§ 345.30 - What is the content of an application for a development grant?

(a) Applicants for development grants under this program shall include the following information in their applications:

(1) Information identifying the lead agency designated by the Governor under § 345.4 and the evidence described in § 345.6(b).

(2) A description of the nature and extent of involvement of various State agencies, including the State insurance department, in the preparation of the application and the continuing role of each agency in the development and implementation of the consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance, including the identification of the available resources and financial responsibility of each agency for paying for assistive technology devices and assistive technology services.

(3)(i) A description of procedures that provide for—

(A)(1) The active involvement of individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives, and other appropriate individuals, in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program; and

(2) To the maximum extent appropriate, the active involvement of individuals with disabilities who use assistive technology devices or assistive technology services, in decisions relating to such devices and services; and

(B) Mechanisms for determining consumer satisfaction and participation of individuals with disabilities who represent a variety of ages and types of disabilities, in the consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance.

(ii) A description of the nature and extent of the—

(A) Involvement, in the designation of the lead agency under § 345.4, and in the development of the application, of—

(1) Individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives;

(2) Other appropriate individuals who are not employed by a State agency; and

(3) Organizations, providers, and interested parties, in the private sector; and

(B) Continuing role of the individuals and entities described in paragraph (a)(3)(ii)(A) of this section in the program.

(4) A tentative assessment of the extent of the need of individuals with disabilities in the State, including individuals from underrepresented populations or rural populations for a statewide program of technology-related assistance and a description of previous efforts and efforts continuing on the date of the application to develop a consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance.

(5) A description of State resources and other resources (to the extent this information is available) that are available to commit to the development of a consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance.

(6) Information on the program with respect to the—

(i) Goals and objectives of the State for the program;

(ii) Systems change and advocacy activities that the State plans to carry out under the program; and

(iii) Expected outcomes of the State for the program, consistent with the purposes described in § 345.2(a).

(7)(i) A description of the data collection system used for compiling information on the program, consistent with requirements established by the Secretary for systems, and, when a national classification system is developed pursuant to section 201 of the Act, consistent with the classification system; and

(ii) Procedures that will be used to conduct evaluations of the program.

(8) A description of the policies and procedures governing contracts, grants, and other arrangements with public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and other entities or individuals for the purpose of providing assistive technology devices and assistive technology services consistent with this part.

(b) Applicants for development grants shall include the following assurances in their applications:

(1)(i) An assurance that the State will use funds from a development or extension grant to accomplish the purposes described in § 345.2(a) and the goals, objectives, and outcomes described in paragraph (a)(6) of this section, and to carry out the systems change and advocacy activities described in paragraph (a)(6)(ii) of this section, in a manner that is consumer-responsive.

(ii) An assurance that the State, in carrying out systems change and advocacy activities, shall carry out the following activities, unless the State demonstrates through the progress reports required under § 345.50 that significant progress has been made in the development and implementation of a consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance, and that other systems change and advocacy activities will increase the likelihood that the program will accomplish the purposes described in § 345.2(a):

(A) The development, implementation, and monitoring of State, regional, and local laws, regulations, policies, practices, procedures, and organizational structures, that will improve access to, provision of, funding for, and timely acquisition and delivery of, assistive technology devices and assistive technology services;

(B) The development and implementation of strategies to overcome barriers regarding access to, provision of, and funding for, such devices and services, with priority for identification of barriers to funding through State education (including special education) services, vocational rehabilitation services, and medical assistance services or, as appropriate, other health and human services, and with particular emphasis on overcoming barriers for underrepresented populations and rural populations;

(C) Coordination of activities among State agencies, in order to facilitate access to, provision of, and funding for, assistive technology devices and assistive technology services;

(D) The development and implementation of strategies to empower individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives, to successfully advocate for increased access to, funding for, and provision of, assistive technology devices and assistive technology services, and to increase the participation, choice, and control of individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives in the selection and procurement of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services;

(E) The provision of outreach to underrepresented populations and rural populations, including identifying and assessing the needs of such populations, providing activities to increase the accessibility of services to such populations, training representatives of such populations to become service providers, and training staff of the consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance to work with such populations; and

(F) The development and implementation of strategies to ensure timely acquisition and delivery of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services, particularly for children.

(2) An assurance that the State will conduct an annual assessment of the consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide program of technology-related assistance, in order to determine—

(i) The extent to which the State's goals and objectives for systems change and advocacy activities, as identified in the State plan under paragraph (a)(6) of this section, have been achieved; and

(ii) The areas of need that require attention in the next year.

(3) An assurance that amounts received under the grant will be expended in accordance with the provisions of this part;

(4) An assurance that amounts received under the grant—

(i) Will be used to supplement amounts available from other sources that are expended for technology-related assistance, including the provision of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services; and

(ii) Will not be used to pay a financial obligation for technology-related assistance (including the provision of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services) that would have been paid with amounts available from other sources if amounts under the grant had not been available, unless—

(A) The payment is made only to prevent a delay in the receipt of appropriate technology-related assistance (including the provision of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services) by an individual with a disability; and

(B) The entity or agency responsible subsequently reimburses the appropriate account with respect to programs and activities under the grant in an amount equal to the amount of the payment;

(5) An assurance that—

(i) A public agency shall control and administer amounts received under the grant; and

(ii) A public agency or an individual with a disability shall—

(A) Hold title to property purchased with such amounts; and

(B) Administer such property.

(6) An assurance that the State will—

(i) Prepare reports to the Secretary in the form and containing information required by the Secretary to carry out the Secretary's functions under this part; and

(ii) Keep records and allow access to records as the Secretary may require to ensure the correctness and verification of information provided to the Secretary under this paragraph of this section.

(7) An assurance that amounts received under the grant will not be commingled with State or other funds;

(8) An assurance that the State will adopt fiscal control and accounting procedures as may be necessary to ensure proper disbursement of an accounting for amounts received under the grant;

(9) An assurance that the State will—

(i) Make available to individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives information concerning technology-related assistance in a form that will allow individuals to effectively use the information; and

(ii) In preparing information for dissemination, consider the media-related needs of individuals with disabilities who have sensory and cognitive limitations and consider the use of auditory materials, including audio cassettes, visual materials, including video cassettes and video discs, and braille materials.

(10) An assurance that, to the extent practicable, technology-related assistance made available with amounts received under the grant will be equitably distributed among all geographical areas of the State;

(11) An assurance that the lead agency will have the authority to use funds made available through a development or extension grant to comply with the requirements of this part, including the ability to hire qualified staff necessary to carry out activities under the program;

(12)(i) An assurance that the State will annually provide, from the funds made available to the State through a development or extension grant under this part, an amount calculated in accordance with section 102(f)(4) of the Act in order to make a grant to, or enter into a contract with—

(A) An entity to support protection and advocacy services through the systems established to provide protection and advocacy under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 6000 et seq.), the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act (42 U.S.C. 10801 et seq.), and section 509 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794e); or

(B) An entity described in § 345.55(a)(1).

(ii) The State need not provide the assurance in paragraph (b)(12)(i) of this section, if the State requests in its annual progress report or first or second extension application, as applicable, that the Secretary annually reserve, from the funds made available for a development or extension grant, an amount calculated in accordance with section 102(f)(4) of the Act, in order for the Secretary to make a grant to or enter into a contract with a system to support protection and advocacy services.

(13) An assurance that the State—

(i) Will develop and implement strategies for including personnel training regarding assistive technology within existing Federal- and State-funded training initiatives, in order to enhance assistive technology skills and competencies; and

(ii) Will document the training;

(14) An assurance that the percentage of the funds received under the grant that is used for indirect costs (as defined in OMB Circular A-87 incorporated by reference in 34 CFR 80.22(b)) shall not exceed 10 percent of the total amount of the grant; and

(15) An assurance that the lead agency will coordinate the activities funded through a development or extension grant under this part with the activities carried out by councils within the State, including—

(i) Any council or commission specified in the assurance provided by the State in accordance with section 101(a)(36) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 721(a)(36));

(ii) The Statewide Independent Living Council established under section 705 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 796d));

(iii) The advisory panel established under section 613(a)(12) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1413(a)(12));

(iv) The State Interagency Coordinating Council established under section 682 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1482));

(v) The State Planning Council described in section 124 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (20 U.S.C. 6024);

(vi) The State mental health planning council established under section 1914 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-3);

(vii) Any council established under section 204, 206(g)(2)(A), or 712(a)(3)(H) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3015, 3017(g)(2)(A), or 3058g(a)(3)(H)).

(16) An assurance that there will be coordination between the activities funded through the grant and other related systems change and advocacy activities funded by either Federal or State sources.

(c) Applicants for development grants shall provide any other related information and assurances that the Secretary may reasonably require.