§ 206.120 - State administration of other needs assistance.

§ 206.120 State administration of other needs assistance.

(a) State administration of other needs assistance. A State may request a grant from FEMA to provide financial assistance to individuals and households in the State under § 206.119. The State may also expend administrative costs not to exceed 5 percent of the amount of the grant in accordance with section 408(f)(1)(b) of the Stafford Act. Any State that administers the program to provide financial assistance to individuals and households must administer the program consistent with § 206.119 and the State Administrative Option and the State Administrative Plan that we describe at paragraph (b) and (c) of this section.

(b) State administrative options. The delivery of assistance under § 206.119 is contingent upon the State choosing an administrator for the assistance. The State may either request that FEMA administer the assistance or the State may request a grant from FEMA for State administration. The Governor or designee will execute the State Administrative Option annually. During non-disaster periods the State may submit any proposed amendments to the administrative option in writing to the FEMA Regional Administrator. FEMA shall review the request and respond to the Governor or his/her designee within 45 days of receipt of the proposed amendment;

(c) State Administrative Plan (SAP). The delivery of assistance by a State under this section is contingent upon approval of a SAP, which describes the procedures the State will use to deliver assistance under section 408 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5174, when a State requests a grant to administer Other Needs assistance. All implementation procedures must be in compliance with Federal laws and requirements, State laws and procedures, and paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.

(1) Timeframe for submission of SAP. A signed SAP, or renewal, must be provided to the FEMA Regional Administrator prior to November 30 of each year. A SAP shall be effective for at least one year, and must be resubmitted in full every three years.

(2) Renewals. Annual updates/revisions to the SAP must be submitted by November 30 of each year for FEMA's review and approval by December 31. If the SAP does not need to be updated/revised, a letter from the State stating the SAP is still current must be submitted by November 30 to document the SAP submission requirement.

(3) Amendments. The State may request amendments to the SAP at any time. An amendment is effective upon signature by the FEMA Regional Administrator and the Governor or his/her designee. The State may request an amendment to the administrative plan as follows:

(i) During non-disaster periods. The State may submit any proposed amendments to the SAP in writing to the FEMA Regional Administrator. FEMA shall review the request and respond to the Governor or his/her designee within 45 days of receipt of the proposed amendment;

(ii) During Presidentially-declared disasters. The State shall submit any proposed amendments to the SAP in writing to FEMA within three days after disaster declaration. FEMA shall review the request and respond to the Governor or his/her designee within three days of receipt.

(d) State administrative plan requirements. The State shall develop a plan for the administration of the Other Needs assistance that describes, at a minimum, the following items:

(1) Assignment of grant program responsibilities to State officials or agencies.

(2) Staffing Schedule that identifies the position, salary and percent of time for each staff person assigned to program administration and/or implementation.

(3) Procedures for interaction with applicants:

(i) Procedures for notifying potential applicants of the availability of the program, to include the publication of application deadlines, pertinent program descriptions, and further program information on the requirements which must be met by the applicant in order to receive assistance;

(ii) Procedures for registration and acceptance of applications, including late applications, up to the prescribed time limitations as described in § 206.112;

(iii) Procedures for damage inspection and/or other verifications.

(iv) Eligibility determinations.

(A) Under a cooperative agreement: The procedure for eligibility determinations when the FEMA application and inspection systems are used by the State but additional eligibility criteria are necessary to make State eligibility determinations.

(B) Under a grant: The procedure for eligibility determinations when the FEMA application and inspection systems are not used by the State, including the method for determination of costs for personal property and provision of a standard list for personal property items with allowable costs identified for each item.

(v) Procedures for checking compliance for mandated flood insurance in accordance with § 206.110(k);

(vi) Procedures for notifying applicants of the State's eligibility decision;

(vii) Procedures for disbursement of funds to applicants;

(viii) Procedures for applicant appeal processing. Procedures must provide for any appealable determination as identified in § 206.115(a);

(ix) Procedures for expeditious reporting of allegations of fraud, waste or abuse to DHS Office of Inspector General.

(x) Capacity to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse independently if requested by DHS OIG, or in conjunction with DHS OIG.

(xi) Provisions for safeguarding the privacy of applicants and the confidentiality of information, in accordance with § 206.110(j).

(xii) Provisions for complying with § 206.116(b), Recovery of funds.

(4) Procedures for financial management, accountability and oversight.

(i) Procedures for verifying by random sample that assistance funds are meeting applicants' needs, are not duplicating assistance from other means, and are meeting flood insurance requirements.

(ii) Provisions for specifically identifying, in the accounts of the State, all Federal and State funds committed to each grant program; and for immediately returning, upon discovery, all Federal funds that are excess to program needs.

(iii) Provisions for accounting for cash in compliance with State law and procedure and the Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990, as amended.

(iv) Reports.

(A) Procedures for preparing and submitting quarterly and final Financial Status Reports in compliance with 2 CFR 200.327.

(B) Procedures for submitting Program Status Reports in compliance with paragraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section.

(C) Procedures for preparing and submitting the PSC 272, Federal Cash Transactions Report.

(v) Procedures for inventory control, including a system for identifying and tracking placement of equipment purchased with grant funds or loaned by FEMA to the State for purposes of administering the Individuals and Households Program.

(vi) Procedures for return of funds to FEMA.

(vii) State criteria and requirements for closing out Federal grants.

(viii) Process for retention of records.

(e) Application for assistance procedure. This section describes the procedures that must be followed by the State to submit an application to administer the Individuals and Households Program through a Grant Award or a Cooperative Agreement.

(1) The State must submit an Other Needs assistance application to the Regional Administrator within 72 hours of the major disaster declaration before IHP assistance may be provided. FEMA will work with the State to approve the application or to modify it so it can be approved.

(2) The application shall include:

(i) Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance;

(ii) FEMA Form (FF) 20-20 Budget Information - Non Construction Programs;

(iii) Copy of approved indirect cost rate from a Federal cognizant agency if indirect costs will be charged to the grant. Indirect costs will be included in the administrative costs of the grant allowed under paragraph (a) of this section; and

(iv) Disaster specific changes to the State Administrative Plan, if applicable.

(f) Grants management oversight -

(1) Period of assistance. All costs must be incurred within the period of assistance, which is 18 months from the date of the disaster declaration. This period of assistance may be extended if requested in writing by the State and approved in writing by the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate. The State must include a justification for an extension of the assistance period.

(2) Reporting requirements.

(i) The State shall provide financial status reports as required by 2 CFR 200.327.

(ii) The State shall provide copies of PSC 272, Federal Cash Transactions Report to FEMA. The PSC 272 is required quarterly by the Department of Health and Human Services from users of its SMARTLINK service.

(iii) The State shall provide weekly program status reports which include the number and dollar amount of applications approved, the amount of assistance disbursed and the number of appeals received.

(3) Ineligible costs. Funds provided to the State for the administrative costs of administering Other Needs assistance shall not be used to pay regular time for State employees, but may be used to pay overtime for those employees.

(4) Closeout. The State has primary responsibility to closeout the tasks approved under the Grant Award. In compliance with the period of assistance, as identified in the award, the State must reconcile costs and payments, resolve negative audit findings, and submit final reports within 90 days of the end of the period of assistance. The State must also provide an inventory of equipment purchased with grant funds and loaned to it by FEMA for purposes of administering IHP, which lists the items, dates, and costs of equipment purchased.

(5) Recovery of funds. The State is responsible for recovering assistance awards from applicants obtained fraudulently, expended for unauthorized items or services, expended for items for which assistance is received from other means, and awards made in error.

(i) Adjustments to expenditures will be made as funding is recovered and will be reported quarterly on the Financial Status Report.

(ii) A list of applicants from whom recoveries are processed will be submitted on the quarterly progress report to allow FEMA to adjust its program and financial information systems.

(iii) The State will reimburse FEMA for the Federal share of awards not recovered through quarterly financial adjustments within the 90 day close out liquidation period of the grant award.

(iv) If the State does not reimburse FEMA within the 90 day close out liquidation period, a bill for collection will be issued. FEMA will charge interest, penalties, and administrative fees on delinquent bills for collection in accordance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act. Recovered funds, interest, penalties, and fees owed to FEMA through delinquent bills for collection may be offset from other FEMA disaster assistance programs from which the State is receiving funds or future grant awards from FEMA or other Federal agencies. Debt collection procedures will be followed as outlined in 44 CFR part 11.

(6) Audit requirements. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.500-200.520, uniform audit requirements apply to all grants provided under this subpart.

(7) Document retention. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.333-200.337, States are required to retain records, including source documentation, to support expenditures/costs incurred against the grant award, for 3 years from the date of submission to FEMA of the Financial Status Report. The State is responsible for resolving questioned costs that may result from an audit conducted during the three-year record retention period and for returning disallowed costs from ineligible activities.

[67 FR 61452, Sept. 30, 2002; 67 FR 62896, 62897, Oct. 9, 2002; 79 FR 76085, Dec. 19, 2014; 82 FR 42, Jan. 3, 2017]