[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 173 (Friday, September 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55299-55300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19578]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[CFDA NUMBER: 93.568]


Reallotment of Fiscal Year 2019 Funds for the Low Income Home 
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

AGENCY: Division of Energy Assistance (DEA), 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) 2019 Low Income Home Energy Assistance 
Program (LIHEAP) are available for reallotment to states, territories, 
tribes, and tribal organizations that received FY 2020 direct LIHEAP 
grants. No subgrantees or other entities may apply for these funds.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 5, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to: Peter Edelman, Program 
Analyst, Division of Energy Assistance, Office of Community Services, 
Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and 
Human Services, via email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Akm Rahman, Operations Branch Chief, 
Division of Energy Assistance, Office of Community Services, 
Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and 
Human Services, via 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 2020. It has 
been determined that $948,485 in LIHEAP funds may be available for 
reallotment during FY 2020. This determination is based on FY 2019 
Carryover and Reallotment Reports submitted by FY 2019 LIHEAP grantees 
showing 12 grantees as having funds available for reallotment. These 
grantees

[[Page 55300]]

include 2 states and 10 tribes, which are listed in the table below. 
Grantees submitted the FY 2019 Carryover and Reallotment Reports to the 
OCS, as required by regulations applicable to LIHEAP at 45 CFR 
96.81(b). After publication of this notice DEA will redetermine the 
final reallotment amounts and make adjustments where necessary.
    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 2019 funds in excess of the 
amount that these grantees could carry over to FY 2020. In accordance 
with section 2607(b)(3) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 8626(b)(3)), HHS has 
notified each grantee of any balance that will be de-obligated for 
purpose of this anticipated reallotment and has given 30 days to 
provide comments directly to HHS. Public comments will be accepted for 
a period of 30 days from the date of publication of this notice.
    All current LIHEAP grantees will be notified of the final 
reallotment amount redistributed to them for obligation in FY 2020. 
This decision will also be published in the Federal Register and in a 
Dear Colleague Letter that is posted to ACF's website at 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 2020. As FY 
2020 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, 2020.

          Estimated Reallotment Amounts of FY 2019 LIHEAP Funds
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                                              Grantee
                                             reported         Amount
              Grantee name                  reallotment    available for
                                              amount      redistribution
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Ohio....................................        $206,951        $206,951
Utah....................................         540,516         540,516
Chippewa Cree Tribe.....................          13,302          13,302
Coeur d'Alene Tribe.....................           1,328           1,328
Colorado River Indian Tribes............             595             595
Hoh Indian Tribe........................           2,472               0
Karuk Tribe.............................           9,337           9,337
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.....          32,069           3,247
Northern Cheyenne Tribe.................           5,704           5,704
Paiute Tribe of Utah....................          95,125          95,125
Quinault Indian Nation..................           1,285               7
Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma..........          30,768          30,767
Sitka Tribe.............................          41,606          41,606
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................         981,058         948,485
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    Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C. 8626.

Karen Shields,
Senior Grants Policy Specialist, Office of Grants Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-19578 Filed 9-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-80-P