[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44899-44900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18374]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[CFDA NUMBER: 93.568]


Reallotment of Fiscal Year 2018 Funds for the Low Income Home 
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

AGENCY: Division of Energy Assistance, Office of Community Services 
(OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of public comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a preliminary determination that 
funds from the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Low Income Home Energy Assistance 
Program (LIHEAP) are available for reallotment to States, Territories, 
Tribes, and Tribal Organizations that received FY 2019 direct LIHEAP 
grants. No subgrantees or other entities may apply for these funds.

DATES: Submit comments on or before September 26, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to: Clarence H. Carter, Acting 
Director, Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and 
Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 330 C Street SW, 5th 
Floor; Mail Room 5425; Washington, DC 20201 or via email: 
[email protected]. Comments may also be faxed to (202) 401-
5661.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Christopher, Director, Division 
of Energy Assistance, Office of Community Services, Administration for 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 330 C 
Street SW, 5th Floor; Mail Room 5425; Washington, DC 20201. Telephone: 
(202) 401-4870. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  According to Section 2607(b)(1) of the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Act, (42 U.S.C. 8626(b)(1)), if the 
Secretary of HHS determines as of September 1, of any fiscal year, an 
amount in excess of 10 percent of the amount awarded to a grantee for 
that fiscal year (excluding Leveraging and REACH funds) will not be 
used by the grantee during that fiscal year, then the Secretary must 
notify the grantee and publish a notice in the Federal Register that 
such funds may be reallotted to LIHEAP grantees during the following 
fiscal year. If reallotted, the LIHEAP block grant allocation formula 
will be used to distribute the funds. No funds may be allotted to 
entities that are not direct LIHEAP grantees during FY 2019.
    It has been determined that $1,839,128 in LIHEAP funds may be 
available for reallotment during FY 2019. This determination is based 
on FY 2018 Carryover and Reallotment Reports which showed that seven 
grantees reported reallotment funds. These grantees were Alaska; Five 
Sandoval Indian Pueblos, INC.; Hoh Indian Tribe; Little River Band of 
Ottawa Indians; Northern Cheyenne Tribe; Three Affiliated Tribes; and 
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Grantees submitted the FY 
2018 Carryover and Reallotment Reports to the OCS, as required by 
regulations applicable to LIHEAP at 45 CFR 96.81(b).
    The LIHEAP statute allows grantees who have funds unobligated at 
the end of the federal fiscal year for which they are awarded to 
request that they be allowed to carry over up to 10 percent of their 
full-year allotments to the next federal fiscal year. Funds in excess 
of this amount must be returned to HHS and are subject to reallotment 
under section 2607(b)(1) of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act, 
(42 U.S.C. 8626(b)(1)). The amount described in this notice was 
reported by grantees as unobligated FY 2018 funds in excess of the 
amount that these grantees could carry over to FY 2019.
    In accordance with section 2607(b)(3) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 
8626(b)(3)), comments will be accepted for a period of 30 days from the 
date of publication of this notice.
    After considering any comments submitted, all current LIHEAP 
grantees will be notified of the final reallotment amount redistributed 
to them for obligation in FY 2019. This decision will be published in 
the Federal Register and in a Dear Colleague Letter that gets posted to 
ACF's website: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/resource/dear-colleagues.
    If funds are reallotted, they will be allocated in accordance with 
section 2604 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 8623) and must be treated by LIHEAP 
grantees receiving them as an amount appropriated for FY 2019. As FY 
2019 funds, they will be subject to all requirements of the Act, 
including section 2607(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 8626(b)(2)), which requires 
that a grantee obligate at least 90 percent of its total block grant 
allocation for a fiscal year by the end of the fiscal year for which 
the funds are appropriated, that is, by September 30, 2019.

[[Page 44900]]



          Estimated Reallotment Amounts of FY 2018 LIHEAP Funds
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                                                             Reallotment
                       Grantee name                            amount
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Alaska....................................................    $1,579,924
Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, INC.........................        16,089
Hoh Indian Tribe..........................................         4,378
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.......................        47,440
Northern Cheyenne Tribe...................................        45,607
Three Affiliated Tribes...................................       140,582
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians..................         5,108
                                                           -------------
  Total...................................................    $1,839,128
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    Statutory Authority:  42 U.S.C. 8626.

Elizabeth Leo,
Senior Grants Policy Specialist, Division of Grants Policy, Office of 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-18374 Filed 8-26-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-80-P