[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48334-48336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19878]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice Announcing Availability of Funds and Application Deadline 
for the 2019 Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students 
Program; Disaster Recovery Assistance for Education

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
announcing the availability of funds and application deadline for the 
2019 Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students (2019 
Emergency Impact Aid) program under Title VIII of the Additional 
Supplemental

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Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (hereafter referred to 
as the Disaster Supplemental), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
(CFDA) number 84.938C. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 1810-0739.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: September 13, 2019.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: For State educational 
agency (SEA) applicants, October 23, 2019.
    For local educational agencies (LEAs) to submit applications to 
SEAs under the Emergency Impact Aid program: October 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The addresses pertinent to this program, including the 
addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, can be found 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Tate, U.S. Department of 
Education, Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students 
Program, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3W229, Washington, DC 20202-5970. 
Telephone: (202) 453-6047. Email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: Under the 2019 Emergency Impact Aid program, we 
will award grants to eligible SEAs to enable them to make emergency 
impact aid payments to eligible LEAs and eligible Bureau of Indian 
Education (BIE)-funded schools for costs incurred during the 2018-2019 
school year as a result of educating public and non-public school 
students displaced by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon 
Mangkhut, Super Typhoon Yutu, and wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanic 
eruptions occurring in calendar year 2018 and tornadoes and floods 
occurring in calendar year 2019 in those areas for which a major 
disaster or emergency is declared under section 401 or 501 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 
and 5190) (referred to in this notice as ``a covered disaster or 
emergency'').
    Background: This notice announces the availability of funds and 
application deadline for eligible applicants for 2019 Emergency Impact 
Aid supported by the Disaster Supplemental, which was signed into law 
on June 6, 2019. The law provides $17.2 billion in FY 2019 supplemental 
appropriations to Federal departments and agencies for expenses related 
to the consequences of disasters in 2018 and 2019 for which a covered 
disaster or emergency has been declared, including $165 million for 
education-related disaster recovery activities. The Disaster 
Supplemental also provides the Secretary with the discretion to 
determine which authorized disaster recovery programs to fund. The 
Department plans to award funds through the 2019 Immediate Aid to 
Restart School Operations program, 2019 Emergency Impact Aid, Emergency 
Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education, and Project SERV 
(School Emergency Response to Violence). The amounts awarded under the 
2019 Emergency Impact Aid program will be based on data received from 
eligible applicants.
    Exemption from Rulemaking: This program is exempt from the 
rulemaking requirements in section 437 of the General Education 
Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232) and section 553 of the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), as established in 
division B, subdivision 1, title VIII, ``Hurricane Education Recovery'' 
paragraph (6), of Public Law 115-123, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 
2018, and title VIII of the Disaster Supplemental.
    Program Authority: Title VIII of the Disaster Supplemental, Public 
Law 116-20 (enacted June 6, 2019).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474.

    Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not 
apply to the 2019 Emergency Impact Aid program.

II. Award Information

    Estimated Available Funds: Congress appropriated $165 million to 
the Department under the Disaster Supplemental, of which the amounts 
awarded under this program and others authorized in the law will be 
based on demand and impact data received from eligible applicants. 
Awards to eligible applicants may be adjusted downward or upward to 
match available funding and need.
    Period of Funding Availability: SEAs, LEAs, BIE-funded, and non-
public schools must obligate funds received under this program by May 
31, 2020, for expenses incurred during the 2018-2019 school year. SEAs 
must return to the Department any funds that are not obligated by SEAs, 
LEAs, or BIE-funded schools by this deadline.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in any State, including the District 
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying 
areas.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Subgrantees: The SEA may use 2019 Emergency Impact Aid funds to 
make payments to eligible LEAs and BIE-funded schools for costs 
incurred during the 2018-2019 school year as a result of educating 
public and non-public school students displaced by a covered disaster 
or emergency.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applications for this 
program must be submitted in both of the following two ways: (a) Submit 
an application in electronic portable document format (PDF) or 
Microsoft Word format via email to [email protected]. 
Questions regarding application submission can be directed to the 
program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 
(b) Mail the original and two copies of your application by express 
mail service through the U.S. Postal Service or through a commercial 
carrier to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34 
CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make timely 
awards.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Student Enrollment Data for the Emergency Impact Aid program: In 
the 2019 Emergency Impact Aid application for SEA funding, SEAs must 
report quarterly data on the numbers of displaced students enrolled in 
public, non-public, and BIE-funded schools as of four different count 
dates. SEAs must report separate counts of (a) displaced students with 
disabilities, (b) displaced

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English learners without disabilities, and (c) all other displaced 
students. The Department has identified four suggested quarterly count 
dates for identifying numbers of eligible displaced students: (i) 
October 1, 2018; (ii) December 1, 2018; (iii) February 1, 2019; and 
(iv) April 1, 2019. SEAs may use these dates or select count dates that 
fall within a 21-day range for each of the quarters, that is, within 10 
calendar days before or after these dates. Each SEA must select four 
specific dates for the quarterly counts and use those dates 
consistently for all applicants within the SEA.
    SEAs must submit enrollment data for all four quarters of the 2018-
19 school year, which may include estimated data, in their initial 2019 
Emergency Impact Aid applications.
    We will use the enrollment data that are included in the SEA 
applications to make payments under the 2019 Emergency Impact Aid 
program.
    We also are aware that it may take some time for SEAs and LEAs to 
count, retroactively for all four quarters of the 2018-19 school year, 
all eligible students, including students who subsequently may have 
moved to other States or LEAs. Therefore, SEAs are encouraged to 
provide their best available estimates of eligible students for each 
count date in their applications, and, in the event that they collect 
more satisfactory data that were not available at the time of 
application, they must amend their applications if they need to make 
upward or downward revisions to their initial child counts. The 
Secretary will make appropriate upward or downward revisions to 
subsequent payments, or request a refund for any overpayment, based on 
the final data provided by an SEA. SEAs must submit any application 
amendments affecting allocations under the 2019 Emergency Impact Aid 
program to the Department no later than January 31, 2020.
    2. Other Requirements for 2019 Emergency Impact Aid: LEAs must make 
2019 Emergency Impact Aid payments to accounts on behalf of displaced 
non-public school students within 14 calendar days of receiving 
payments from their SEAs.
    The Secretary may solicit from any applicant at any time additional 
information needed to process an application for the program.
    3. Special Funding Rule for 2019 Emergency Impact Aid: In 
calculating funding under the Impact Aid Basic Support Payments 
program, authorized under section 7003 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7703), for an 
eligible LEA that receives a 2019 Emergency Impact Aid payment, the 
Secretary does not count displaced students served by such agency for 
whom a 2019 Emergency Impact Aid payment is received under this 
section, nor are such students counted for the purpose of calculating 
the total number of children in average daily attendance at the schools 
served by such agency as provided in section 7003(b)(3)(B)(i) of the 
ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7703(b)(3)(B)(i)).
    4. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this program, the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    5. Additional Monitoring: This program is designated as 
``susceptible to significant improper payments'' for purposes of the 
Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note). See 
title VIII of the Disaster Supplemental, and Public Law 115-123, the 
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, division B, subdivision 1, title XII, 
Sec.  21208(a), February 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 108. Consequently, if 2019 
Emergency Impact Aid program grantees expend more than $10,000,000--a 
level of expenditures that the Department anticipates will be met--
there will be additional requirements for grantees under the program, 
including making expenditure information and documentation available 
for review by the Department. We will provide additional information 
about this requirement after we make awards, providing advanced notice 
to ensure grantees understand their responsibilities for documenting 
all expenditures of 2019 Emergency Impact Aid funds. In general, these 
documentation requirements are identical to those ordinarily required 
for all Federal education program expenditures; the primary impact of 
the Improper Payments Information Act will be increased review of this 
documentation.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If you receive a grant award under the 2019 
Emergency Impact Aid program, we will notify your U.S. 
Representative(s) and U.S. Senators, if applicable, and send you a 
Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing 
a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may also notify 
you informally.
    2. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this program, you 
must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems 
to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you 
receive funding. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 
CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Frank Brogan,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-19878 Filed 9-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P