[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9726-9730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03309]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

[Docket No. RHS-20-CF-0002]


Announcement of the Availability of Disaster Relief Act 2019 
Grant Funds for the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and 
Training Grant

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funds availability.

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SUMMARY: As part of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for 
Disaster Relief Act, 2019, dated June 6, 2019, the Rural Housing 
Service's Community Facilities (CF) Technical Assistance and Training 
(TAT) Grant Program is making available $7,500,000 in supplemental 
grant funding for eligible expenses related to the consequences of 
Hurricanes Michael and Florence and wildfires occurring in calendar 
year 2018, tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, and 
other natural disasters. Any funds not awarded under this funding 
notice will be transferred to the CF Disaster Grant Program. The 
authority for the Agency to administer the CF TAT Grant Program is 
provided in Section 6006 of the Agriculture Act of 2014. The grant 
funds will be administered in accordance with this notice of funds 
availability.

DATES: The Agency must receive applications in paper postmarked and 
mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by 4:00 p.m. local time on May 5, 
2020. Electronic applications must be submitted via grants.gov by 
Midnight Eastern time on April 30, 2020. Prior to official submission 
of applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other 
application guidance from the Agency, as long as such requests are made 
prior to April 27, 2020. Technical assistance is not meant to be an 
analysis or assessment of the quality of the materials submitted, a 
substitute for agency review of completed applications, nor a 
determination of eligibility, if such determination requires in-depth 
analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider scoring or 
eligibility information that is submitted after the application 
deadline. The Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek 
clarification information on materials contained in the submitted 
application.

ADDRESSES: Applications will be submitted to the USDA Rural Development 
State Office in the state where the applicant's headquarters is 
located. A listing of each State Office

[[Page 9727]]

can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. If you want to submit an electronic 
application, follow the instructions for the TAT funding announcement 
on http://www.grants.gov. For those applicants located in the District 
of Columbia, applications will be submitted to the National Office in 
care of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, STOP 0787, Room 
0175-S, Washington, DC 20250. Electronic applications will be submitted 
via http://www.grants.gov. All applicants can access application 
materials at http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Rural Development office in which 
the applicant is located. A list of the Rural Development State Office 
contacts can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. Applicants located in Washington, DC can 
contact Shirley Stevenson at (202) 205-9685 or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rural Housing Service, an Agency of the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) herein referred to as 
the Agency, published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register 
on January 14, 2016, implementing Section 6006 of the Agriculture Act 
of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79) which provides authority to make CF TAT 
Grants. The purpose of this Notice is to solicit applications for the 
CF TAT Grant funds made available as part of the Additional 
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019, Public Law 
116-20, dated June 6, 2019. This program is designed to provide 
supplemental grant funding for eligible CF applicants and eligible CF 
projects related to the consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence 
and wildfires occurring in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods 
occurring in calendar year 2019, and other natural disasters.

Language for Funding Opportunities

    The Agency encourages applications that will help improve life in 
rural America. (See information on the Interagency Task Force on 
Agriculture and Rural Prosperity found at www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity.) Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that 
provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust 
and sustainable economies through strategic investments in 
infrastructure, partnerships and innovation.
    Key strategies include:

 Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural America
 Developing the Rural Economy
 Harnessing Technological Innovation
 Supporting a Rural Workforce
 Improving Quality of Life
    To leverage investments in rural property, the Agency also 
encourages projects located in rural Opportunity Zones where projects 
should provide measurable results in helping communities build robust 
and sustainable economies. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-
distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, 
may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as 
Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by 
the state and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of 
the U.S. Treasury via his delegation of authority to the Internal 
Revenue Service.
    To combat a key threat to economic prosperity, rural workforce and 
quality of life, the Agency also encourages applications that will 
support the Administration's goal to reduce the morbidity and mortality 
associated with Substance Use Disorder (including opioid misuse) in 
high-risk rural communities by strengthening the capacity to address 
prevention, treatment and/or recovery at the community, county, state, 
and/or regional levels. See https://www.cdc.gov/pwid/vulnerable-counties-data.html.
    Key strategies include:
     Prevention: Reducing the occurrence of Substance Use 
Disorder (including opioid misuse) and fatal substance-related 
overdoses through community and provider education and harm reduction 
measures, such as the strategic placement of overdose reversing 
devices;
     Treatment: Implementing or expanding access to evidence-
based treatment practices for Substance Use Disorder (including opioid 
misuse), such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT); and
     Recovery: Expanding peer recovery and treatment options 
that help people start and stay in recovery.
    To focus investments in areas with the largest opportunity for 
growth in prosperity, the Agency encourages applications that serve the 
smallest communities with the lowest incomes, with an emphasis on areas 
where at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty, 
according to the American Community Survey data by census tracts (or 
Reservation boundary for Indian tribes). State Director and 
Administrator discretionary points will be awarded to applications that 
address these Agency Goals.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The paperwork burden has been approved by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0575-0198.

National Environmental Policy Act

    All recipients under this Notice are subject to the requirements of 
7 CFR part 1970. However, awards for technical assistance and training 
under this Notice are classified as a Categorical Exclusion according 
to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not require any additional 
documentation. The Agency will review each grant application to 
determine its compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be 
asked to provide additional information or documentation to assist the 
Agency with this determination.

Executive Order (E.O.) 13175 Consultation and Coordination With Indian 
Tribal Governments

    This Executive Order imposes requirements on Rural Development in 
the development of regulatory policies that have tribal implications or 
preempt tribal laws. Rural Development has determined that this Notice 
does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian 
tribe(s) or on either the relationship or the distribution of powers 
and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes. 
Thus, this Notice is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
13175. Tribal Consultation inquiries and comments should be directed to 
RD's Native American Coordinator at [email protected] or (720) 544-
2911.

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Housing Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Community Facilities Disaster Technical 
Assistance and Training Grant.
    Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.766.
    Dates: To apply for funds, the Agency must receive mailed-in 
applications by 4:00 p.m. local time on May 5, 2020. Electronic 
applications must be submitted via grants.gov by Midnight Eastern time 
on April 30, 2020. The Agency will not consider any application 
received after this deadline. Prior to official submission of 
applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other 
application guidance from the Agency, as long as

[[Page 9728]]

such requests are made prior to April 27, 2020. Technical assistance is 
not meant to be an analysis or assessment of the quality of the 
materials submitted, a substitute for agency review of completed 
applications, nor a determination of eligibility, if such determination 
requires in-depth analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider 
scoring or eligibility information that is submitted after the 
application deadline. The Agency reserves the right to contact 
applicants to seek clarification information on materials contained in 
the submitted application.
    Availability of Notice: This Notice is available through the USDA 
Rural Development site at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices-solicitation-applications-nosas.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Purpose

    Congress authorized the CF TAT Grant program in Title VI, Section 
6006 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79). Program 
regulations can be found at 7 CFR part 3570, subpart F, which are 
incorporated by reference in this Notice. As part of the Additional 
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019, Public Law 
116-20, dated June 6, 2019, Congress appropriated additional CF TAT 
Grant. The purpose of this Notice is to seek applications from entities 
that will provide technical assistance and/or training with respect to 
essential community facilities programs. It is the intent of this 
program to assist entities in rural areas in accessing funding under 
the Rural Housing Service's CF Programs in accordance with 7 CFR part 
3570, subpart F. Funding priority will be made to private, nonprofit or 
public organizations that have experience in providing technical 
assistance and training to rural entities. In addition to the 
requirements listed above, the Agency is seeking applications that are 
related to the consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence and 
wildfires occurring in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods 
occurring in calendar year 2019, and other natural disasters.

II. Award Information

    Type of Awards: Grants will be made to eligible entities who will 
then provide technical assistance and/or training to eligible ultimate 
recipients.
    Available Funds: The Agency is making available $7,500,000. Up to 
ten percent of the available funds may be awarded to the highest 
scoring Ultimate Recipient(s) as long as they score a minimum score of 
at least 70.
    Award Amounts: Grant awards for Technical Assistance Providers 
assisting Ultimate Recipients within one state may not exceed $250,000. 
Grant awards made to Ultimate Recipients will not exceed $50,000. The 
Agency reserves the right to reduce funding amounts based on the 
Agency's determination of available funding or other Agency funding 
priorities.
    Award Dates: Awards will be made from available funding prior to 
September 30, 2020.

III. Eligibility Information

    Both the applicant and the use of funds must meet eligibility 
requirements. The applicant eligibility requirements can be found at 7 
CFR 3570.262. Eligible project purposes can be found at 7 CFR 3570.263. 
Ineligible project purposes can be found at 7 CFR 3570.264. 
Restrictions substantially similar to Sections 743, 744, 745, and 746 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-113) will 
apply unless noted on the Rural Development website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities-technical-assistance-and-training-grant). Any corporation (i) that has been 
convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within 
the past 24 months or (ii) that has any unpaid Federal tax liability 
that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative 
remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid 
in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority 
responsible for collecting the tax liability, is not eligible for 
financial assistance provided with funds, unless a Federal agency has 
considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a 
determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the 
interests of the Government. In addition, none of the funds 
appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act may 
be available for a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with an 
entity that requires employees or contractors of such entity seeking to 
report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality 
agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such 
employees or contractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or 
abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative 
of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such 
information. Additionally, no funds appropriated in this or any other 
Act may be used to implement or enforce the agreements in Standard 
Forms 312 and 4414 of the Government or any other nondisclosure policy, 
form, or agreement if such policy, form, or agreement does not contain 
the following provisions: ``These provisions are consistent with and do 
not supersede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee 
obligations, rights, or liabilities created by existing statute or 
Executive order relating to (1) classified information, (2) 
communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an Inspector General 
of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a 
gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and 
specific danger to public health or safety, or (4) any other 
whistleblower protection.'' In addition to the eligibility requirements 
found at 7 CFR 3570, subpart F (3570.262) and (3570.263), the following 
requirements must be met:
    (i) The eligible CF project must be located in a rural area in a 
county with a Major Disaster Declaration as declared by the President 
of the United States. The term rural or rural area is defined in 
section 343(a)(13)(C) of the CONAct (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) as a city, 
town or, unincorporated area that has a population of not more than 
20,000 inhabitants. The boundaries for unincorporated areas in 
determining populations will be based on the CDP. Data from the most 
recent decennial census of the United States will be used in 
determining population. Any rural community impacted by a major 
declared disaster DR-4407 may have the governor in the affected state, 
or the governor's designee, certify the area's population as a rural 
area with respect to eligibility for loans, grants, and technical 
assistance under rural development programs funded by the Department of 
Agriculture until data from the 2020 United States Census is available. 
The certification will be provided to the Rural Development State 
Director of California.
    For information on determining if a project is located in an area 
with a Major Disaster Declaration, go to the CF section of the Rural 
Development Disaster Assistance site located at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/services/rural-development-disaster-assistance;
    (ii) The project expenses do not need to be in direct relationship 
or a result of an eligible Disaster Relief Act 2019 disaster;
    (iii) The Major Disaster Declaration must be related to the 
consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence and wildfires occurring 
in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 
2019, and other natural disasters; and

[[Page 9729]]

    (iv) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have 
provided a notice declaring the Major Disaster Declaration and assigned 
a FEMA disaster recovery (DR) number.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    The requirements for submitting an application can be found at 7 
CFR 3570.267. All Applicants can access application materials at http://www.grants.gov. In addition to the requirements set forth at 7 CFR 
3570.267, all Applicants must provide documentation that the project is 
located in a disaster area as listed in Section III of this Notice. 
Applications must be received by the Agency by the due date listed in 
the DATES section of this Notice. Applications received after that due 
date will not be considered for funding. Paper copies of the 
applications will be submitted to the State Office in which the 
applicant is headquartered. Electronic submissions should be submitted 
at http://www.grants.gov. A listing of the Rural Development State 
Offices may be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. For applicants whose headquarters are in 
the District of Columbia, they will submit their application to the 
National Office in care of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW, STOP 0787, Room 0175-S, Washington, DC 20250. Both paper and 
electronic applications must be received by the Agency by the deadlines 
stated in the DATES section of this Notice. The use of a courier and 
package tracking for paper applications is strongly encouraged. An 
applicant can only submit one application for funding.
    Application information for electronic submissions may be found at 
http://www.grants.gov.
    Applications will not be accepted via FAX or electronic email.

V. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System 
for Awards Management (SAM)

    Grant applicants must obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number and register in the System for Award 
Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR 
25.200(b). In addition, an entity applicant must maintain registration 
in SAM at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an 
application or plan under consideration by the Agency. Similarly, all 
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report 
information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation in 
accordance to 2 CFR part 170. So long as an entity applicant does not 
have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the applicant must have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting 
requirements should the applicant receive funding. See 2 CFR 
170.200(b).
    An applicant, unless excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c), or (d), 
is required to:
    (a) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;
    (b) Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and
    (c) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current 
information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or 
an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding 
agency.
    The Federal awarding agency may not make a federal award to an 
applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and 
SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the 
requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a 
Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the 
applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that 
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 
applicant.
    As required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all grant 
applications must provide a DUNS number when applying for Federal 
grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS 
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free number at 1-866-
705-5711 or via internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Additional 
information concerning this requirement can be obtained on the 
Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Similarly, applicants may 
register for SAM at https://www.sam.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220.
    The applicant must provide documentation that they are registered 
in SAM and their DUNS number. If the applicant does not provide 
documentation that they are registered in SAM and their DUNS number, 
the application will not be considered for funding.

VI. Application Processing

    Applications will be processed and scored in accordance with this 
NOFA and 7 CFR 3570.273. Those applications receiving the highest 
points using the scoring factors found at 7 CFR 3570.273 will be 
selected for funding. Up to 10% of the available funds may be awarded 
to the highest scoring Ultimate Recipient(s) as long as they score a 
minimum score of at least 70. In the case of a tie, the first tie 
breaker will go to the applicant who scores the highest on matching 
funds. If two or more applications are still tied after using this tie 
breaker, the next tie breaker will go to the applicant who scores the 
highest in the multi-jurisdictional category.
    Once the successful applicants are announced, the State Office will 
be responsible for obligating the grant funds, executing all obligation 
documents, and the grant agreement, as provided by the agency.

VII. Federal Award Administration Information

    1. Federal Award Notice. Within the limit of funds available for 
such purpose, the awarding official of the Agency shall make grants in 
ranked order to eligible applicants under the procedures set forth in 
this Notice and the grant regulation 7 CFR 3570, subpart F.
    Successful applicants will receive a letter in the mail containing 
instructions on requirements necessary to proceed with execution and 
performance of the award. This letter is not an authorization to begin 
performance. In addition, selected applicants will be requested to 
verify that components of the application have not changed at the time 
of selection and on the award date, if requested by the Agency.
    The award is not approved until all information has been verified, 
and the awarding official of the Agency has signed Form RD 1940-1, 
``Request for Obligation of Funds'' and the grant agreement.
    Unsuccessful and ineligible applicants will receive written 
notification of their review and appeal rights.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Grantees will 
be required to do the following:
    (a) Execute a Grant Agreement.
    (b) Execute Form RD 1940-1.
    (c) Use Form SF 270, ``Request for Advance or Reimbursement'' to 
request reimbursement. Provide receipts for expenditures, timesheets, 
and any other documentation to support the request for reimbursement.
    (d) Provide financial status and project performance reports as set 
forth at 7 CFR 3570.276.
    (e) Maintain a financial management system that is acceptable to 
the Agency.
    (f) Ensure that records are maintained to document all activities 
and expenditures utilizing CF TAT grant funds and any matching funds, 
if

[[Page 9730]]

applicable. Receipts for expenditures will be included in this 
documentation.
    (g) Provide audits or financial information as set forth in 7 CFR 
3570.277.
    (h) Complete Form 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.'' Each prospective 
recipient must sign Form RD 400-4, Assurance Agreement, which assures 
USDA that the recipient is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964, 7 CFR part 15 and other Agency regulations. It also 
assures that no person will be discriminated against based on race, 
color or national origin, in regard to any program or activity for 
which the re-lender receives Federal financial assistance. Finally, it 
assures that nondiscrimination statements are in the recipient's 
advertisements and brochures.
    (i) Collect and maintain data provided by ultimate recipients on 
race, sex, and national origin and ensure Ultimate Recipients collect 
and maintain this data. Race and ethnicity data will be collected in 
accordance with OMB Federal Register notice, ``Revisions to the 
Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and 
Ethnicity,'' (62 FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex data will be 
collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972. These items should not be submitted with the application but 
should be available upon request by the Agency.
    (j) Provide a final performance report as set forth at 7 CFR 
3570.276(a)(7).
    (k) Identify and report any association or relationship with Rural 
Development employees.
    (l) The applicant and the ultimate recipient must comply with Title 
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, 
Executive Order 12250, Executive Order 13166 Limited English 
Proficiency (LEP), and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E. The grantee must 
comply with policies, guidance, and requirements as described in the 
following applicable Code of Federal Regulations and any successor 
regulations:
    (1) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, 
Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).
    (2) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 (Government-wide Debarment and 
Suspension (Nonprocurement)).
    (m) Form AD-3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax 
Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants'' must be signed by 
corporate applicants who receive an award under this Notice.
    3. Reporting.
    Reporting requirements for this grant as set forth at 7 CFR 
3570.276.

VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

    Contact the Rural Development state office in the state where the 
applicant's headquarters is located. A list of Rural Development State 
Offices can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. For Applicants located in Washington, DC, 
please contact Shirley Stevenson at (202) 205-9685 or via email at 
[email protected].

IX. Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights 
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and 
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA 
programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, 
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender 
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, 
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or 
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint 
form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA 
by:
    (1) By mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-9410;
    (2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
    (3) Email: [email protected].

Bruce W. Lammers,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-03309 Filed 2-19-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P