[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 61 (Thursday, April 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17185-17187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06725]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[212A2100DD/AAKC001030//A0A501010.999900]


Grant Availability to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes To 
Implement Traffic Safety Programs and Projects on Indian Reservations

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with a statute and as authorized by the 
Secretary of Transportation through the Secretary of the Interior, the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), under the Indian Highway Safety Program 
(IHSP), will make funds available to federally recognized Indian Tribes 
on an annual basis for implementing traffic safety programs and 
projects designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes, death, 
injuries, and property damage within these populations. All project 
applications received will be reviewed and selected on a competitive 
basis.

DATES: On or about February 15, 2021, the IHSP mailed application 
packets to all Tribal leaders. Applications for program and/or project 
funds must be received on or before May 1, 2021. Applications not 
received by the IHSP by close of business on May 1, 2021, will not be 
considered and will be returned unopened. This notice informs qualified 
applicants of the application procedures for Federal Fiscal Year 2022.

ADDRESSES: To apply, each Tribe must submit its application to the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Attention: Indian 
Highway Safety Program Director, 1001 Indian School NE, Suite 251, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tribes should direct questions or 
requests for copies of the application packet to: Ms. Kimberly Belone, 
Indian Highway Safety Program, 1001 Indian School NE, Suite 251, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; telephone (505) 563-3900.

[[Page 17186]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Highway Safety Act of 1966, 23 U.S.C. 402, as amended, provided 
for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding, through the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to assist Indian 
Tribes in implementing traffic safety projects. Any program or project 
request must be designed to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic 
crashes and their resulting fatalities, injuries, and property damage 
on Indian reservations and within Indian communities. Motor vehicle 
crashes are the leading cause of death to American Indians/Alaska 
Natives ages 1 to 44. Nationwide, 557 American Indians/Alaska Natives 
were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2018. Of this total 377 died on 
reservations. Two hundred four (204) were also drivers (only) of motor 
vehicles and 164 of the drivers killed were impaired by alcohol with a 
blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08+. For additional American Indians/
Alaska Natives fatality data, you can access the NHTSA fatality website 
at https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/NA_report/NA_Report.htm.
    This notice solicits applications from federally recognized Indian 
Tribes eligible to receive this assistance. Grant funds awarded to 
Tribes as a result of this announcement are reimbursed for eligible 
costs incurred under the terms of 23 U.S.C. 402, as amended.

Responsibilities

    For the purposes of application of this grant and the collection 
and distribution of the funds, Indian reservations are collectively 
considered a ``State'' and the Secretary of the Interior is considered 
the ``Governor of a State.'' The Secretary of the Interior delegated 
the authority to administer the programs for all the Indian Tribes in 
the United States to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs. The 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs further delegated the 
responsibility for administration of the IHSP to the BIA, Office of 
Justice Services, IHSP located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Program 
Director of the IHSP has staff members available to provide program and 
technical assistance to Indian Tribes. The IHSP maintains contact with 
NHTSA with respect to program approval, funding, and receiving 
technical assistance. NHTSA is responsible for ensuring the IHSP is 
carried out in accordance with 23 CFR part 1300 and other applicable 
Federal statutes and regulations.

National Priority Program Areas

    The following highway safety program areas have been identified as 
priority program areas eligible for funding under 23 U.S.C 402 on 
Tribal lands:

1. Impaired driving
2. Occupant protection
3. Traffic records

    Other fundable program areas may be considered based upon well 
documented problem identification from the Tribes.

Indian Highway Safety Program Funding Areas

    Proposals are being solicited for the following program areas:
    1. Impaired Driving: Programs directed at reducing injuries and 
death attributed to impaired driving on the reservations such as: 
selective traffic enforcement programs (STEP) to apprehend impaired 
drivers, specialized law enforcement training (such as standardized 
field sobriety testing), public information programs on alcohol/other 
drug use and driving, education programs for convicted DWI/DUI 
offenders, youth alcohol education programs promoting traffic safety, 
DUI/Impaired driving courts, and programs or projects directed toward 
judicial training. Proposals for projects that enhance the development 
and implementation of innovative programs to combat impaired driving 
are also solicited.
    2. Occupant Protection: Programs directed at decreasing injuries 
and deaths attributed to the lack of safety belt and child restraint 
usage such as: surveys to determine usage rates and to identify high-
risk non-users, comprehensive programs to promote correct usage of 
child safety seats and other occupant restraints, enforcement of safety 
belt ordinances or laws, specialized training (e.g., Operation Kids, 
traffic occupant protection strategies (TOPS), Standardized Child 
Passenger Safety Technician Training), and evaluations.
    3. Traffic Records: Programs to help Tribes develop or update 
electronic traffic records systems which will assist with analysis of 
crash information, causational factors, and support joint efforts with 
other agencies to improve the Tribe's traffic records system.

Project Guidelines

    Each Tribe, to be eligible, must fill out and submit the BIA IHSP 
application that was mailed to the Tribal leaders. Applications will 
adhere to the following guidelines:
    1. Problem Identification. Highway traffic safety problems shall be 
based upon accurate Tribal data. Data should be complete and accurate 
and should show problems and/or trends. This data should be available 
in Tribal enforcement, traffic crash records and medical records.
    2. Goals, Performance Measures and Strategies. Tribes must provide 
the overall goals of the project as well as a list of performance 
measures and strategies to be used to evaluate performance. All goals, 
performance measures and strategies must have base line numbers and 
will be expressed in clearly defined, time-framed, and measurable 
terms. (Example: To decrease alcohol related motor vehicle crashes by 
__% from the 2020 number of __ to __ by the end of FY2022.) Performance 
measures should be aggressive but attainable and based on available 
data and trends.
    3. Training. Training identified in the application must relate 
directly to the project being proposed.
    4. Equipment. Any equipment identified in the application must 
relate directly to the project being proposed.
    5. Line Item Budget. The activities to be funded must be outlined 
in detail according to the following object groups: personnel services; 
travel and training, operating costs and equipment. All Tribes applying 
for grants must attach a copy of the Tribe's indirect cost rate to the 
application.
    6. Funding Requirements. With the enactment of the ``Fixing 
America's Surface Transportation Act'' (Fast Act), the IHSP is required 
to certify, on behalf of the Tribes, the program will meet certain 
conditions and comply with all applicable rules and regulations for 
administering a highway safety program. In addition to program 
oversight and technical assistance, the BIA must certify it will 
implement the following activities in support of national highway 
safety goals:
    a. Participate in national law enforcement mobilizations;
    b. Encourage sustained enforcement of impaired driving, occupant 
protection and speeding;
    c. Conduct an annual safety belt survey in accordance with criteria 
established by the Secretary of Interior to measure safety belt usage 
rates; and
    d. Develop data systems to provide timely and effective data 
analysis to support allocation of highway traffic safety resources.
    7. In order to comply with the provisions of FAST ACT and the State 
Certifications and Assurances, the IHSP will allocate funds on behalf 
of the Tribes to implement the provisions listed in (6) above. Copies 
of the State Certifications and Assurances are

[[Page 17187]]

available upon request or at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/tea21/GrantMan/HTML/StateCertifications_8-05.html.
    8. Funding Length. Traffic safety program funding is designed 
primarily as the source of invention and motivation. As a result, all 
projects may be funded for a 12 month period of time. This program is 
not intended for long term financial support of continuing and on-going 
operations.
    9. Project Monitoring length may exceed the grant period in the 
cases where distribution of purchase equipment is necessary.

Certifications

    A list of certifications is attached to the grant application and 
must be initialed to show acceptance by the Tribe. These certifications 
are required by the either the funding agency and/or the IHSP and 
include: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, Drug Free 
Workplace Act of 1988, Equipment, Civil Rights, Buy America Act, 
Political Activity (Hatch Act), Federal Lobbying, Restriction of State 
Lobbying, Lower Tier Certification, and Policy to Ban Text Messaging 
While Driving.

Submission Deadline

    Each Tribe must send its funding request on the appropriate 
application form to the BIA IHSP office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by 
the close of business May 1, 2020. Request can be received by U.S. Mail 
or via email to: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, 
Attention: Indian Highway Safety Program Director, 1001 Indian School 
NE, Suite 251, Albuquerque, NM 87104 or by email to 
[email protected].

Selection Criteria

    A selection committee will review and evaluate each application 
requesting funding. Each member of the selection committee, by 
assigning points to the following four criteria, will rank each of the 
proposals based on the following criteria:
    Criterion (1), the General Information section will include 
information on the type of grant, location, population and size of 
reservation, type of law enforcement and pertinent contact information. 
(10 points maximum).
    Criterion (2), the strength of the Problem Identification based on 
verifiable, current and applicable data to indicate the extent of the 
traffic safety problem. (45 points maximum).
    Criterion (3), the quality of the proposed solution plan based on 
aggressive but attainable Performance Measures and Strategies. (35 
points maximum).
    Criterion (4), details on necessity and reasonableness of the 
budget requested. (10 points maximum).

Notification of the Selection

    Once the selection committee concludes its evaluation, it will 
notify those Tribes it recommends for participation and funding by 
letter. Upon notification, each selected Tribe must provide a duly 
authorized Tribal resolution. The resolution must be on file before 
grants funds can be expended by or reimbursed to the Tribe.

Notification of Non-Selection

    The Program Director will notify each Tribe of non-selection.

Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant-in-Aid

    Uniform grant administration procedures have been established on a 
national basis for all grant-in-aid programs by 2 CFR 200, ``Uniform 
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State and Local Government.'' NHTSA and the Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) have codified uniform procedures for State 
Highway Safety Programs in 23 CFR part 1300 and the ``Highway Safety 
Grant Funding Policy for NHTSA/FHWA Field Administered Grants'' are the 
established cost principles applicable to grants and contracts through 
the BIA and with Tribal governments. A copy of the Grant Funding Policy 
document can be obtained from the BIA IHSP office or at https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/tea21/tea21programs/index.htm.
    The BIA IHSP office has been established and is designated to 
establish operating procedures consistent with the applicable 
provisions of these rules and any others that govern these grant funds.
    Auditing of Highway Safety Projects will be included in the Tribal 
A-133 single audit requirement. Copies of Tribal audits must be 
available for inspection by the highway safety program staff. Tribes 
must provide monthly program status reports and a corresponding 
reimbursement claim to the BIA Indian Highway Safety Program, 1001 
Indian School, Suite 251, Albuquerque, NM 87104, in order to be 
reimbursed for program costs. These are to be submitted no later than 
15 working days beyond the reporting month.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    OMB Control Number 1076-0190 currently authorizes the collection of 
information requested in this notice, with an expiration of September 
30, 2021.

Project Monitoring

    During the program year, it is the responsibility of the BIA IHSP 
office to review the implementation of Tribal traffic safety plans and 
programs, monitor the progress of their activities and expenditures and 
provide technical assistance as needed. This assistance may be on-site, 
by telephone and/or a review of monthly progress claims.

Project Evaluation

    Each project funded is required to submit an annual report that 
meets the minimum criteria as set forth in 23 CFR part 1300.35. The BIA 
IHSP will conduct an annual performance evaluation for each Highway 
Safety Project funded. Pursuant to 23 CFR part 1300.35, the evaluation 
will measure the actual accomplishments to the planned activity and how 
the project and activities funded contributed to the overall goal of 
the IHSP. Program staff will evaluate progress from baseline data as 
reported by the Tribe. BIA IHSP staff will evaluate the project on-site 
at the discretion of the IHSP Director.

Bryan Newland,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Exercising the 
Delegated Authority of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-06725 Filed 3-31-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P