[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11284-11286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03010]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Availability of Program Application Instructions for Adult 
Protective Services Funding

    Title: Elder Justice Act--Adult Protective Services.
    Announcement Type: Initial.
    Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C 1397m-1.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.698.

DATES: Letters of Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan must be 
submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. (EST) March 15, 2024.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is establishing the 
``Elder Justice Act--Adult Protective Services'' funding opportunity in 
accordance with section 2042(b) of subtitle B of title XX of the Social 
Security Act, otherwise known as the Elder Justice Act (EJA) as 
authorized and funded through the Further Additional Continuing 
Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, Public Law 118-35. In 
accordance with these statutes, the purpose of this opportunity is to 
enhance and improve adult protective services provided by States, the 
District of Columbia, and the Territories.
    Funds awarded to States and Territories under this opportunity will 
provide Adult Protective Services (APS) programs in the States, 
District of Columbia, and Territories with resources to enhance, 
improve, and expand the ability of APS to investigate allegations of 
abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Examples of activities consistent 
with the purposes of the statute include:
     Costs and salaries for hiring permanent or temporary staff 
members, extended hours/over-time for current staff, and associated 
personnel costs;
     Costs associated with providing goods and services to APS 
clients;
     Costs associated with community outreach, including public 
awareness campaigns and other resources designed to increase the 
public's awareness and understanding of APS' role in the community;
     Training costs, including state-wide training conferences 
for APS staff;
     Acquiring personal protection equipment and supplies;
     Improving and enhancing technology systems, including 
supporting remote work, such as the purchase of communications and 
technology hardware, software, or infrastructure in order to provide 
adult protective services;
     Improving data collection and reporting at the case 
worker, local-, and State-levels in a manner that is consistent with 
the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS);
     Improving or enhancing existing APS processes for 
receiving reports, conducting intakes and investigations, planning/
providing for services, making case determinations, documenting and 
closing cases, and continuous quality improvement;
     Working with tribal adult protective services efforts, 
such as conducting demonstrations on State-Tribal APS partnerships to 
better serve tribal elders who experience abuse, neglect, and 
exploitation, partnering with Tribes within the State to include tribal 
elder abuse data in the State's NAMRS reporting, and undertaking 
demonstrations to better understand elder abuse experienced by tribal 
individuals living in non-tribal communities and served by State APS 
programs;
     Establishing or enhancing the availability for elder 
shelters and other emergency, short-term housing and accompanying 
``wrap-around'' services for APS clients;
     Establishing, expanding, or enhancing state-wide and 
local-level elder justice networks for the purpose of removing 
bureaucratic obstacles and improving coordination across the many State 
and local agencies interacting with APS clients who have experienced 
abuse, neglect, or exploitation;
     Costs associated with establishing new, or improving 
existing processes for responding to alleged scams and frauds;
     Costs associated with assisting APS clients secure the 
least restrictive option for emergency or alternative housing, and with 
obtaining, providing, or coordinating with care transitions as 
appropriate;
     Costs associated with transporting APS clients to 
necessary appointments, such as medical visits; and
     Costs associated with establishing grants or contracts to 
address gaps in the APS program identified in the environmental scan 
previously completed.
    Awards authorized under the EJA section 2042(b) shall be provided 
to the agency or unit of State government having the legal 
responsibility for providing adult protective services within the 
State, District of Columbia, or Territory. Funding under this 
opportunity may be used to serve any APS client who meets their State's 
statutory or regulatory criteria for client eligibility for APS 
services. This funding must supplement and not supplant existing 
funding for APS

[[Page 11285]]

provided by States and local units of government. Additionally, award 
recipients will be required to submit Federal financial reports and 
annual program reports related to the activities performed.

II. Award Information

A. Eligible Entity

    The eligible entity for these awards is the agency or unit of State 
government legally responsible for providing adult protective services 
in each State, the District of Columbia, or Territory (EJA section 
2042(b)(3)(B)).

B. Funding Instrument Type

    These awards will be made in the form of formula grants to the 
agencies and units of State government with the legal responsibility to 
provide adult protective services.

C. Anticipated Total Funding per Budget Period

    Under this program, ACL intends to make grant awards to each State, 
Territory, and the District of Columbia. Funding will be distributed 
through the formula identified in section 2042(b) of the Elder Justice 
Act. The amounts allocated are based upon the proportion of elders 
living in each State and Territory, as defined in statute, and will be 
distributed based on the formula. There are no cost-sharing nor match 
requirements.
    The project period for awards made under this announcement have an 
estimated start date of April 1, 2024 and an estimated end date of 
March 30, 2028. These awards have a 24-month budget period. Projected 
available funding for FY 2024 is $13,766,829. The projected available 
funding is based on the FY23 appropriation levels, as described in the 
Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 
2024, Public Law 118-35. Availability of funding and Notices of Award 
are contingent upon final Congressional appropriations, and this Notice 
will be updated accordingly.
    Below are the projected award amounts for FY 2024:

Alabama......................................................   $202,092
Alaska.......................................................    103,251
Arizona......................................................    295,966
Arkansas.....................................................    118,929
California...................................................  1,370,306
Colorado.....................................................    204,579
Connecticut..................................................    148,885
Delaware.....................................................    103,251
District of Columbia.........................................     19,193
Florida......................................................  1,020,937
Georgia......................................................    371,308
Hawaii.......................................................    103,251
Idaho........................................................    103,251
Illinois.....................................................    481,263
Indiana......................................................    257,455
Iowa.........................................................    128,721
Kansas.......................................................    111,431
Kentucky.....................................................    176,257
Louisiana....................................................    174,021
Maine........................................................    103,251
Maryland.....................................................    234,760
Massachusetts................................................    280,653
Michigan.....................................................    416,921
Minnesota....................................................    223,065
Mississippi..................................................    112,707
Missouri.....................................................    247,579
Montana......................................................    103,251
Nebraska.....................................................    103,251
Nevada.......................................................    118,427
New Hampshire................................................    103,251
New Jersey...................................................    361,336
New Mexico...................................................    103,251
New York.....................................................    788,096
North Carolina...............................................    411,823
North Dakota.................................................    103,251
Ohio.........................................................    478,682
Oklahoma.....................................................    146,670
Oregon.......................................................    175,035
Pennsylvania.................................................    557,851
Rhode Island.................................................    103,251
South Carolina...............................................    220,397
South Dakota.................................................    103,251
Tennessee....................................................    271,006
Texas........................................................    914,609
Utah.........................................................    103,251
Vermont......................................................    103,251
Virginia.....................................................    326,196
Washington...................................................    288,664
West Virginia................................................    103,251
Wisconsin....................................................    246,152
Wyoming......................................................    103,251
American Samoa...............................................     13,767
Guam.........................................................     13,767
Northern Marianas............................................     13,767
Puerto Rico..................................................    157,773
Virgin Islands...............................................     13,767
 

III. Submission Requirements

A. Letter of Assurance

    A Letter of Assurance is required to be submitted by the eligible 
entity in order to receive an award. The Letter of Assurance must 
include the following:
    1. Assurance that the award recipient is the agency or unit of 
State government legally responsible for providing adult protective 
services in each State and Territory.
    2. Assurance that funds will supplement and not supplant existing 
APS funding.
    3. Assurance that the award recipient has included an initial spend 
plan for the FY 2024 funds, that a spend plan will be submitted prior 
to awards for each new budget period, and that the initial spend plans 
will be regularly maintained to accurately reflect how the recipient is 
investing their funding under this program.
    4. Assurance that the award recipient will provide within 180 days 
of award an updated operational plan that covers activities through 
2028.
    5. Assurance that funds will be spent in ways consistent with the 
Elder Justice Act Section 2042(b) and guidance provided by ACL, 
including the examples of activities consistent with the purposes of 
the authorizing legislation contained in this notice:
     Personnel costs;
     Providing goods and services to APS clients;
     Community outreach;
     Training;
     Acquiring personal protection equipment and supplies;
     Improving and enhancing technology systems;
     Improving data collection and reporting at the case 
worker, local-, and State-levels in a manner that is consistent with 
the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System;
     Improving or enhancing existing APS processes;
     Working with tribal adult protective services efforts;
     Establishing or enhancing the availability for elder 
shelters and other emergency, short-term housing and accompanying 
``wrap-around'' services;
     Establishing, expanding, or enhancing state-wide and 
local-level elder justice networks;
     Improving and supporting remote work;
     Establishing new, or improving existing processes for 
responding to alleged scams and frauds;
     Transportation costs;
     Assisting APS clients secure the least restrictive option 
for emergency or alternative housing, and with obtaining, providing, or 
coordinating with care transitions as appropriate; and
     Establishing grants and contracts as needed.
    6. Assurance to provide Federal financial reports and annual 
program reports related to the activities performed for each fiscal 
year of funding received.

B. Spend Plans

    An Initial Spend Plan is required with the submission of the Letter 
of Assurance, and prior to awards for each new budget period through 
the end of the project period. The Initial Spend Plan should outline 
how the State/Territory intends to spend their fiscal year allotment in 
response to the needs and challenges to their APS program. The plan 
should be consistent with the purpose of the authorizing legislation 
and the description and examples outlined above. The Initial Spend Plan 
should have the following format: 3-5 pages in length, double-spaced, 
with 12pt font and 1'' margins, with a layout of 8.5'' x 11'' paper. 
The Initial Spend Plan submitted is considered a preliminary framework 
for how the State/Territory will plan to spend the

[[Page 11286]]

funds for the specified fiscal year, and they should be maintained on a 
regular basis to reflect accurately how the APS program is investing 
their funding.

C. Unique Entity ID Number

    All grant applicants must obtain and keep current a Unique Entity 
ID (UEI). On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across 
the Federal Government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique 
Entity ID (generated by SAM.gov). The Unique Entity ID is a 12-
character alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by SAM.gov. The UEI is 
viewable in your SAM.gov entity registration record.

D. Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs, is not applicable to these grant applications.

IV. Submission Information

A. Submission Process

    To receive funding, eligible entities must provide a Letter of 
Assurance and an Initial Spend Plan (if applicable) containing all the 
information outlined in section III A. and B. above.
    Materials should be addressed to: Alison Barkoff, Administration 
for Community Living, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201.
    Letters of Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan should be submitted 
electronically via email to [email protected].

B. Submission Dates and Times

    To receive consideration, Letters of Assurance and the Initial 
Spend Plan must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) March 15, 2024, 
Letters of Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan should be submitted 
electronically via email to [email protected] and have an electronic time 
stamp indicating the date/time submitted.

V. Agency Contacts

A. Programmatic Issues/Questions

    Direct programmatic inquiries to: Erin Kee, [email protected] 
and/or 202-795-7312.

B. Submission Issues/Questions

    Direct inquiries regarding submission of applications to 
[email protected]. ACL will provide a response within 2 business days.

    Dated: February 8, 2024.
Alison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community 
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2024-03010 Filed 2-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P