by letter, 
which will likewise be sent through the U.S. Postal Service to the 
applicant organization as listed on its SF 424.

Renewal Grant Agreements

    After an applicant is selected for a renewal grant in accordance 
with Sec.  17.705(d), VA will draft a renewal grant agreement to be 
executed by Chief Business Officer in VA and the grantee. Upon 
execution of the renewal grant agreement, VA will obligate the approved 
amount. The renewal grant agreement will provide that:
    1. The grantee must operate the program in accordance with the 
provisions of this section and the grant application;
    2. If a grantee's renewal application identified a subrecipient, 
such subrecipient must operate the program in accordance with the 
provisions of this section and the grant application; and
    3. If a grantee's application identified that funds will be used to 
procure or operate vehicles to directly provide transportation 
services, the following requirements must be met:
    A. Title to the vehicles must vest solely in the grantee or in the 
identified subrecipient or with leased vehicles in an identified 
lender.
    B. The grantee or identified subrecipeint must, at a minimum, 
provide motor vehicle liability insurance for the vehicles to the same 
extent they would insure vehicles procured with their own funds.
    C. All vehicle operators must be licensed in a U.S. State or 
Territory to operate such vehicles.
    D. Vehicles must be safe and maintained in accordance with the 
manufacturer's recommendations; and
    E. Vehicles must be operated in accordance with applicable 
Department of Transportation regulations concerning transit 
requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Successful applicants selected for awards must agree to comply with 
additional applicable legal requirements upon acceptance of an award. 
(VA strongly encourages applicants to review the information pertaining 
to these additional requirements prior to submitting a renewal 
application.) As to those additional requirements, we note that while 
their original grants were subject to additional legal requirements as 
set forth in 38 CFR parts 43 and 49 those regulatory provisions have 
since been superseded by the Common Rule governing all Federal Grant 
Programs. The Common Rule is codified at 2 CFR part 200. Thus, grantees 
and identified subrecipients awarded renewal grants under the Program 
must agree as part of their grant agreement to comply with all 
requirements of the Common Rule, as applicable.

Reporting

Progress Reports

    Awardees must agree to cooperate with any VA evaluation of the 
program and provide required quarterly, annual, and final (at the end 
of the fiscal year reports in a form prescribed by VTP. A final report 
consists of a summation of grant activities which include progress 
toward goals, financial administration of grant funds, grant 
administration issues and barriers. Reports are to be submitted 
electronically. These reports must outline how grant funds were used, 
describe program progress and barriers, and provide measurable 
outcomes.
    Required quarterly and annual reports must include the following 
information:

[[Page 53928]]

     Record of time expended assisting with the provision of 
transportation services.
     Record of grant funds expended assisting with the 
provision of transportation services.
     Trips completed.
     Total distance covered.
     Veterans served.
     Locations which received transportation services.
     Results of veteran satisfaction survey

Program Monitoring

    The Veterans Transportation Program is responsible for program 
monitoring. All awardees will be required to cooperate in providing the 
necessary data elements to the VTP. The goal of program monitoring is 
to ensure program requirements are met; this will be accomplished by 
tracking performance and identifying quality and compliance problems 
through early detection. Methods of program monitoring may include: 
Monitoring the performance of a grantee's or subrecipient's personnel, 
procurements, and/or use of grant-funded property; collecting, 
analyzing data, and assessing program implementation and effectiveness; 
assessing costs and utilization; and providing technical assistance 
when needed. Site visit monitoring will include the above-described 
activities, in addition to the conduct of safety assessments and, if 
applicable, verification of both current driver's licenses and vehicle 
insurance coverage.

Federal Financial Report

    Awardees are required to submit the FFR SF 425 on quarterly basis. 
More details will be announced in the Notice of Award.

Audit Requirements

    Awardees must comply with the audit requirements of Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance 2 CFR part 200, subpart F. 
Information on the scope, frequency and other aspects of the audits can 
be found on the Internet at https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-30465.

Program Variations

    Any changes in a grantee's program activities which result in 
deviations from the grant renewal agreement must be reported to VA.

Additional Reporting

    Additional reporting requirements may be requested by VA to allow 
VA to fully assess program effectiveness.

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements

    Applicants should anticipate that all recipients (excluding an 
individual recipient of Federal assistance) of awards of $25,000 or 
more under this solicitation, consistent with the Federal Funding 
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), Public Law 109-282 
(Sept. 26, 2006) will be required to report award information on the 
subaward reporting system of any first-tier subawards totaling $25,000 
or more, and, in certain cases, to report information on the names and 
total compensation of the five most highly compensated executives of 
the recipient and first-tier subrecipients. Each applicant entity must 
ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems in place to 
comply with the reporting requirements should it receive funding.
    It is expected that reports regarding subawards will be made 
through the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) found at https://www.fsrs.gov. The FFATA Subaward Reporting System is the reporting tool 
Federal prime awardees (i.e. prime contractors and prime grants 
recipients) use to capture and report subaward and executive 
compensation data regarding their first-tier subawards to meet the 
FFATA reporting requirements. Prime contract awardees will report 
against sub-contracts awarded and prime grant awardees will report 
against sub-grants awarded. Prime Contractors awarded a Federal 
contract or order that is subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation 
clause 52.204-10 (Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier 
Subcontract Awards) are required to file a FFATA subaward report by the 
end of the month following the month in which the prime contractor 
awards any subcontract greater than $25,000.
    Please note also that applicants should anticipate that no subaward 
of an award made under this solicitation may be made to a subrecipient 
that is subject to the terms of FFATA unless the potential subrecipient 
acquires and provides a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

Other Information

    Pursuant to Sec.  17.730(a), VA may recover from the grantee any 
funds that are not used in accordance with a grant agreement. If VA 
decides to recover funds, VA will issue to the grantee a notice of 
intent to recover grant funds, and the grantee will then have 30 days 
to submit documentation demonstrating why the grant funds should not be 
recovered. After review of all submitted documentation, VA will 
determine whether action will be taken to recover the grant funds. When 
VA determines action will be taken to recover grant funds from the 
grantee, the grantee is then prohibited under Sec.  17.730(b) from 
receipt of any further grant funds.

    Approved: September 2, 2015.
William F. Russo,
Acting Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of 
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2015-22576 Filed 9-4-15; 8:45 am]
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