§ 17.221 - Equipment.

(a) General. Equipment necessary for the State home's planned effective operation shall be included in the cost of the project.

(b) Definition of equipment. The term equipment as used in this section means all items necessary for the functioning of all services of the State home, including equipment as needed to provide for accounting and other records, and maintenance of buildings and grounds. The term equipment does not include consumable supplies such as food, drugs, dressings paper, printed forms, soap, and the like which are routinely required to operate the State home.

(c) Classification of equipment. All equipment shall be classified in two groups as indicated in paragraphs (c) (1) and (2) of this section:

(1) Fixed equipment (included in construction/acquisition contract). Fixed equipment is permanently affixed to the building or is connected to service distribution systems designed and installed during construction (e.g., kitchen and intercommunication equipment, built-in casework, and cubicle curtain rods). The Federal share in the cost of such equipment, included in the construction contract, will be determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs percentage of participation in the aggregate cost of the project.

(2) Movable and fixed equipment (not included in project contact). Movable and fixed equipment may be purchased separately from the construction or acquisition contract and includes furniture, furnishings, wheeled equipment, kitchen utensils linens, draperies, venetian blinds, electric clocks, pictures and trash cans. The Federal share in the cost of such equipment not included in the project contract will be limited to 10 percent of the project contract cost unless justified by the State and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(d) Purchase of equipment. (1) The State shall select and purchase all equipment for the complete and effective functioning of services needed to operate the State home. The State may postpone purchasing of equipment until the facility is almost ready for occupancy to assure that the most current models of equipment are purchased. The equipment shall meet State standards. Title to all equipment purchased by the State with grant monies shall be vested to the State.

(2) The quality and amount of equipment shall be properly apportioned to the various services of the facility so that unduly expensive or elaborate equipment is not provided for some services at the expense of other services.

(e) Equipment list. (1) Prior to the completion of the project, the State shall submit to the Department of Veterans Affairs for approval a separate, complete itemized list of fixed and movable equipment, not included in the construction contract. Fixed equipment shall be itemized by category of equipment with the estimated cost of each category or item and the total cost. Movable equipment shall be itemized according to the rooms or functional areas identified on the final drawings. The list shall show the quantity and estimated cost of each item. The quantity will be based on the actual number of units and number of beds in each unit.

(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs will review the equipment list to ascertain medical applicability, quantity, and cost of items. The quantity will be determined by the number of nursing or domiciliary units, the number of bed areas provided, and the items required to make constructed or acquired areas functional. Medical applicability will be determined by whether such items are normally found or used in the type of medical activity/area planned. The Department of Veterans Affairs may disapprove items on the equipment list, but the applicant will be given the opportunity to justify such item(s).

(Information collection requirements contained in § 17.221 were approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2900-0520)