[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4676-4681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01334]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6109-N-04]


Allocations, Common Application, Waivers, and Alternative 
Requirements for Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Grantees; 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Allocation

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice allocates $8.285 billion of Community Development 
Block Grant mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds to the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico pursuant to the requirements of the Further Additional 
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 
(Division B, Subdivision 1 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. 
L. 115-123).

DATES: Applicability Date: February 3, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessie Handforth Kome, Acting 
Director, Office of Block Grant Assistance, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 7282, Washington, DC 20410, 
telephone number 202-708-3587. Persons with hearing or speech 
impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the Federal Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339. Facsimile inquiries may be sent to Ms. Kome at 
202-401-2044. (Except for the ``800'' number, these telephone numbers 
are not toll-free.) Email inquiries may be sent to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Allocations
    A. Background
    B. Use of Funds
    C. Grant Process
II. Applicable Rules, Statutes, Waivers, Alternative Requirements, 
and Grant Conditions
III. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
IV. Finding of No Significant Impact

I. CDBG-MIT Allocations

I.A. Background

    The Further Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster 
Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (Division B, Subdivision 1 of the 
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-123, approved February 9, 
2018) (the ``Appropriations Act''), made available $28 billion in 
Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, 
and directed HUD to allocate not less than $12 billion for mitigation 
activities proportional to the amounts that CDBG-DR grantees received 
for qualifying disasters in 2015, 2016, and 2017. A Federal Register 
Notice published by the Department on August 30, 2019 (84 FR 45838), 
allocated $6.875 billion of CDBG-MIT funds to 14 state and local 
governments and described the grant requirements and procedures, 
including waivers and alternative requirements applicable to CDBG-MIT 
funds (``the CDBG-MIT Notice'').
    The CDBG-MIT Notice recognizes that CDBG-MIT funds are to be used 
for distinctly different purposes than CDBG-DR funds and that the level 
of funding and nature of programs and projects that are likely to be 
funded requires all CDBG-MIT grantees and their subrecipients to 
strengthen their program management capacity, financial management, and 
internal controls. Under the CDBG-MIT Notice, each grantee is required 
to strengthen its internal audit function, specify the criteria for 
subrecipient selection, increase subrecipient monitoring, and establish 
a process for promptly identifying and addressing conflicts under the 
grantee's conflict of interest policy. The CDBG-MIT Notice also states 
the Department's intent to establish special grant conditions for 
individual CDBG-MIT grants based upon the risks posed by the grantee, 
including risks related to the grantee's capacity to carry out the 
specific programs and projects proposed in its action plan. These 
conditions are designed to provide additional assurances that 
mitigation programs are implemented in a manner to prevent waste, 
fraud, and abuse and that mitigation projects are effectively operated 
and maintained.
    The CDBG-MIT Notice acknowledges the governance and financial 
management challenges of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For all CDBG-
MIT grantees, the CDBG-MIT Notice references the Department's 
expectation that grantees will take steps to set in place substantial 
governmental policies and organizational structure to enhance the 
impact of HUD-funded investments. For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
this goal may be achieved through reforms in land ownership records and 
addressing the occurrence of informal housing, while enhancing the 
safety of the Commonwealth's residents. The CDBG-MIT Notice also notes 
that it is imperative that all CDBG-MIT grantees collect and supply 
sufficient revenues for future operation and maintenance costs of 
programs and projects funded with this CDBG-MIT grant. Additionally, 
prior to 2017, the Department of Housing of Puerto Rico (PRDOH), who 
has been designated as the entity responsible for administering the 
CDBG-DR allocations in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, had not 
previously administered CDBG-DR funds. Because PRDOH does not have 
previous experience managing CDBG-DR funds, HUD has reviewed the 
Commonwealth's Staffing Analysis Worksheet and determined that PRDOH 
must continue to secure staff and contractors to build its capacity and 
knowledge of federal requirements, including civil rights related 
program requirements. These considerations emerge as particular 
unmitigated risks for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in light of the 
substantial amount of CDBG-MIT funding allocated under this notice and 
the general fiscal condition of the Commonwealth.
    Accordingly, to further reduce the specific potential risks 
associated with the above challenges, this notice builds upon the 
requirements of the CDBG-MIT Notice and establishes additional grant 
conditions to reduce risk and support the successful implementation of 
this CDBG-MIT allocation by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These 
measures are designed to augment and support HUD's continual technical 
assistance and monitoring efforts, undertaken in partnership with the 
grantee.
    This notice allocates $8.285 billion in CDBG-MIT funds to the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for mitigation activities in accordance 
with the Appropriations Act and the CDBG-MIT Notice. The grantee 
receiving an allocation of funds under this notice is subject to the 
requirements of the CDBG-MIT Notice, including waivers and alternative 
requirements, and any additional requirements imposed by this or future 
Federal Register notices.

[[Page 4677]]



                                                      Table 1--Allocation for Mitigation Activities
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                                                                         Minimum amount to be
                                                                         expended in the HUD-
                                                          CDBG-MIT        identified ``most
        Disaster No.                 Grantee             allocation          impacted and        HUD-identified ``most impacted and  distressed'' areas
                                                                          distressed'' areas
                                                                            listed herein
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4336, 4339.................  Commonwealth of Puerto    $8,285,284,000         $8,285,284,000   All components of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
                              Rico.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In accordance with the Appropriations Act, the CDBG-MIT allocation 
is based on the grantee's proportional share of total CDBG-DR funds 
allocated for all eligible disasters in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

I.B. Use of Funds

    The Appropriations Act requires that prior to the obligation of 
CDBG-MIT funds by the Secretary, a grantee shall submit a plan to HUD 
for approval detailing the proposed use of all funds. The plan must 
include the criteria for eligibility, and how the use of these funds 
will address risks identified through a mitigation needs assessment of 
the most impacted and distressed areas. The definition of mitigation 
activities and the requirements for the submission of an action plan 
are identified in section II of the CDBG-MIT Notice.

I.C. Grant Process

    The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico must submit the financial 
certification documentation required by section V.A.1.a of the CDBG-MIT 
Notice, as amended herein, and the implementation plan and capacity 
assessment required by section V.A.1.b. of the CDBG-MIT Notice. All 
deadlines for the submissions necessary for the Secretary's 
certification of financial controls, procurement processes and adequate 
procedures, and the implementation plan and capacity assessment 
referenced in the CDBG-MIT Notice, are determined by the applicability 
date of this notice.
    The grantee must submit an action plan per the requirements of 
section V.A.2 of the CDBG-MIT Notice no later than September 4, 2020, 
unless the grantee requests, and HUD approves, an extension of the 
submission deadline as provided for in the CDBG-MIT Notice.
    To begin expending CDBG-MIT funds, the grantee must follow the 
grant process in the CDBG-MIT Notice in section IV, with all timelines 
for grantee submissions to commence on the applicability date of this 
notice.

II. Applicable Rules, Statutes, Waivers, Alternative Requirements, and 
Grant Conditions

    CDBG-MIT grants are subject to the requirements of the CDBG-MIT 
Notice, which include requirements of the Appropriations Act and 
waivers and alternative requirements. The waivers and alternative 
requirements provide additional flexibility in program design and 
implementation to eligible mitigation activities to lessen the impact 
of future disasters, while also ensuring that statutory requirements 
are met. All references to states and State grantees in the CDBG-MIT 
Notice and this notice shall include the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
The Commonwealth may request additional waivers and alternative 
requirements from the Department as needed to address specific needs 
related to its mitigation activities. Waivers and alternative 
requirements are effective five days after they are published in the 
Federal Register.
    This section of the notice establishes additional rules, waivers 
and alternative requirements, and grant conditions specific to the 
allocation of CDBG-MIT funds for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

II.A. Limitation on Use of CDBG-MIT Funds for Electrical Power System 
Enhancements

    In addition to the appropriation of CDBG-MIT funds, the 
Appropriations Act requires HUD to allocate $2 billion of CDBG-DR funds 
to provide enhanced or improved electrical power systems in response to 
Hurricane Maria. HUD announced the allocation of these funds to the 
U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and provided 
that the electrical power system allocation shall be governed by a 
subsequent notice. To enhance the use of the $2 billion allocated to 
enhance or improve electrical power systems, the grantee may wish to 
use CDBG-MIT funds to lessen the risks of disaster-related damage to 
electric power systems. However, successful efforts to restore, 
enhance, and improve electrical power systems, and guard this 
infrastructure against future disasters, will require coordination 
across multiple sources of Federal financial assistance provided for 
this purpose.
    Therefore, the grantee is prohibited from using CDBG-MIT funds for 
mitigation activities to reduce the risk of disaster related damage to 
electric power systems until after HUD publishes the Federal Register 
notice governing the use of the $2 billion for enhanced or improved 
electrical power systems. This limitation includes a prohibition on the 
use of CDBG-MIT funds for mitigation activities carried out to meet the 
matching requirement, share, or contribution for any Federally-funded 
project that is providing funds for electrical power systems 
improvements until HUD publishes the Federal Register notice governing 
the use of CDBG-DR funds to provide enhanced or improved electrical 
power systems. After publication of HUD's electrical power systems 
notice, use of CDBG-MIT funds to mitigate risks to electric power 
systems, including the provision of non-Federal cost share for any 
Federally-funded activity related to electrical power systems, shall be 
limited to activities that meet the requirements for CDBG-MIT funds and 
that are not inconsistent with the requirements of HUD's electrical 
power systems notice and any additional requirements on the use of 
CDBG-MIT funds published in that notice.

II.B. Grant Conditions

    The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 
Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR part 200) direct HUD to assess 
risks posed by the grantee and authorize HUD to impose special grant 
conditions that correspond to the assessed degree of risk. As described 
in the CDBG-MIT Notice, HUD will establish special grant conditions for 
individual CDBG-MIT grants based upon assessed risks, including risks 
related to the grantee's capacity to carry out the specific programs 
and projects proposed in its action plan. These conditions are designed 
to provide additional assurances that actions are carried out to 
address grantee-specific risks, such as

[[Page 4678]]

the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse, or the potential that 
failure to effectively operate and maintain infrastructure will 
interfere with anticipated risk mitigation value of CDBG-MIT 
activities. At any time, if HUD determines that an identified risk has 
been mitigated and the grantee has met the required grant terms and 
conditions, HUD can modify or remove those terms and conditions. To 
address identified risks, the Department will establish grant 
conditions for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which shall include, but 
not be limited to, the following requirements:
    II.B.1. Special Condition related to program risk.
    In response to the scale and complexity of the Grantee's mitigation 
activities and implementation, as a condition to HUD's obligation of 
CDBG-MIT funds the grantee shall request and submit to HUD any 
certification, observations, and recommendations by the Financial 
Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) established by the Puerto Rico 
Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), that the 
action plan and any related program budgets are consistent with any 
reasonably related provisions of the applicable FOMB-certified budgets 
and fiscal plans. This condition shall not be interpreted to require a 
review and certification that is outside of the FOMB's authority.
    The Secretary of HUD retains authority to permit the Grantee to 
access funds notwithstanding the certification requirement upon making 
a finding that doing so is necessary to effectuate the efficient 
administration of this grant award at his discretion. In exercising 
this authority, the Secretary of HUD may require conditions to address 
FOMB recommendations. The following conditions are imposed on each 
obligation of grant funds:
     HUD's Federal Financial Monitor shall review any 
obligation. HUD shall approve the obligation if the grantee 
satisfactorily resolves all findings of substantial noncompliance 
related to the use of grant funds and complies with all grant 
conditions in its grant agreement.
     The Grantee may not draw down funds for an activity in its 
action plan for mitigation until the Grantee submits to 
[email protected] final policies and procedures for 
implementation of the activity.
     The Grantee shall enter into a Memorandum of Agreement 
with HUD for technical assistance to support compliant program launch 
within 90 days.
    II.B.2. Additional requirements for financial management.
    II.B.2.a. Enhanced DRGR voucher review. Based on the risk posed by 
the Grantee's limited financial management staff capacity and to ensure 
compliant implementation of the Grantee's internal control framework, 
the Grantee must maintain and adhere to the policies and procedures for 
its established Financial Management System and internal control 
framework, or submit to HUD a new plan with a schedule for otherwise 
obtaining and maintaining the necessary financial management capacity. 
In order for HUD to monitor the grantee's financial management 
capacity, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall provide, via upload in 
DRGR, support documentation for each voucher drawdown request made in 
DRGR for its CDBG-MIT grant. The Commonwealth shall continue to upload 
support documentation for its voucher drawdown requests in DRGR until 
completion of HUD's first two on-site monitoring reviews and the 
grantee's resolution of any significant findings that result from those 
reviews.
    II.B.2.b. Drawdown milestones. To reduce risk, HUD will establish a 
grant condition that will require the grantee to take certain steps 
prior to drawing over a certain percentage of available funds, such as:
    i. Update its DRGR administration module to include a list of all 
grant-related internal audit issues (i.e., findings or concerns) and 
recommendations along with the resolution or planned resolution of 
these issues;
    ii. Update its DRGR administration module to include a summary of 
each open Single Audit recommendation for (1) the Grantee and/or (2) 
subrecipient along with the resolution or planned resolution of the 
audit recommendation;
    iii. Update its DRGR administration module to include a summary of 
each open HUD OIG recommendation related to this grant together with 
its resolution or planned resolution;
    iv. Update DRGR administration module to include a summary of each 
HUD monitoring recommendation related to this grant along with the 
resolution or planned resolution of the OIG recommendation; and,
    v. Review its management and capacity plan and inform HUD of all 
updates, including an explanation for each missed milestone, if any.
    HUD will review the information submitted by the grantee to 
determine whether the Grantee demonstrates capacity to make timely and 
effective corrective actions on identified deficiencies and compliance 
issues. If HUD determines the Grantee does not demonstrate such 
capacity, HUD may take additional corrective actions, such as 
restricting access to grant funds pending resolution of identified 
issues. If the Grantee fails to comply with this condition, HUD will 
block access to all or a portion of the grant funds, pending HUD on-
site review of the Grantee's management controls.
    II.B.3. Special condition related to detection and prevention of 
fraud, waste, and abuse.
    Section V.A.1.a of the CDBG-MIT Notice establishes the submission 
requirements that are required for HUD's certification of the 
proficiency of a CDBG-MIT grantees' financial controls and procurement 
processes, and adequate procedures for grants management. Among the 
required submissions are grantee procedures to detect and prevent 
fraud, waste, and abuse, including a requirement that each grantee 
indicate how it will ``verify the accuracy of information provided by 
(CDBG-MIT) applicants.'' To address the risk of fraudulent application 
information and reflect a connection to on-going efforts of the 
Commonwealth to update its 911 database, property tax records, and GIS 
maps to include all housing units and to help housing rehabilitation 
applicants clear title issues that have arisen in the course of federal 
disaster assistance efforts following Hurricane Maria, the Department 
is adding to the requirement in section V.A.1.a.(6)(v) of the CDBG-MIT 
Notice. Accordingly, the grantee's procedures to detect and prevent 
fraud, waste, and abuse must include how the grantee will verify the 
accuracy of information provided by applicants. The polices must 
address how the Commonwealth's CDBG-DR-funded planning activity to 
develop a uniform parcel registry and GIS database that contains 
ownership and parcel registry data is to be used to assist HUD, other 
third parties, and the public to verify the legal and physical address 
associated with CDBG-MIT activities.
    Additionally, so that the uniform parcel registry and GIS database 
are available to support the detection and prevention of waste, fraud, 
and abuse in its CDBG-MIT grant, the grantee must adhere to its 
quarterly performance projections for the use of CDBG-DR funds related 
to the uniform parcel registry and GIS database activity, beginning 
with the quarter funds are available to the grantee and continuing each 
quarter until all funds are expended, unless HUD approves an amendment 
to the projections via the Quarterly Performance Report (QPR). If the 
grantee does not complete the

[[Page 4679]]

uniform parcel registry project, HUD may impose an additional condition 
to mitigate the risk of fraud within the Grantee's programs.
    II.B.4. Special conditions related to operation and maintenance of 
mitigation projects. Section V.A.2.a of the CDBG-MIT Notice establishes 
the requirements for a grantee's CDBG-MIT action plan and section 
V.A.2.a (10) of that notice requires the grantee to describe how it 
will fund long-term operation and maintenance of certain CDBG-MIT 
projects. In addition to the requirement of the CDBG-MIT Notice, this 
notice requires the grantee to include additional information in its 
action plan in recognition of the fiscal and financial management 
challenges of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the impact of these 
challenges on the ability of the Commonwealth to ensure continued 
operation and maintenance of CDBG-MIT projects to achieve the intended 
risk reduction.
    In its action plan, the grantee must describe all resources, 
including user fees or Commonwealth or local resources, that have been 
identified for the operation and maintenance costs of projects assisted 
with CDBG-MIT funds. The action plan shall indicate that, within one 
year of approval of the action plan and annually thereafter, the 
Commonwealth shall submit an operation and maintenance plan to HUD 
which shall identify the source(s) and amount(s) of revenue that will 
be sufficient to operate and maintain infrastructure and public 
facility projects funded with CDBG-MIT funds and which shall identify 
the entity or entities responsible for the operation and maintenance of 
those projects.
    II.B.5. Special Condition Related to Covered Projects. As described 
in the CDBG-MIT Notice, for grantees that are considered by HUD to have 
``unmitigated high risks'' that impact their ability to implement large 
scale projects, HUD may impose special grant conditions, including but 
not limited to a lower dollar threshold for the large-scale 
infrastructure projects that meet the definition of a Covered Project. 
Covered Projects are subject to the additional action plan requirements 
described in section V.A.2.h. of the CDBG-MIT notice. As the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has been determined by HUD to have 
unmitigated high risks with regard to its capacity, a Covered Project 
for the grantee will alternatively be defined as an infrastructure 
project having a total project cost of $50 million or more, with at 
least $25 million of CDBG funds (regardless of source (e.g., CDBG-DR, 
CDBG-MIT, or CDBG)).
    II.B.6. Additional implementation plan capacity assessment 
requirements. In addition to the submission requirements established 
for the implementation plan and capacity assessment provided in section 
V.A.1.b. of the CDBG-MIT Notice, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall 
submit evidence that it has secured or is in the process of securing 
staff and contractors necessary to effectively implement CDBG-MIT 
funded programs and projects. Staff and contractors must be identified 
by the grantee in a Staff Analysis Worksheet. The Staff Analysis 
Worksheet must be submitted within 90 days of the CDBG-MIT grant 
agreement as a supplement to the Grantee's pre-grant implementation and 
capacity assessment submission. The Worksheet must show the staff that 
are in place and all of their responsibilities, including the staff 
that have responsibilities for program-related civil rights compliance 
and staff and contracted support for implementation of the funds and 
programs associated with the obligation. The Grantee also shall 
identify staff responsible for fraud prevention and their specific 
responsibilities. After receiving the Staff Analysis Worksheet, HUD may 
establish a special condition requiring the Grantee to hire specific 
staff positions that HUD determines are critical to the Grantee's 
implementation of CDBG-MIT funded programs and projects. Any specific 
position required by HUD must be advertised within 90 days of HUD's 
inclusion of a specific position in a grant condition and filled within 
90 days following advertisement. To reduce the risk of noncompliance 
within a particular program or project due to lack of staff capacity, 
when HUD requires the Grantee to hire a specific position, a portion of 
CDBG-MIT funds the Grantee designated at risk of noncompliance shall 
remain in a restricted balance in the Disaster Recovery and Grants 
Reporting (DRGR) system until HUD receives evidence that the Grantee 
has advertised and filled the required staff positions. The amount of 
the restricted balance will be identified in the grant condition, and 
will be based on HUD's determination of the amount that will allow the 
Grantee to undertake initial work to support the launch of the at-risk 
activity, but will reduce the risk by adding staff capacity before 
incurring significant activity implementation costs.
    II.B.7. Enhanced subrecipient monitoring and oversight. Sections 
V.A.1.a.(6)(i) and (ii) of the CDBG-MIT Notice require grantees, as 
part of the implementation plan and capacity assessment, to submit 
criteria to be used to evaluate the capacity of potential subrecipients 
and certain details about subrecipient monitoring. In addition to these 
requirements, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall submit a monitoring 
plan for its subrecipients to HUD within 90 days of the approval of the 
CDBG-MIT action plan.
    II.B.8. Financial Management Related to Indirect Cost Risk. Based 
on applicable requirements and risks related to charges to grants for 
indirect costs, the Grantee must: (1) Prepare an indirect cost proposal 
prior to charging indirect costs to the Grant. The indirect cost 
proposal and related documentation to support the costs must be 
submitted to its cognizant agency for indirect costs if required 
pursuant to Appendix VII to Part 200--States and Local Government and 
Indian Tribe Indirect Cost. (2) Require each subrecipient receiving a 
subaward under the Grant to prepare an indirect cost proposal prior to 
charging indirect costs to the subaward. The indirect cost proposal and 
related documentation to support the costs must be submitted to its 
cognizant agency for indirect costs if required pursuant to Appendix IV 
to Part 200--Indirect (F&A) Costs Identification and Assignment, and 
Rate Determination for Nonprofit Organizations or Appendix VII to Part 
200--States and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect Cost 
Proposals, or if the subrecipient is an Institution of Higher Education 
(IHE), pursuant to Appendix III to Part 200--Indirect (F&A) Costs 
Identification and Assignment, and Rate Determination for IHEs. If a 
subrecipient does not have a cognizant agency, the Grantee is 
responsible for reviewing the indirect cost proposal if submission to a 
cognizant agency would otherwise be required.
    All costs charged to the Grant or a subaward must comply with the 
cost principles specified at 2 CFR part 200, subpart E--Cost 
Principles. Neither the Grantee nor any subrecipient may charge a fee 
to the Grant or a subaward for the purpose of defraying costs of work 
performed by the Grantee or subrecipient that would otherwise be 
subject to such cost principles or would include an increment above 
allowable costs.
    II.B.9. Staff and subrecipient fraud prevention and other federal 
requirements training. Section V.A.18 of the CDBG-MIT Notice requires 
each CDBG-MIT grantee and its subrecipients to attend fraud related 
training provided by HUD OIG to assist in the proper management of 
CDBG-MIT grant funds. Additionally, in order to prevent discriminatory 
practices in

[[Page 4680]]

the administration of CDBG-MIT funds and to reduce the risk of having 
new staff who are not familiar with federal requirements, the 
Commonwealth's CDBG-MIT staff and CDBG-MIT subrecipients must attend 
program-related civil rights and fair housing requirements training. 
Within 90 days of execution of the CDBG-MIT grant agreement, the 
Commonwealth shall submit documentation to HUD that CDBG-MIT staff and 
CDBG-MIT subrecipients have completed such training. The Grantee shall 
maintain documentation that staff hired and subrecipients selected 
after the CDBG-MIT grant agreement attended required training. The 
grantee shall also identify staff responsible for fraud prevention and 
their specific responsibilities.
    II.B.10. Citizen engagement. In response to the limited experience 
of the grantee in administering a CDBG-MIT grant, particularly 
experience in engaging the community after a major disaster, the 
Commonwealth shall indicate in its implementation plan for CDBG-MIT 
that it has in place public affairs staff with community engagement 
experience and that it has updated its citizen participation plan to 
include specific outreach actions designed to mitigate risks arising 
from public pressure and a lack of broad community input in the 
identification of mitigation needs.
    II.B.11. Submission of internal audit reports and posting of 
reports. Section V.A.1.a. (6)(iii) of the CDBG-MIT Notice provides that 
HUD may establish a grant condition to require grantees to submit 
copies of the reports of its internal auditor directly to HUD. 
Accordingly, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall submit to HUD and 
HUD's Office of Inspector General (OIG) a copy of all reports issued by 
its internal auditor, and if the internal auditor does not issue formal 
reports then the grantee will instead submit a regular summary of 
findings and assessments made by the auditor. Additionally, while all 
CDBG-MIT grantees are required to post certain information on the 
grantee's website pursuant to section V.A.3.d of the CDBG-MIT Notice, 
the Commonwealth shall also post final audit reports issued by HUD's 
OIG on the grantee's website, (including any translations of such 
reports, as available), along with any other relevant reports that HUD 
requests that the grantee posts on its website.
    II.B.12. Additional requirements for policies and procedures. The 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall develop and maintain policies and 
procedures and shall describe for each program (or project, as 
applicable): The eligible activities; the required records management 
practices; procurement requirements; subrecipient oversight; providing 
technical assistance; monitoring practices; policies for assigning 
direct costs to the correct program or project; and timely expenditure 
of funds. The policies and procedures shall include a plan for training 
all subrecipients on all federal and state CDBG-MIT requirements (e.g. 
program-related civil rights requirements training). The grantee's 
policies and procedures shall provide that the grantee shall comply 
with federal accessibility requirements to the extent that they apply 
to activities funded with CDBG-MIT funds. The grantee shall submit the 
policies and procedures to HUD within 30 days of HUD's execution of the 
grant agreement or before the grantee awards funds to subrecipients, 
whichever is later.
    II.B.13. Additional requirements for Cost Allowability. The Federal 
government can only share in a cost to the extent it is necessary and 
reasonable. To reduce risks related to a lack of financial management 
capacity, the following condition applies:
    II.B.13.a. Based upon applicable regulations and guidance related 
to the construction labor costs resulting from the minimum wage 
established by Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Executive Order 2018-033, 
the grantee shall not take into account the minimum wage rate 
established by Executive Order 2018-033 for construction contracts 
entered by the Commonwealth when determining whether a wage cost is 
reasonable under the factors at 2 CFR 200.404. Before charging wage 
costs to this grant, the Grantee must make an independent determination 
that wages to be paid with grant funds are reasonable, using factors 
such as the prevailing wage established by the Department of Labor or 
other indicators of market wage rates for comparable labor in the 
geographic area, and the restraints or requirements imposed by such 
factors as sound business practices and arm's-length bargaining.
    II.B.14. Additional requirements for Grant Method of Distribution 
Risk. Based on the risk of using another partner agency/agencies or 
subrecipients without CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT grant experience that are 
budgeted for activities equal to or exceeding $500 million, within 90 
days of the execution of the grant agreement:
    (1) The Grantee must provide a monitoring plan for overseeing the 
performance of other agencies, existing subrecipients, and 
subrecipients that will receive subawards (used here to mean grant 
funds provided to another agency of the Grantee or to a subrecipient) 
under the approved action plan for mitigation with dates and areas of 
review. The monitoring plan shall include:
    (a) An evaluation of each agency or subrecipient's risk of 
noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and 
conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate 
agency or subrecipient monitoring. The evaluation must include 
consideration of the following factors:
    i. The agency or subrecipient's prior experience with the same or 
similar grant;
    ii. The results of previous audits including whether the agency or 
subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, 
subpart F--Audit Requirements, and the extent to which the same or 
similar grant has been audited as a major program;
    iii. Whether the agency or subrecipient has new personnel or new or 
substantially changed systems; and,
    iv. The extent and results of HUD monitoring, if the agency or 
subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from HUD.
    (b) A plan to monitor the activities of the agency or subrecipient 
as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized 
purposes, in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the 
terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance 
goals are achieved, including:
    i. Review of financial and performance reports required by the 
Grantee;
    ii. Review of expenditures to determine that charges to the 
subaward by another agency or subrecipient conform to the cost 
principles at 2 CFR part 200, subpart E--Cost Principles, and are net 
of all applicable credits.
    iii. Follow-up and ensuring that the agency or subrecipient takes 
timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the 
subaward as detected through audits, on-site reviews, and other means;
    iv. Issuance of a management decision for audit findings pertaining 
to the subaward as required by Sec.  200.521 Management decision; and,
    v. A schedule of follow-up actions to be taken to resolve a finding 
of non-compliance and identify the official responsible for such 
actions.
    (2) The Grantee must provide copies of agency memoranda of 
agreement and subrecipient agreements for subawards above $200 million 
or those evaluated by HUD to be the highest risk as well as a 
certification by the parties to each

[[Page 4681]]

agreement that the agreement for CDBG-MIT funds is legally-binding.
    (3) The Grantee must impose specific subaward conditions upon an 
agency or subrecipient as described in Sec.  200.207 Specific 
conditions.
    (4) The Grantee, based on the evaluation of risk posed by the 
agency or subrecipient, must ensure proper accountability and 
compliance with program requirements and achievement of performance 
goals by:
    (a) Providing agencies or subrecipients with training and technical 
assistance on program-related matters;
    (b) Performing on-site reviews of the agency's or subrecipient's 
program operations; and,
    (c) Arranging for agreed-upon-procedures engagements as described 
in Sec.  200.425 Audit services.
    (5) The Grantee must verify that every agency (where not included 
in the audit of the grantee) or subrecipient is audited as required by 
Subpart F--Audit Requirements of 2 CFR part 200 when it is expected 
that the agency or subrecipient's subaward expended during the 
respective fiscal year equaled or exceeded the threshold set forth in 
Sec.  200.501 Audit requirements.
    (6) The Grantee must consider whether the results of the agency or 
subrecipient's audits, on-site reviews, or other monitoring indicate 
conditions that necessitate adjustments to the Grantee's own records.
    (7) The Grantee must take enforcement action against noncompliant 
agencies or subrecipients as described in Sec.  200.338 Remedies for 
noncompliance of this part and in program regulations.
    II.B.15. Additional requirements for Fiscal Distress Risk. Based on 
the financial risk posed by the Grantee's fiscal distress (as evidenced 
by ongoing debt restructuring pursuant to the Puerto Rico Oversight, 
Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), 48 U.S.C. 2101-2241) 
the Grantee must comply with the requirements of the October 26, 2017 
``ORDER GRANTING URGENT JOINT MOTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO 
RICO, PUERTO RICO HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, PUERTO RICO 
ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY, AND THE PUERTO RICO FISCAL AGENCY AND 
FINANCIAL ADVISORY AUTHORITY FOR ORDER CONCERNING RECEIPT AND USE OF 
ANTICIPATED FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS AND PRESERVING RIGHTS OF 
PARTIES,'' as may be amended from time to time by the United States 
District Court for the District of Puerto Rico or other court with 
jurisdiction (the Order). As required by the Order, grant funds 
received by the Commonwealth or other Non-Federal entity (as defined by 
2 CFR 200.69) shall be deposited solely into a Disaster Relief Account, 
meaning a new, segregated, non-co-mingled, unencumbered account held in 
the name of the Commonwealth or of the Non-Federal entity to whom the 
funds have been provided, and shall be used solely for eligible 
activities. Evidence of the Disaster Relief Account held by the 
Commonwealth must be provided to HUD within 60 days of the date of the 
CDBG-MIT grant agreement with the submission of a completed SF-1199 
(direct deposit form) or other similar form specified by HUD. The 
Grantee must maintain documentation of the Disaster Relief Accounts 
held by other Non-Federal entities that receive grant funds from the 
Grantee.

III. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers for the disaster 
recovery grants under this notice are as follows: 14.218 and 14.228.

IV. Finding of No Significant Impact

    A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the 
environment has been made in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 
part 50, which implement section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)). The FONSI is 
available for inspection at HUD's Funding Opportunities web page at: 
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps. 
The FONSI is available for public inspection between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
weekdays in the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 
10276, Washington, DC 20410-0500. Due to security measures at the HUD 
Headquarters building, an advance appointment to review the docket file 
must be scheduled by calling the Regulations Division at 202-708-3055 
(this is not a toll-free number). Hearing- or speech-impaired 
individuals may access this number through TTY by calling the Federal 
Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number).

    Dated: January 16, 2020.
Benjamin Carson, Sr.,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-01334 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P