Title 28—Judicial Administration--Volume 1
PART 90—VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
§ 90.1   General.
(a) This part implements certain provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and subsequent legislation as follows:
(1) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322 (Sept. 13, 1994);
(2) The Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000), Division B of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, Public Law 106-386 (Oct. 28, 2000);
(3) The Violence Against Women Office Act, Title IV of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, Public Law 107-273 (Nov. 2, 2002);
(4) The Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), Public Law 109-162 (January 5, 2006); and,
(5) The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013), Public Law 113-4 (Mar. 7, 2013).
(b) Subpart B of this part defines program eligibility criteria and sets forth requirements for application for and administration of formula grants to States to combat violent crimes against women. This program is codified at 42 U.S.C. 3796gg through 3796gg-5 and 3796gg-8.
(c) Subpart C of this part was removed on September 9, 2013.
(d) Subpart D of this part defines program eligibility criteria and sets forth requirements for the discretionary Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program.
(e) Subpart A of this part applies to all grants made by OVW and subgrants made under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Program (STOP Program) and the Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program after the effective date of this rule. Subpart B of this part applies to all STOP Program grants issued by OVW after the effective date of the rule and to all subgrants issued by states under the STOP Program after the effective date of the rule, even if the underlying grant was issued by OVW prior to the effective date of the rule.
§ 90.2   Definitions.
(a) In addition to the definitions in this section, the definitions in 42 U.S.C. 13925(a) apply to all grants awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women and all subgrants made under such awards.
(b) The term “community-based program” has the meaning given the term “community-based organization” in 42 U.S.C. 13925(a).
(c) The term “forensic medical examination” means an examination provided to a victim of sexual assault by medical personnel to gather evidence of a sexual assault in a manner suitable for use in a court of law.
(1) The examination should include at a minimum:
(i) Gathering information from the patient for the forensic medical history;
(ii) Head-to-toe examination of the patient;
(iii) Documentation of biological and physical findings; and
(iv) Collection of evidence from the patient.
(2) Any costs associated with the items listed in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, such as equipment or supplies, are considered part of the “forensic medical examination.”
(3) The inclusion of additional procedures ( e.g., testing for sexually transmitted diseases) may be determined by the State, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government in accordance with its current laws, policies, and practices.
(d) The term “prevention” includes both primary and secondary prevention efforts. “Primary prevention” means strategies, programming, and activities to stop both first-time perpetration and first-time victimization. Primary prevention is stopping domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking before they occur. “Secondary prevention” is identifying risk factors or problems that may lead to future domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and taking the necessary actions to eliminate the risk factors and the potential problem. “Prevention” is distinguished from “outreach,” which has the goal of informing victims and potential victims about available services.
(e) The term “prosecution” means any public agency charged with direct responsibility for prosecuting criminal offenders, including such agency's component bureaus (such as governmental victim services programs). Public agencies that provide prosecution support services, such as overseeing or participating in Statewide or multi-jurisdictional domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking task forces, conducting training for State, tribal, or local prosecutors or enforcing victim compensation and domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking-related restraining orders also fall within the meaning of “prosecution” for purposes of this definition.
(f) The term “public agency” has the meaning provided in 42 U.S.C. 3791.
(g) For the purpose of this part, a “unit of local government” is any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State. The following are not considered units of local government for purposes of this part:
(1) Police departments;
(2) Pre-trial service agencies;
(3) District or city attorneys' offices;
(4) Sheriffs' departments;
(5) Probation and parole departments;
(6) Shelters;
(7) Nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service agencies including faith-based or community-based organizations; and
(8) Universities.
(h) The term “victim services division or component of an organization, agency, or government” refers to a division within a larger organization, agency, or government, where the division has as its primary purpose to assist or advocate for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victims and has a documented history of work concerning such victims.
§ 90.3   Participation by faith-based organizations.
The funds provided under this part shall be administered in compliance with the standards set forth in part 38 (Equal Treatment for Faith-based Organizations) of this chapter.
§ 90.4   Grant conditions.
(a) Applicability. In addition to the grant conditions in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the grant conditions in 42 U.S.C. 13925(b) apply to all grants awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women and all subgrants made under such awards.
(b) Nondisclosure of confidential or private information —(1) In general. In order to ensure the safety of adult, youth, and child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and their families, grantees and subgrantees under this part shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of persons receiving services.
(2) Nondisclosure. (i) Subject to paragraph (b)(3) of this section, grantees and subgrantees shall not disclose any personally identifying information or individual information collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through grantees' and subgrantees' programs, regardless of whether the information has been encoded, encrypted, hashed, or otherwise protected.
(ii) This paragraph applies whether the information is being requested for a Department of Justice grant program or another Federal agency, State, tribal, or territorial grant program. This paragraph also limits disclosures by subgrantees to grantees, including disclosures to Statewide or regional databases.
(iii) This paragraph also applies to disclosures from the victim services divisions or components of an organization, agency, or government to other non-victim service divisions within an organization, agency, or government. It also applies to disclosures from victim services divisions or components of an organization, agency, or government to the leadership of the organization, agency, or government ( e.g., executive director or chief executive). Such executives shall have access without releases only in extraordinary and rare circumstances. Such circumstances do not include routine monitoring and supervision.
(3) Release. (i) Personally identifying information or individual information that is collected as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section may not be released except under the following circumstances:
(A) The victim signs a release as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section;
(B) Release is compelled by statutory mandate, which includes mandatory child abuse reporting laws; or
(C) Release is compelled by court mandate, which includes a legal mandate created by case law, such as a common-law duty to warn.
(ii) Victim releases must meet the following criteria—
(A) Releases must be written, informed, and reasonably time-limited. Grantees and subgrantees may not use a blanket release and must specify the scope and limited circumstances of any disclosure. At a minimum, grantees and subgrantees must: Discuss with the victim why the information might be shared, who would have access to the information, and what information could be shared under the release; reach agreement with the victim about what information would be shared and with whom; and record the agreement about the scope of the release. A release must specify the duration for which information may be shared. The reasonableness of this time period will depend on the specific situation.
(B) Grantees and subgrantees may not require consent to release of information as a condition of service.
(C) Releases must be signed by the victim unless the victim is a minor who lacks the capacity to consent to release or is a legally incapacitated person and has a court-appointed guardian. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(ii)(D) of this section, in the case of an unemancipated minor, the release must be signed by the minor and a parent or guardian; in the case of a legally incapacitated person, it must be signed by a legally-appointed guardian. Consent may not be given by the abuser of the minor or incapacitated person or the abuser of the other parent of the minor. If a minor is incapable of knowingly consenting, the parent or guardian may provide consent. If a parent or guardian consents for a minor, the grantee or subgrantee should attempt to notify the minor as appropriate.
(D) If the minor or person with a legally appointed guardian is permitted by law to receive services without the parent's or guardian's consent, the minor or person with a guardian may consent to release information without additional consent.
(iii) If the release is compelled by statutory or court mandate, grantees and subgrantees must make reasonable efforts to notify victims affected by the disclosure and take steps necessary to protect the privacy and safety of the affected persons.
(4) Fatality reviews. Grantees and subgrantees may share personally identifying information or individual information that is collected as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section about deceased victims being sought for a fatality review to the extent permitted by their jurisdiction's law and only if the following conditions are met:
(i) The underlying objectives of the fatality review are to prevent future deaths, enhance victim safety, and increase offender accountability;
(ii) The fatality review includes policies and protocols to protect identifying information, including identifying information about the victim's children, from further release outside the fatality review team;
(iii) The grantee or subgrantee makes a reasonable effort to get a release from the victim's personal representative (if one has been appointed) and from any surviving minor children or the guardian of such children (but not if the guardian is the abuser of the deceased parent), if the children are not capable of knowingly consenting; and
(iv) The information released is limited to that which is necessary for the purposes of the fatality review.
(5) Inadvertent release. Grantees and subgrantees are responsible for taking reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent releases of personally identifying information or individual information that is collected as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
(6) Confidentiality assessment and assurances. Grantees and subgrantees are required to document their compliance with the requirements of this paragraph. All applicants for Office on Violence Against Women funding are required to submit a signed acknowledgement form, indicating that they have notice that, if awarded funds, they will be required to comply with the provisions of this paragraph, will mandate that subgrantees, if any, comply with this provision, and will create and maintain documentation of compliance, such as policies and procedures for release of victim information, and will mandate that subgrantees, if any, will do so as well.
(c) Victim eligibility for services. Victim eligibility for direct services is not dependent on the victim's immigration status.
(d) Reports. An entity receiving a grant under this part shall submit to the Office on Violence Against Women reports detailing the activities undertaken with the grant funds. These reports must comply with the requirements set forth in 2 CFR 200.328 and provide any additional information that the Office on Violence Against Women requires.
§ 90.10   STOP (Services * Training * Officers * Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program—general.
The purposes, criteria, and requirements for the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program are established by 42 U.S.C. 3796gg et seq. Eligible applicants for the program are the 50 States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, hereinafter referred to as “States.”
§ 90.11   State office.
(a) Statewide plan and application. The chief executive of each participating State shall designate a State office for the purposes of:
(1) Certifying qualifications for funding under this program;
(2) Developing a Statewide plan for implementation of the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grants as described in § 90.12; and
(3) Preparing an application to receive funds under this program.
(b) Administration and fund disbursement. In addition to the duties specified by paragraph (a) of this section, the State office shall administer funds received under this program, including receipt, review, processing, monitoring, progress and financial report review, technical assistance, grant adjustments, accounting, auditing, and fund disbursements.
(c) Allocation requirement. (1) The State office shall allocate funds as provided in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(4) to courts and for law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services (including funds that must be awarded to culturally specific community-based organizations).
(2) The State office shall ensure that the allocated funds benefit law enforcement, prosecution and victim services and are awarded to courts and culturally specific community-based organizations. In ensuring that funds benefit the appropriate entities, if funds are not subgranted directly to law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services, the State must require demonstration from the entity to be benefitted in the form of a memorandum of understanding signed by the chief executives of both the entity and the subgrant recipient, stating that the entity supports the proposed project and agrees that it is to the entity's benefit.
(3) Culturally specific allocation: 42 U.S.C. 13925 defines “culturally specific” as primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)). An organization will qualify for funding for the culturally specific allocation if its primary mission is to address the needs of racial and ethnic minority groups or if it has developed a special expertise regarding services to address the demonstrated needs of a particular racial and ethnic minority group. The organization must do more than merely provide services to the targeted group; rather, the organization must provide culturally competent services designed to meet the specific needs of the target population. This allocation requires States to set aside a minimum of ten percent (within the thirty-percent allocation for victim services) of STOP Program funds for culturally specific services, but States are encouraged to provide higher levels of funding to address the needs of racial and ethnic minority groups. States should tailor their subgrant application process to assess the qualifications of applicants for the culturally specific set aside, such as reviewing the mission statement of the applicant, the make-up of the board of directors or steering committee of the applicant (with regard to knowledge and experience with relevant cultural populations and language skills), and the history of the organization.
(4) Sexual assault set aside: As provided in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(5), the State must also award at least 20 percent of the total State award to projects in two or more allocations in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(4) that meaningfully address sexual assault. States should evaluate whether the interventions are tailored to meet the specific needs of sexual assault victims including ensuring that projects funded under the set aside have a legitimate focus on sexual assault and that personnel funded under such projects have sufficient expertise and experience on sexual assault.
(d) Pass-through administration. The State office has broad latitude in structuring its administration of the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program. STOP Program funding may be administered by the State office itself or by other means, including the use of pass-through entities (such as State domestic violence or sexual assault coalitions) to make determinations regarding award distribution and to administer funding. States that opt to use a pass-through entity shall ensure that the total sum of STOP Program funding for administrative and training costs for the State and pass-through entity is within the limit established by § 90.17(b), the reporting of activities at the subgrantee level is equivalent to what would be provided if the State were directly overseeing sub-awards, and an effective system of monitoring sub-awards is used. States shall report on the work of the pass-through entity in such form and manner as OVW may specify from time to time.
§ 90.12   Implementation plans.
(a) In general. Each State must submit a plan describing its identified goals under this program and how the funds will be used to accomplish those goals. The plan must include all of the elements specified in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(i). The plan will cover a four-year period. In years two through four of the plan, each State must submit information on any updates or changes to the plan, as well as updated demographic information.
(b) Consultation and coordination. In developing and updating this plan, a State must consult and coordinate with the entities specified in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(2).
(1) This consultation process must include at least one sexual assault victim service provider and one domestic violence victim service provider and may include other victim service providers.
(2) In determining what population specific organizations, representatives from underserved populations, and culturally specific organizations to include in the consultation process, States should consider the demographics of their State as well as barriers to service, including historical lack of access to services, for each population. The consultation process should involve any significant underserved and culturally specific populations in the State, including organizations working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and organizations that focus on people with limited English proficiency. If the State does not have any culturally specific or population specific organizations at the State or local level, the State may use national organizations to collaborate on the plan.
(3) States must invite all State or federally recognized tribes to participate in the planning process. Tribal coalitions and State or regional tribal consortia may help the State reach out to the tribes but cannot be used as a substitute for consultation with all tribes.
(4) States are encouraged to include survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the planning process. States that include survivors should address safety and confidentiality considerations in recruiting and consulting with such survivors.
(5) States should include probation and parole entities in the planning process.
(6) As provided in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(3), States must coordinate the plan with the State plan for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10407), the State Victim Assistance Formula Grants under the Victims of Crime Act (42 U.S.C. 10603), and the Rape Prevention and Education Program (42 U.S.C. 280b-1b). The purposes of this coordination process are to provide greater diversity of projects funded and leverage efforts across the various funding streams.
(7) Although all of the entities specified in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(2) must be consulted, they do not all need to be on the “planning committee.” The planning committee must include the following, at a minimum:
(i) The State domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions as defined by 42 U.S.C. 13925(a)(32) and (33) (or dual coalition)
(ii) A law enforcement entity or State law enforcement organization
(iii) A prosecution entity or State prosecution organization
(iv) A court or the State Administrative Office of the Courts
(v) Representatives from tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal coalitions
(vi) Population specific organizations representing the most significant underserved populations and culturally specific populations in the State other than tribes, which are addressed separately.
(8) The full consultation should include more robust representation than the planning committee from each of the required groups as well as all State and Federally recognized tribes.
(c) Documentation of consultation. As part of the implementation plan, the State must either submit or retain documentation of collaboration with all the entities specified in paragraph (b) of this section and in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(2), as provided in this paragraph.
(1) States must retain all of the following documentation but are not required to submit it to OVW as part of the implementation plan:
(i) For in-person meetings, a sign-in sheet with name, title, organization, which of the required entity types ( e.g., tribal government, population specific organization, prosecution, court, state coalition) the person is representing, phone number, email address, and signature;
(ii) For online meetings, the web reports or other documentation of who participated in the meeting;
(iii) For phone meetings, documentation of who was on the call, such as a roll call or minutes; and
(iv) For any method of document review that occurred outside the context of a meeting, information such as to whom the draft implementation plan was sent, how it was sent (for example, email versus mail), and who responded.
(2) States must submit all of the following documentation to OVW as part of the implementation plan:
(i) A summary of major concerns that were raised during the planning process and how they were addressed or why they were not addressed, which should be sent to the planning committee along with any draft implementation plan and the final plan;
(ii) Documentation of collaboration for each planning committee member that documents, at a minimum:
(A) Which category the participant represents of the entities listed in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(2), such as law enforcement, state coalition, or population specific organization;
(B) Whether they were informed about meetings;
(C) Whether they attended meetings;
(D) Whether they were given drafts of the implementation plan to review;
(E) Whether they submitted comments on the draft;
(F) Whether they received a copy of the final plan and the summary of major concerns; and
(G) Any significant concerns with the final plan;
(iii) A description of efforts to reach tribes, if applicable;
(iv) An explanation of how the State determined which underserved and culturally specific populations to include.
(d) Equitable distribution. The implementation plan must describe, on an annual or four-year basis, how the State, in disbursing monies, will:
(1) Give priority to areas of varying geographic size with the greatest showing of need based on the range and availability of existing domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the population and geographic area to be served in relation to the availability of such programs in other such populations and geographic areas, including Indian reservations;
(2) Determine the amount of subgrants based on the population and geographic area to be served;
(3) Equitably distribute monies on a geographic basis including nonurban and rural areas of various geographic sizes;
(4) Recognize and meaningfully respond to the needs of underserved populations and ensure that monies set aside to fund linguistically and culturally specific services and funds for underserved populations are distributed equitably among culturally specific and other underserved populations; and
(5) Take steps to ensure that eligible applicants are aware of the STOP Program funding opportunity, including applicants serving different geographic areas and culturally specific and other underserved populations.
(e) Underserved populations. Each State may determine the methods it uses for identifying underserved populations within the State, which may include public hearings, needs assessments, task forces, and United States Census Bureau data. The implementation plan must include details regarding the methods used and the results of those methods. It must also include information on how the State plans to meet the needs of identified underserved populations, including, but not limited to, culturally specific populations, victims who are underserved because of sexual orientation or gender identity, and victims with limited English proficiency.
(f) Goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide. As required by 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(i)(2)(G), State plans must include goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide.
(1) The plan must include available statistics on the rates of domestic violence homicide within the State.
(2) As part of the State's consultation with law enforcement, prosecution, and victim service providers, the State and these entities should discuss and document the perceived accuracy of these statistics and the best ways to address domestic violence homicide.
(3) The plan must identify specific goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide, based on these discussions, which include challenges specific to the State and how the plan can overcome them.
(g) Additional contents. State plans must also include the following:
(1) Demographic information regarding the population of the State derived from the most recent available United States Census Bureau data including population data on race, ethnicity, age, disability, and limited English proficiency.
(2) A description of how the State will reach out to community-based organizations that provide linguistically and culturally specific services.
(3) A description of how the State will address the needs of sexual assault victims, domestic violence victims, dating violence victims, and stalking victims, as well as how the State will hold offenders who commit each of these crimes accountable.
(4) A description of how the State will ensure that eligible entities are aware of funding opportunities, including projects serving underserved populations as defined by 42 U.S.C. 13925(a).
(5) Information on specific projects the State plans to fund.
(6) An explanation of how the State coordinated the plan as described in paragraph (b)(6) and the impact of that coordination on the contents of the plan.
(7) If applicable, information about whether the State has submitted an assurance, a certification, or neither under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards (28 CFR part 115) and, if an assurance, how the State plans to spend STOP funds set aside for PREA compliance.
(8) A description of how the State will identify and select applicants for subgrant funding, including whether a competitive process will be used.
(h) Deadline. State plans will be due at application. If the Office on Violence Against Women determines the submitted plan is incomplete, the State will receive the award, but will not be able to access funding until the plan is completed and approved. The State will have 60 days from the award date to complete the plan. If the State does not complete it in that time, then the funds may be deobligated and the award closed.
§ 90.13   Forensic medical examination payment requirement.
(a) To be eligible for funding under this program, a State must meet the requirements at 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4(a)(1) with regard to incurring the full out-of-pocket costs of forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual assault.
(b) “Full out-of-pocket costs” means any expense that may be charged to a victim in connection with a forensic medical examination for the purpose of gathering evidence of a sexual assault ( e.g., the full cost of the examination, an insurance deductible, or a fee established by the facility conducting the examination). For individuals covered by insurance, full out-of-pocket costs means any costs that the insurer does not pay.
(c) Coverage of the cost of additional procedures ( e.g., testing for sexually transmitted diseases) may be determined by the State or governmental entity responsible for paying the costs.
(d) States are strongly discouraged from billing a victim's private insurance and may only do so as a source of payment for the exams if they are not using STOP Program funds to pay for the cost of the exams. In addition, any expenses not covered by the insurer must be covered by the State or other governmental entity and cannot be billed to the victim. This includes any deductibles or denial of claims by the insurer.
(e) The State or other governmental entity responsible for paying the costs of forensic medical exams must coordinate with health care providers in the region to notify victims of sexual assault of the availability of rape exams at no cost to the victims. States can meet this obligation by partnering with associations that are likely to have the broadest reach to the relevant health care providers, such as forensic nursing or hospital associations. States with significant tribal populations should also consider reaching out to local Indian Health Service facilities.
§ 90.14   Judicial notification requirement.
(a) To be eligible for funding under this program, a State must meet the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4(e) with regard to judicial notification to domestic violence offenders of Federal prohibitions on their possession of a firearm or ammunition in 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) and (9) and any applicable related Federal, State, or local laws..
(b) A unit of local government shall not be eligible for subgrants from the State unless it complies with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4(e) with respect to its judicial administrative policies and practices.
§ 90.15   Costs for criminal charges and protection orders.
(a) To be eligible for funding under this program, a State must meet the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-5 with regard to not requiring victims to bear the costs for criminal charges and protection orders in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
(b) An Indian tribal government, unit of local government, or court shall not be eligible for subgrants from the State unless it complies with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-5 with respect to its laws, policies, and practices not requiring victims to bear the costs for criminal charges and protection orders in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
§ 90.16   Polygraph testing prohibition.
(a) For a State to be eligible for funding under this program, the State must meet the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-8 with regard to prohibiting polygraph testing of sexual assault victims.
(b) An Indian tribal government or unit of local government shall not be eligible for subgrants from the State unless it complies with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-8 with respect to its laws, policies, or practices prohibiting polygraph testing of sexual assault victims.
§ 90.17   Subgranting of funds.
(a) In general. Funds granted to qualified States are to be further subgranted by the State to agencies, offices, and programs including, but not limited to, State agencies and offices; State and local courts; units of local government; public agencies; Indian tribal governments; victim service providers; community-based organizations; and legal services programs to carry out programs and projects to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women, and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women, and specifically for the purposes listed in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg(b) and according to the allocations specified in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(4) for law enforcement, prosecution, victim services, and courts.
(b) Administrative costs. States are allowed to use up to ten percent of the award amount for each allocation category under 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(4) (law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services, and discretionary) to support the State's administrative costs. Amounts not used for administrative costs should be used to support subgrants.
(1) Funds for administration may be used only for costs directly associated with administering the STOP Program. Where allowable administrative costs are allocable to both the STOP Program and another State program, the STOP Program grant may be charged no more than its proportionate share of such costs.
(2) Costs directly associated with administering the STOP Program generally include the following:
(i) Salaries and benefits of State office staff and consultants to administer and manage the program;
(ii) Training of State office staff, including, but not limited to, travel, registration fees, and other expenses associated with State office staff attendance at technical assistance meetings and conferences relevant to the program;
(iii) Monitoring compliance of STOP Program subgrantees with Federal and State requirements, provision of technical assistance, and evaluation and assessment of program activities, including, but not limited to, travel, mileage, and other associated expenses;
(iv) Reporting and related activities necessary to meet Federal and State requirements;
(v) Program evaluation, including, but not limited to, surveys or studies that measure the effect or outcome of victim services;
(vi) Program audit costs and related activities necessary to meet Federal audit requirements for the STOP Program grant;
(vii) Technology-related costs, generally including for grant management systems, electronic communications systems and platforms ( e.g., Web pages and social media), geographic information systems, related equipment ( e.g., computers, software, facsimile and copying machines, and TTY/TDDs) and related technology support services necessary for administration of the program;
(viii) Memberships in organizations that support the management and administration of violence against women programs, except if such organizations engage in lobbying, and publications and materials such as curricula, literature, and protocols relevant to the management and administration of the program;
(ix) Strategic planning, including, but not limited to, the development of strategic plans, both service and financial, including conducting surveys and needs assessments;
(x) Coordination and collaboration efforts among relevant Federal, State, and local agencies and organizations to improve victim services;
(xi) Publications, including, but not limited to, developing, purchasing, printing, distributing training materials, victim services directories, brochures, and other relevant publications; and
(xii) General program improvements—enhancing overall State office operations relating to the program and improving the delivery and quality of STOP Program funded services throughout the State.
§ 90.18   Matching funds.
(a) In general. Subject to certain exclusions, States are required to provide a 25-percent non-Federal match. This does not apply to territories. This 25-percent match may be cash or in-kind services. States are expected to submit written documentation that identifies the source of the match. Funds awarded to victim service providers for victim services or to tribes are excluded from the total award amount for purposes of calculating match. This includes funds that are awarded under the “discretionary” allocation for victim services purposes and funds that are reallocated from other categories to victim services.
(b) In-kind match. In-kind match may include donations of expendable equipment; office supplies; workshop or education and training materials; work space; or the monetary value of time contributed by professional and technical personnel and other skilled and unskilled labor, if the services provided are an integral and necessary part of a funded project. Value for in-kind match is guided by 2 CFR 200.306. The value placed on loaned equipment may not exceed its fair rental value. The value placed on donated services must be consistent with the rate of compensation paid for similar work in the organization or the labor market. Fringe benefits may be included in the valuation. Volunteer services must be documented and, to the extent feasible, supported by the same valuation methods used by the recipient organization for its own employees. The value of donated space may not exceed the fair rental value of comparable space, as established by an independent appraisal of comparable space and facilities in a privately owned building in the same locality. The value for donated supplies shall be reasonable and not exceed the fair market value at the time of the donation. The basis for determining the value of personal services, materials, equipment, and space must be documented.
(c) Tribes and victim services providers. States may not require match to be provided in subgrants for Indian tribes or victim services providers.
(d) Waiver. States may petition the Office on Violence Against Women for a waiver of match if they are able to adequately demonstrate financial need.
(1) State match waiver. States may apply for full or partial waivers of match by submitting specific documentation of financial need. Documentation must include the following:
(i) The sources of non-Federal funds available to the State for match and the amount available from each source, including in-kind match and match provided by subgrantees or other entities;
(ii) Efforts made by the State to obtain the matching funds, including, if applicable, letters from other State agencies stating that the funds available from such agencies may not be used for match;
(iii) The specific dollar amount or percentage waiver that is requested;
(iv) Cause and extent of the constraints on projected ability to raise violence against women program matching funds and changed circumstances that make past sources of match unavailable; and
(v) If applicable, specific evidence of economic distress, such as documentation of double-digit unemployment rates or designation as a Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated disaster area.
(vi) In a request for a partial waiver of match for a particular allocation, the State could provide letters from the entities under that allocation attesting to their financial hardship.
(2) Demonstration of ability to provide violence against women matching funds. The State must demonstrate how the submitted documentation affects the State's ability to provide violence against women matching funds. For example, if a State shows that across the board budget cuts have directly reduced violence against women funding by 20 percent, that State would be considered for a 20 percent waiver, not a full waiver. Reductions in Federal funds are not relevant to State match unless the State can show that the reduced Federal funding directly reduced available State violence against women funds.
(e) Accountability. All funds designated as match are restricted to the same uses as the program funds as set forth in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg(b) and must be expended within the grant period. The State must ensure that match is identified in a manner that guarantees its accountability during an audit.
§ 90.19   Application content.
(a) Format. Applications from the States for the STOP Program must be submitted as described in the annual solicitation. The Office on Violence Against Women will notify each State office as designated pursuant to § 90.11 when the annual solicitation is available. The solicitation will include guidance on how to prepare and submit an application for grants under this subpart.
(b) Requirements. The application shall include all information required under 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(d).
§ 90.21   Evaluation.
(a) Recipients of funds under this subpart must agree to cooperate with Federally-sponsored evaluations of their projects.
(b) Recipients of STOP Program funds are strongly encouraged to develop a local evaluation strategy to assess the impact and effectiveness of the program funded under the STOP Program. Funds may not be used for conducting research or evaluations. Applicants should consider entering into partnerships with research organizations that are submitting simultaneous grant applications to the National Institute of Justice for this purpose.
§ 90.22   Review of State applications.
(a) General. The provisions of Part T of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 3796gg et seq., and of this subpart provide the basis for review and approval or disapproval of State applications and amendments.
(b) Intergovernmental review. This program is covered by Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and implementing regulations at 28 CFR part 30. A copy of the application submitted to the Office on Violence Against Women should also be submitted at the same time to the State's Single Point of Contact, if there is a Single Point of Contact.
§ 90.23   Annual grantee and subgrantee reporting.
Subgrantees shall complete annual progress reports and submit them to the State, which shall review them and submit them to OVW or as otherwise directed. In addition, the State shall complete an annual progress report, including an assessment of whether or not annual goals and objectives were achieved.
§ 90.24   Activities that may compromise victim safety and recovery.
Because of the overall purpose of the STOP Program to enhance victim safety and offender accountability, grant funds may not be used to support activities that compromise victim safety and recovery. The grant program solicitation each year will provide examples of such activities.
§ 90.25   Reallocation of funds.
This section implements 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(j), regarding reallocation of funds.
(a) Returned funds. A State may reallocate funds returned to the State, within a reasonable amount of time before the award end date.
(b) Insufficient eligible applications. A State may also reallocate funds if the State does not receive sufficient eligible applications to award the full funding under the allocations in 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(c)(4). An “eligible” application is one that is from an eligible entity that has the capacity to perform the proposed services, proposes activities within the scope of the program, and does not propose significant activities that compromise victim safety. States should have the following information on file to document the lack of sufficient eligible applications:
(1) A copy of their solicitation;
(2) Documentation on how the solicitation was distributed, including all outreach efforts to entities from the allocation in question, which entities the State reached out to that did not apply, and, if known, why those entities did not apply;
(3) An explanation of their selection process;
(4) A list of who participated in the selection process (name, title, and employer);
(5) Number of applications that were received for the specific allocation category;
(6) Information about the applications received, such as what agency or organization they were from, how much money they were requesting, and any reasons the applications were not funded;
(7) If applicable, letters from any relevant State-wide body explaining the lack of applications, such as from the State Court Administrator if the State is seeking to reallocate money from courts; and
(8) For the culturally specific allocation, in addition to the items in paragraphs (b)(1) through (7) of this section, demographic statistics of the relevant racial and ethnic minority groups within the State and documentation that the State has reached out to relevant organizations within the State or national organizations.
§ 90.30   Definitions.
The definitions in 25 U.S.C. 1304(a) apply to the Reimbursement to Tribal Governments for Expenses Incurred in Exercising Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (hereinafter referred to as “the Tribal Reimbursement Program” or “this program”).
§ 90.31   Eligibility.
(a) Tribal governments eligible to seek reimbursement under this program are the governments of Tribal entities recognized by and eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs by virtue of their status as Indian Tribes, that exercise Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ), as defined by 25 U.S.C. 1304(a)(14) or section 812(5) of Public Law 117-103 (“participating Tribes”).
(b) Tribes that are in the planning phases prior to implementing STCJ are not eligible for reimbursement of planning costs from this program.
(c) Participating Tribes that are currently exercising jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders who commit any covered crime, as defined by 25 U.S.C. 1304(a)(5), and are in the planning phase to exercise jurisdiction over additional covered crimes are eligible for reimbursement with regard to the cases for which they already are exercising jurisdiction but not for planning costs.
§ 90.32   Reimbursement request.
Each year for which funds are available for the Tribal Reimbursement Program, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will issue a Notice of Reimbursement Opportunity with instructions on how to apply for the maximum allowable reimbursement. The reimbursement request for each participating Tribe will include a certification that the participating Tribe meets the eligibility requirements of § 90.31. It will also include a list of expenses that the participating Tribe incurred in exercising STCJ in the previous year, in categories such as law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, pre-trial services, corrections, and probation. If a participating Tribe has newly implemented tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians and therefore cannot submit 12 months' worth of expenses for the prior year, the participating Tribe may use estimated amounts for each category of expenses.
§ 90.33   Division of funds: maximum allowable reimbursement and waivers.
OVW will set aside for this program up to 40 percent of funds appropriated pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 1304(j), unless otherwise provided by law. The funds set aside for the Tribal Reimbursement Program will be divided into two parts: one part that will guarantee the availability of funds for each participating Tribe that requests reimbursement up to the maximum allowable reimbursement, and one part that will fund waivers of the maximum. In the first year that OVW administers appropriated funds for this program, OVW will allot 25 percent of Tribal Reimbursement Program funds for maximum allowable reimbursements. In subsequent years, OVW may adjust this percentage, based on the appropriations available, the number of participating Tribes, the extent to which participating Tribes expend the maximum allowable reimbursement in the prior year, and the total dollar amount of waivers requested during the prior year. OVW also may consider whether demand for grant funds under the Tribal Jurisdiction Program warrants adjusting this percentage.
§ 90.34   Annual maximum allowable reimbursement per participating Tribe.
Each participating Tribe will receive access to an equal portion of the funds set aside for maximum allowable reimbursements under § 90.33 ( e.g., 25 percent of the total funds available for the Tribal Reimbursement Program), unless their prior year expenses were less than the maximum amount, in which case they will be limited to the actual amount of their prior year expenses. Over the course of a calendar year, participating Tribes may draw down funds from the maximum allowable reimbursement as needed for eligible expenses as described in § 90.36. Participating Tribes are not required to provide documentation at the time they draw down from the maximum allowable reimbursement. Participating Tribes must provide a summary of eligible expenses at the end of the calendar year, which must identify actual expenditures eligible for reimbursement, including dollar amounts for each expenditure and how they were calculated, and must keep documentation on file to support each claimed expense. Such documentation must be sufficient to meet the standards that 2 CFR part 200 provides for grants.
§ 90.35   Conditions for waiver of annual maximum.
(a) If participating Tribes incur eligible expenses in excess of their annual maximum allowable reimbursement, they may request a waiver of the annual maximum at the end of the calendar year. Requests for a waiver must include the summary of eligible expenses required by section 90.34 that shows how the maximum allowable reimbursement funds were spent and an additional summary of eligible expenses that identifies actual expenditures eligible for reimbursement in excess of the maximum, including dollar amounts for each expenditure and how they were calculated. Participating Tribes are not required to provide documentation at the end of the calendar year when they submit their waiver request but must keep documentation on file to support each claimed expense. Such documentation must be sufficient to meet the standards that 2 CFR part 200 provides for grants.
(b) Waivers will be calculated at the end of the calendar year based on available funds. If there are not sufficient funds available to reimburse the total eligible expenses requested by all participating Tribes, each Tribe will get the same percentage of their additional costs met. This percentage will be calculated by comparing the funds available and the total amount requested for waivers.
§ 90.36   Categories of expenses eligible for reimbursement.
Participating Tribes may apply for the maximum allowable reimbursement and waiver funds for the following expenses associated with the exercise of STCJ for each calendar year. For an expense to be eligible, the cost must be incurred in response to a report of a covered crime committed by a non-Indian, but there does not need to be an arrest or a prosecution for the offense. The summary of eligible expenses submitted each year must demonstrate how costs were calculated. Following are examples of types of eligible costs that participating Tribes may include and basis for calculations.
(a) Law enforcement expenses such as officer time (including response, interviews, follow-up, report writing, and court time); sexual assault kits or other evidentiary supplies; and testing, analysis, and storage of evidence. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to SCTJ cases.
(b) Incarceration expenses such as prison and jail costs and prisoner transportation costs, whether through contract or Tribally owned facilities. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to STCJ cases and may be based on per diem costs for housing non-Indian offenders.
(c) Offender medical and dental expenses not otherwise covered by insurance policies or federal sources such as Medicaid, including costs for insurance for offenders. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to STCJ cases.
(d) Prosecution expenses such as staff time (including meetings, interviews, filings, research, preparation, court, and other time that can be demonstrated as allocable to prosecuting a covered crime); expert witness fees; exhibits; witness costs; and copying costs. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to STCJ cases.
(e) Defense counsel expenses such as staff time (including meetings, interviews, filings, research, preparation, court, and other time that can be demonstrated as allocable to defending one or more non-Indian offenders charged with one or more covered crimes); competency evaluations; expert witness fees; exhibits; witness costs; and copying costs. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual cost. If the defense counsel is provided by contract, then the reimbursement amount can be based on the invoiced cost to the participating Tribe.
(f) Court expenses such as judge and court staff time; postage for summoning jurors; jury fees; witness costs; and competency evaluation or other mental health evaluations ordered by the court. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to STCJ cases.
(g) Community supervision/re-entry expenses such as probation, parole, or other staff time; electronic or other monitoring fees; chemical dependency testing; batterer or sex offender evaluation and treatment; and pre-sentence investigation costs. Requests for reimbursement must be based on actual costs attributed to STCJ cases.
(h) Indirect costs based on a current federally approved indirect cost rate agreement.
(i) Other costs incurred in, relating to, or associated with exercising STCJ. Participating Tribes requesting reimbursement for costs in this category must demonstrate that the cost is incurred in, relating to, or associated with exercise of STCJ.
§ 90.37   Ineligible expenses.
Participating Tribes are not permitted to request reimbursement for the following:
(a) Planning: Expenses associated with planning to exercise STCJ, such as code drafting.
(b) Training, including costs for training criminal justice personnel, court personnel, or others.
(c) Any expenses not incurred in, relating to, or associated with exercising STCJ.
§ 90.38   Collection of expenses from offenders.
If a participating Tribe recoups expenses related to exercise of STCJ from the convicted offenders prior to receiving reimbursement for such expenses, then the recouped funds shall be used prior to seeking reimbursement through the Tribal Reimbursement Program. If a participating Tribe recoups expenses related to exercise of STCJ from the convicted offenders subsequent to receiving reimbursement for such expenses, such funds must be used toward exercise of STCJ.
§ 90.39   Expenses documentation.
Documentation of expenses retained on file by participating Tribes pursuant to sections 90.34 and 90.35 must be adequate for an audit. At a minimum, participating Tribes must retain the general accounting ledger and all supporting documents, including invoices, sales receipts, or other proof of expenses incurred for those expenses reimbursed by the Tribal Reimbursement Program. Such records must be retained for a period of three years from the end of the calendar year during which the participating Tribe sought reimbursement. All financial records pertinent to the Tribal Reimbursement Program, including the general accounting ledger and all supporting documents, are subject to agency review during the calendar year in which reimbursement is sought, during any audit, and for the three-year retention period.
§ 90.40   Other sources of funding.
If there are other sources of federal funding available to pay for a particular cost associated with the exercise of STCJ, participating Tribes must expend funds from those sources before seeking reimbursement from this program. Examples include existing Department of Justice grant funds, Medicare/Medicaid, and Bureau of Indian Affairs funding.
§ 90.41   Denial of specific expenses for reimbursement.
If reimbursement of specific expenses is denied, the participating Tribe may request review of the denial via a letter to the OVW Director stating the reason why the denied expense was eligible for reimbursement. OVW must receive the letter within 30 calendar days of the denial. The OVW Director will review the letter and notify the participating Tribe of a final decision within 30 days of receipt of the letter.
§ 90.42   Monitoring and audit.
Tribes receiving reimbursement of expenses under the Tribal Reimbursement Program will be subject to regular monitoring and audits to ensure that expenses are properly documented and are allocable to the exercise of STCJ.
§ 90.43   Corrective action.
Reimbursement requests later found not to meet statutory, regulatory, or other program requirements may result in a corrective action plan and/or recovery/recoupment. Participating Tribes that fail to submit the required summary of eligible expenses under §§ 90.34 and 90.35, respond to requests for information during monitoring or auditing, or follow a corrective action plan or return funds expended on ineligible expenses will be deemed ineligible for additional Tribal Reimbursement Program funds, in the same or another calendar year, until such deficiencies are remedied.
§ 90.60   Scope.
The eligibility criteria, purpose areas, application requirements, and statutory priorities for this program are established by 42 U.S.C. 3796hh et seq.
§ 90.61   Definitions and grant conditions.
(a) In general. For purposes of this subpart, the definitions and grant conditions in 42 U.S.C. 13925 apply.
(b) Unit of local government. For the purpose of this subpart, a unit of local government is any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State. The following are not considered units of local government for purposes of this subpart:
(1) Police departments;
(2) Pre-trial service agencies;
(3) District or city attorneys' offices;
(4) Sheriffs' departments;
(5) Probation and parole departments;
(6) Shelters;
(7) Nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service providers; and
(8) Universities.
§ 90.62   Purposes.
(a) Purpose areas for the program are provided by 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(b).
(b) Grants awarded for these purposes must demonstrate meaningful attention to victim safety and offender accountability.
§ 90.63   Eligibility.
(a) Eligible entities. Eligible entities are described in 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(c).
(b) Certifications —(1) State, local, and tribal governments. State, local, and tribal government applicants must certify that they meet the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(c)(A)-(E) or that they will meet the requirements by the statutory deadline.
(2) Courts. Court applicants must certify that they meet the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(c)(C)-(E) or that they will meet the requirements by the statutory deadline.
(3) State, tribal, or territorial domestic violence or sexual assault coalitions or victim service providers. Applicants that are domestic violence or sexual assault coalitions or other victim service providers must partner with a State, local, or tribal government. The partner government must certify that it meets the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(c)(A)-(E) or that it will meet the requirements by the statutory deadline.
(4) Letters. Eligible applicants or partners must submit a letter with proper certifications signed by the chief executive officer of the State, local government, or tribal government participating in the project, in order to satisfy these statutory requirements. OVW will not accept submission of statutes, laws or policies in lieu of such a letter.
(c) Partnerships —(1) Governments and courts. All State, local, and tribal government and court applicants are required to enter into a formal collaboration with victim service providers and, as appropriate, population specific organizations. Sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking victim service providers must be involved in the development and implementation of the project. In addition to the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 13925, victim service providers should meet the following criteria:
(i) Address a demonstrated need in their communities by providing services that promote the dignity and self-sufficiency of victims, improve their access to resources, and create options for victims seeking safety from perpetrator violence; and
(ii) Do not engage in or promote activities that compromise victim safety.
(2) Coalitions and victim service providers. All State, tribal, or territorial domestic violence or sexual assault coalition and other victim service provider applicants are required to enter into a formal collaboration with a State, Indian tribal government or unit of local government, and, as appropriate, population specific organizations.
§ 90.64   Speedy notice to victims.
(a) In general. A State or unit of local government shall not be entitled to 5 percent of the funds allocated under this subpart, unless the State or unit of local government certifies that it meets the requirements regarding speedy notice to victims provided in 42 U.S.C. 3796hh(d).
(b) Units of local governments. (1) Units of local government grantees may certify based on State or local law, policy, or regulation.
(2) In the event that a unit of local government does not have authority to prosecute “crime[s] in which by force or threat of force the perpetrator compels the victim to engage in sexual activity[,]” the unit of local government may submit a letter from an appropriate legal authority in the jurisdiction certifying that the jurisdiction does not have the authority to prosecute “crime[s] in which by force or threat of force the perpetrator compels the victim to engage in sexual activity” and that therefore the certification is not relevant to the unit of local government in question.
§ 90.65   Application content.
(a) Format. Applications from eligible entities must be submitted as described in the relevant program solicitation developed by the Office on Violence Against Women and must include all the information required by 42 U.S.C. 3796hh-1(a).
(b) Certification. Each eligible applicant must certify that all the information contained in the application is correct. All submissions will be treated as a material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed, and any false or incomplete representation may result in suspension or termination of funding, recovery of funds provided, and civil and/or criminal sanctions.
§ 90.66   Evaluation.
(a) Recipients of Arrest Program funds must agree to cooperate with federally-sponsored research and evaluation studies of their projects at the direction of the Office on Violence Against Women.
(b) Grant funds may not be used for purposes of conducting research or evaluations. Recipients of Arrest Program funds are, however, strongly encouraged to develop a local evaluation strategy to assess the impact and effectiveness of their projects. Applicants should consider entering into partnerships with research organizations that are submitting simultaneous grant applications to the National Institute of Justice or other research funding sources for this purpose.
§ 90.67   Review of applications.
The provisions of 42 U.S.C. 3796 et seq. and this subpart provide the basis for review and approval or disapproval of applications and amendments in whole or in part.