[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31891-31893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11175]


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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: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Grants to Enhance Adult 
Protective Services (FY 2022).
    Announcement Type: Initial.
    Statutory Authority: The statutory authority for grants under this 
program announcement is contained in the Elder Justice Act Section 
2042(b) of Title XX of the Social Security Act [Pub. L. 74-271] [As 
Amended Through Pub. L. 115-123, Enacted February 9, 2018] as 
referenced in Section 9301of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. 
L. 117-2).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.747.
    Dates: The deadline date for the submission of the American Rescue 
Plan Act of 2021: Grants to Enhance Adult Protective Services FY 2022 
Letter of Assurance is 11:59 p.m. EST June 24, 2022.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is establishing the 
``American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Grants to Enhance Adult Protective 
Services FY 2022'' 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 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2). In accordance 
with these statutes, the purpose of this opportunity is to enhance and 
improve adult protective services provided by states and local units of 
government.
    Funds awarded under this opportunity will provide Adult Protective 
Services (APS) programs in the states 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:
    <bullet> Establishing or enhancing the availability for elder 
shelters and other emergency, short-term housing and accompanying 
``wrap-around'' services for APS clients;
    <bullet> 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;
    <bullet> 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 National Adult Maltreatment Reporting 
System (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;
    <bullet> 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;
    <bullet> Improving and supporting remote work, such as the purchase 
of communications and technology hardware, software, or infrastructure 
in order to provide adult protective services;
    <bullet> 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);
    <bullet> Costs associated with establishing new, or improving 
existing processes for responding to alleged scams and frauds;
    <bullet> Costs associated with community outreach;
    <bullet> Costs associated with providing goods and services to APS 
clients;
    <bullet> Acquiring personal protection equipment and supplies;
    <bullet> Paying for extended hours/over-time for staff, hiring 
temporary staff, and associated personnel costs;
    <bullet> Training costs;
    <bullet> 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.
    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. 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 in the state. This funding must 
supplement and not supplant existing funding for APS provided by states 
and local units of government. Additionally, award recipients will be 
required to submit semi-annual 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 and territory (EJA Section 2042(b)(3)(B)).

[[Page 31892]]

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 announcement, 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.
    Awards made under this announcement have an estimated start date of 
August 1, 2022 and an estimated end date of September 30, 2024. The 
total available funding for this opportunity is $163,646,000. Below are 
the projected award amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Projected
                      State/ territory                          amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.....................................................  $2,382,193
Alaska......................................................   1,227,345
Arizona.....................................................   3,616,372
Arkansas....................................................   1,443,035
California..................................................  16,437,221
Colorado....................................................   2,439,994
Connecticut.................................................   1,776,855
Delaware....................................................   1,227,345
Dist. of Columbia...........................................     244,720
Florida.....................................................  12,087,354
Georgia.....................................................   4,377,839
Hawaii......................................................   1,227,345
Idaho.......................................................   1,227,345
Illinois....................................................   5,750,992
Indiana.....................................................   3,070,139
Iowa........................................................   1,535,026
Kansas......................................................   1,334,740
Kentucky....................................................   2,112,929
Louisiana...................................................   2,109,473
Maine.......................................................   1,227,345
Maryland....................................................   2,740,164
Massachusetts...............................................   3,289,234
Michigan....................................................   4,977,667
Minnesota...................................................   2,622,975
Mississippi.................................................   1,369,378
Missouri....................................................   2,979,772
Montana.....................................................   1,227,345
Nebraska....................................................   1,227,345
Nevada......................................................   1,409,017
New Hampshire...............................................   1,227,345
New Jersey..................................................   4,168,871
New Mexico..................................................   1,227,345
New York....................................................   9,195,346
North Carolina..............................................   4,937,892
North Dakota................................................   1,227,345
Ohio........................................................   5,750,910
Oklahoma....................................................   1,780,936
Oregon......................................................   2,107,701
Pennsylvania................................................   6,646,693
Rhode Island................................................   1,227,345
South Carolina..............................................   2,627,163
South Dakota................................................   1,227,345
Tennessee...................................................   3,221,883
Texas.......................................................  10,846,822
Utah........................................................   1,227,345
Vermont.....................................................   1,227,345
Virginia....................................................   3,850,700
Washington..................................................   3,421,084
West Virginia...............................................   1,227,345
Wisconsin...................................................   2,888,644
Wyoming.....................................................   1,227,345
American Samoa..............................................     163,646
Guam........................................................     163,646
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands................     163,646
Puerto Rico.................................................   1,802,162
Virgin Islands..............................................     163,646
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. Select one of the following:
    a. Assurance that the award recipient's previously submitted and 
approved 3-5 year operational plan for improving and enhancing their 
APS system at the state and local level remains accurate, and that they 
intend to follow that plan in expending their FY 2022 grant funds; OR
    b. Assurance that the award recipient has included an initial spend 
plan for the FY 2022 funds and will provide an updated 3-5 operational 
plan within 90 days of award.
    4. Assurance that funds will be spent in ways consistent with the 
Elder Justice Act Section 2042(b); Section 9301 of the American Rescue 
Plan Act of 2021; and guidance provided by ACL, including the examples 
of activities consistent with the purposes of the authorizing 
legislation contained in the Federal Register Notice:
    <bullet> Establishing or enhancing the availability for elder 
shelters and other emergency, short-term housing and accompanying 
``wrap-around'' services;
    <bullet> Establishing, expanding, or enhancing state-wide and 
local-level elder justice networks;
    <bullet> Working with tribal adult protective services efforts;
    <bullet> Improving or enhancing existing APS processes;
    <bullet> Improving and supporting remote work;
    <bullet> 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;
    <bullet> Establishing new, or improving existing processes for 
responding to alleged scams and frauds;
    <bullet> Community outreach;
    <bullet> Providing goods and services to APS clients;
    <bullet> Acquiring personal protection equipment and supplies;
    <bullet> Paying for extended hours/over-time for staff, hiring 
temporary staff, and associated personnel costs;
    <bullet> Training;
    <bullet> Assisting APS clients secure the least restrictive option 
for emergency or alternative housing, and with obtaining, providing, or 
coordinating with care transitions as appropriate.
    5. Assurance to provide semi-annual federal financial reports and 
annual program reports related to the activities performed.

B. Initial Spend Plan

    An Initial Spend Plan is required only if the previously submitted 
and approved 3-5 year operational plan needs to be updated. The Initial 
Spend Plan should outline how the state/territory intends to spend 
their FY 2022 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 submitted in response to this opportunity 
is considered a preliminary framework for how the state/territory will 
plan to spend these funds. 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.

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.

[[Page 31893]]

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. & B. above.
    Materials should be addressed to: Alison Barkoff, Acting 
Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a8c9d8dbe8c9cbc486c0c0db86cfc7de"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="81e0f1f2c1e0e2edafe9e9f2afe6eef7">[email protected]</span></a>.

B. Submission Dates and Times

    To receive consideration, Letters of Assurance and the Initial 
Spend Plan must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on EST June 24, 
2022, Letters of Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan should be 
submitted electronically via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#127362615273717e3c7a7a613c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3f5e4f4c7f5e5c531157574c11585049">[email protected]</span></a> and have an 
electronic time stamp indicating the date/time submitted.

VII. Agency Contacts

A. Programmatic Issues/Questions

    Direct programmatic inquiries to: Elizabeth Petruy, Email: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#47222b2e3d262522332f6937223335323e0726242b692f2f3469202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92f7fefbe8f3f0f7e6fabce2f7e6e0e7ebd2f3f1febcfafae1bcf5fde4">[email protected]</span></a>, Phone: 202.260.0868.

B. Submission Issues/Questions

    Direct inquiries regarding submission of applications to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2b4a5b586b4a484705434358054c445d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d6c7d7e4d6c6e612365657e236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>. ACL will provide a response within 2 business days.

    Dated: May 19, 2022.
Alison Barkoff,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2022-11175 Filed 5-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P


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