Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices 28839 

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. 

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 Letter of 

Assurance is 11:59 p.m. June 28, 2021. 

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’’ 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: 

• 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; 

• 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; 

• 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; 

• Improving and 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); 

• Costs associated with establishing 

new, or improving existing processes for 

responding to alleged scams and frauds; 

• Costs associated with community 

outreach; 

• Costs associated with providing 

goods and services to APS clients; 

• Acquiring personal protection 

equipment and supplies; 

• Paying for extended hours/overtime for staff, hiring temporary staff, and 

associated personnel costs; 

• Training costs; 

• 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. 

In addition, grantees will be required 

to create a 3–5 year plan for improving 

and enhancing their APS system at the 

state and local level, and submit it to 

ACL within 6-months of the award date. 

ACL will provide all grantees with indepth technical assistance and tools to 

support grantees in planning for and 

developing the plans. 

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)). 

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, 2021 and an estimated 

end date of September 30, 2023. The 

total available funding for this 

opportunity is $86,060,000. Below are 

the projected award amounts: 

State/territory Projected 

amount 

Alabama ................................ $1,253,632 

Alaska ................................... 645,450 

Arizona .................................. 1,865,376 

Arkansas ............................... 761,967 

California ............................... 8,687,314 

Colorado ............................... 1,274,252 

Connecticut ........................... 937,381 

Delaware ............................... 645,450 

Dist. of Columbia .................. 129,080 

Florida ................................... 6,321,959 

Georgia ................................. 2,283,242 

Hawaii ................................... 645,450 

Idaho ..................................... 645,450 

Illinois .................................... 3,047,328 

Indiana .................................. 1,618,610 

Iowa ...................................... 811,164 

Kansas .................................. 704,707 

Kentucky ............................... 1,115,193 

Louisiana .............................. 1,110,372 

28840 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices 

State/territory Projected 

amount 

Maine .................................... 645,450 

Maryland ............................... 1,440,997 

Massachusetts ...................... 1,735,714 

Michigan ............................... 2,629,735 

Minnesota ............................. 1,376,357 

Mississippi ............................ 722,828 

Missouri ................................ 1,569,549 

Montana ................................ 645,450 

Nebraska .............................. 645,450 

Nevada ................................. 729,486 

New Hampshire .................... 645,450 

New Jersey ........................... 2,201,359 

New Mexico .......................... 645,450 

New York .............................. 4,864,372 

North Carolina ...................... 2,579,576 

North Dakota ........................ 645,450 

Ohio ...................................... 3,042,896 

Oklahoma ............................. 937,536 

Oregon .................................. 1,111,411 

Pennsylvania ........................ 3,520,052 

Rhode Island ........................ 645,450 

South Carolina ...................... 1,366,031 

South Dakota ........................ 645,450 

Tennessee ............................ 1,688,868 

Texas .................................... 5,659,858 

Utah ...................................... 645,450 

Vermont ................................ 645,450 

Virginia .................................. 2,021,926 

Washington ........................... 1,799,233 

West Virginia ........................ 645,450 

Wisconsin ............................. 1,517,845 

Wyoming ............................... 645,450 

American Samoa .................. 86,060 

Guam .................................... 86,060 

Northern Marianas ................ 86,060 

Puerto Rico ........................... 951,354 

Virgin Islands ........................ 86,060 

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 the grantee will reserve 

a reasonable portion of the funds to 

create a 3–5 year plan for improving and 

enhancing their APS system at the state 

and local level, and that the completed 

plan will be submitted to ACL within 

the first 6 months 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: 

• 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; 

• Working with tribal adult protective 

services efforts; 

• Improving or enhancing existing 

APS processes; 

• Improving and supporting remote 

work; 

• 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; 

• Establishing new, or improving 

existing processes for responding to 

alleged scams and frauds; 

• Community outreach; 

• Providing goods and services to 

APS clients; 

• Acquiring personal protection 

equipment and supplies; 

• Paying for extended hours/overtime for staff, hiring temporary staff, and 

associated personnel costs; 

• Training; 

• 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 must be 

submitted along with the Letter of 

Assurance. The Initial Spend Plan 

should outline how the state/territory 

intends to spend their 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 12 pt font and 1′′ margins, with a 

layout of 8.5′′ x 11′′ paper. 

C. DUNS Number 

All grant applicants must obtain and 

keep current a D–U–N–S number from 

Dun and Bradstreet. It is a nine-digit 

identification number, which provides 

unique identifiers of single business 

entities. The D–U–N–S number can be 

obtained from: https://www.dnb.com/ 

duns-number.html. 

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 containing all the 

information outlined in Section III A. & 

B. above. 

Letters of Assurance and the Initial 

Spend Plan 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 aps@

acl.hhs.gov. 

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 June 28, 2021. Letters of 

Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan 

should be submitted electronically via 

email to aps@acl.hhs.gov and have an 

electronic time stamp indicating the 

date/time submitted. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

A. Programmatic Issues/Questions 

Direct programmatic inquiries to: 

Stephanie Whittier Eliason, Email: 

stephanie.whittiereliason@acl.hhs.gov, 

Phone: 202.795.7467. 

B. Fiscal Issues/Questions 

Direct fiscal inquiries to: Gina 

Matrassi, Email: gina.matrassi@

acl.hhs.gov, Phone: 202.795.7439. 

C. Submission Issues/Questions 

Direct inquiries regarding submission 

of the Letters of Assurance of Initial 

Spend Plan to aps@acl.hhs.gov. ACL 

will provide a response within 2 

business days. 

Dated: May 24, 2021. 

Alison Barkoff, 

Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary 

for Aging. 

[FR Doc. 2021–11343 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4154–01–P