Availability of Program Application Instructions for Adult Protective Services Funding, 28839-28840 [2021-11343]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Administration for Community Living

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 102 (Friday, May 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28839-28840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11343]



[[Page 28839]]

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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.
    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/over-time 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 in-depth 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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Projected
                     State/territory                          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

[[Page 28840]]

 
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/over-time 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 [email protected].

B. Submission Dates and Times

    To receive consideration, Letters of Assurance and the Initial 
Spend Plan must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 28, 
2021. Letters of Assurance and the Initial Spend Plan should be 
submitted electronically via email to [email protected] and have an 
electronic time stamp indicating the date/time submitted.

VII. Agency Contacts

A. Programmatic Issues/Questions

    Direct programmatic inquiries to: Stephanie Whittier Eliason, 
Email: [email protected], Phone: 202.795.7467.

B. Fiscal Issues/Questions

    Direct fiscal inquiries to: Gina Matrassi, Email: 
[email protected], Phone: 202.795.7439.

C. Submission Issues/Questions

    Direct inquiries regarding submission of the Letters of Assurance 
of Initial Spend Plan to [email protected]. 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