[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14259-14261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7118]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Grant Availability to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for
Projects Implementing Traffic Safety on Indian Reservations
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to make funds
available to federally-recognized Indian tribes on an annual basis for
the purpose of implementing traffic safety projects which are designed
to reduce the number of traffic crashes within Indian Country. Due to
the limited funding available for this program, all projects will be
reviewed and selected on a competitive basis. This notice informs
Indian tribes that grant funds are available and that the information
packets are forthcoming. Information packets will be distributed by the
end of January of each program year to all tribal leaders on the latest
tribal leaders list.
DATES: Requests for funds must be received by June l of each program
year. Requests not received in the office of the Indian Highway Safety
Program at the close of business on June l will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Each tribe must submit their request to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Division of Safety Management, Attention: Indian Highway
Safety Program Coordinator, 505 Marquette Avenue, NW, Suite 1705,
Albuquerque, NM 87102.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tribes should direct questions
concerning the grant program to Larry Archambeau, Indian Highway Safety
Program Coordinator or to Charles L. Jaynes, Program Administrator, at
505-248-5053.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (Pub. L. 93-87) provides for
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding to assist Indian tribes
in implementing Highway Safety projects. The projects are designed to
reduce the number of traffic crashes and their resulting fatalities,
injuries, and property damage within Indian reservations. All
federally-recognized Indian tribes on Indian reservations are eligible
to receive this assistance. All tribes receiving awards of program
funds are reimbursed for costs incurred under the terms of 23 U. S.C.
402 and subsequent amendments.
Responsibilities
For purposes of application of the Act, Indian reservations are
collectively considered a ``State'' and the Secretary of the Interior
is considered the ``Governor of a State.'' The Secretary of the
Interior delegated the authority to administer the programs throughout
all the reservations in the United States to the Assistant Secretary--
Indian Affairs. The Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs further
delegated the responsibility for primary administration of the Indian
Highway Safety Program to the Division of Safety Management located in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Chief, Division of Safety Management, as
program administrator of the Indian Highway Safety Program, has three
full-time staff members to assist in program matters and provide
technical assistance to the Indian tribes. It is at this level that
contacts with DOT are made with respect to program approval, funding of
projects and technical assistance. DOT, through the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), is responsible for ensuring that the Indian
Highway Safety Program is carried out in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 402
and other applicable Federal statutes and regulations.
NHTSA is responsible for the apportionment of funds to the
Secretary of the Interior, review and approval of the Indian Highway
Safety Plan involving NHTSA highway safety program areas and technical
guidance and assistance to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Program Areas
The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of
1987, 23 U.S.C. 402(j), required DOT to conduct a rulemaking process to
determine those programs most effective in reducing traffic crashes,
injuries, and fatalities. Those program areas were determined to be
national priority program areas, and include the following:
NHTSA Program Areas:
(1) Alcohol and Other Drug Countermeasures, (2) Police Traffic
Services, (3) Occupant Protection, (4) Traffic Records, (5) Emergency
Medical Services, (6) Safe Communities, (7) Roadway Safety, and (8)
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety.
Funding Criteria
The Bureau of Indian Affairs will reimburse for eligible costs
associated with the following:
(1) Alcohol and Other Drug Countermeasures--salary and overtime
(DWI enforcement officer), enforcement/education, NHTSA-approved
training, approved breath-testing equipment (must be included on most
recent Consumer Products List published by NHTSA), community/school
alcohol traffic safety education, DWI offender education, prosecution,
adjudication, training for judicial personnel and vehicle expenses.
(2) Police Traffic Services--salary and overtime (traffic
enforcement/education), traffic law enforcement/radar training, speed
enforcement equipment (must be on Consumer Products List published by
NHTSA), community/school education, and vehicle expenses.
(3) Motorcycle, Pedestrian, Bicycle Initiatives.
(4) Occupant Protection:
(a) Child passenger safety--child car seat loaner program, car seat
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transportation/storage, and public information/education.
(b) Community seat belt program--salary, education/promotional
materials, office expense, and NHTSA-approved Occupant Protection Usage
and Enforcement (OPUE) training.
(5) Traffic Records--salary, ADP equipment, and training.
(6) Emergency Medical Services--training, public information and
education.
(7) Roadway Safety--traffic signs (warning, regulatory, work zone),
hardware and sign posts, construction zone safety and flagger training.
(8) Community Traffic Safety Projects--project management, public
information and education training, law enforcement, prosecution,
judicature, data management.
(9) Safe Community Projects--salary, project management, public
information, law enforcement, prosecution, judicature, data management.
Project Guidelines
BIA will send information packets to the tribes by January of each
program year. Upon receipt of the information packet, each tribe should
prepare a proposed project based on the following guidelines:
(1) Program Planning. Program planning shall be based upon the
highway safety problems identified and countermeasures selected by the
tribe, using a Safe Community concept for the purpose of reducing
traffic crash factors.
(2) Problem Identification. Highway traffic safety problems shall
be identified from the best data available. This data may be found in
tribal enforcement records on traffic crashes. Other sources of data
include ambulance records, court and police arrest records. The problem
identification process may be aided by using professional opinions of
personnel in law enforcement, Indian Health Service, driver education,
road engineers, education specialists, and judicial personnel. This
data should accompany the funding request. Impact problems should be
indicated during the identification process. An impact problem is a
highway safety problem that contributes to car crashes, fatalities and/
or injuries, and one that may be corrected by the application of
countermeasures. Impact problems can be identified from analysis of
statewide and/or tribal traffic records. The analyses should consider
as a minimum: pedestrian, motorcycle, bicycle, passenger car, school
bus, and truck crashes; records on problem drivers, roadside and
roadway hazards, alcohol involvement, youth involvement, defective
vehicle involvement, suspended or revoked driver involvement, speed
involvement, child safety seat and seat belt usage. Data should
accompany the funding request.
(3) Countermeasures Selection. When tribal traffic safety problems
are identified, the tribe's Safe Community coalition must develop
appropriate countermeasures to solve or reduce the problems. The tribe
should take into account the overall cost of the countermeasures versus
their possible effect on the problem.
(4) Objectives/Performance Indicators. After countermeasures
selection, the objectives of the project must be expressed in clearly
defined, time-framed and measurable terms.
(5) Budget Format. The activities to be funded shall be outlined in
detail according to the following object groups: personnel services,
travel and transportation, rent/communications, printing and
reproduction, other services, equipment and training. Each object group
shall be quantified; i.e., personnel activities should show number to
be employed, hours to be employed, hourly rate of pay, etc. Each object
group shall have sufficient detail to show what is to be procured, unit
cost, quarter in which the procurement is to be made and the total
cost, including any tribal contribution to the project. Indirect costs
are limited to 15 percent.
(6) Evaluation Plan. Evaluation is the process of determining
whether a highway safety activity should be undertaken, if it is being
properly conducted, and if it has accomplished its objectives. The
tribe must include in the funding request a plan explaining how the
evaluation will be accomplished and identifying the criteria to be used
in measuring performance.
(7) Technical Assistance. The Indian Highway Safety Program staff
will be available to tribes for technical assistance in the development
of tribal projects.
(8) Section 402 Project Length. Section 402 funds may not be used
to fund the same project at one location or jurisdiction for more than
3 years.
(9) Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirement. Indian
tribes receiving highway safety grants through the Indian Highway
Safety Program must certify that they will maintain a drug-free
workplace. An individual authorized to sign for the tribe or
reservation must sign the certification. The Department of
Transportation must receive the certification before it will release
grant funds for that tribe or reservation. The certification must be
submitted with the tribal Highway Safety project proposal.
Submission Deadline
Each tribe must submit its funding request to the BIA Indian
Highway Safety Program, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The request must be
received by the Indian Highway Safety Program Coordinator by close of
business June 1 of each program year. Requests for extension to this
deadline will not be granted. Modifications of the funding request
received after the close of the funding period will not be considered
in the review and selection processes.
Selection Criteria
Each funding request will be reviewed and evaluated by the Indian
Highway Safety Program staff, Law Enforcement staff, Department of
Education staff, Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse staff, and BIA
Division of Transportation staff. Each staff member will rank the
projects by assigning points to four areas of consideration. The areas
of consideration are (1) magnitude of the problem, 50 points; (2)
countermeasure selection, 40 points; (3) tribal leadership and
community support, 10 points; (4) past performance, 10 points.
Notification of Selection
The tribes selected to participate will be notified by letter. Each
tribe selected must include in its proposal a certification regarding
drug-free workplace requirements and a duly authorized tribal
resolution. The certification and resolution must be on file before
grant funds for the tribe or reservation can be released.
Notification of Non-Selection
The Program Administrator will notify each tribe of non-selection.
The tribe will be provided the reason for non-selection.
Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant-in-Aid
Uniform grant administration procedures have been established on a
national basis for all grant-in-aid programs by DOT/NHTSA under 49 CFR
part 18, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.'' NHTSA and FHWA
have codified uniform procedures for State Highway Safety Programs in
23 CFR parts 1200, 1204 and 1205. OMB Circular A-87 and NHTSA order
462-13A have established cost principles applicable to grants and
contracts with State and local
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government. It is the responsibility of the Indian Highway Safety
Program to establish operating procedures consistent with the
applicable provisions of these rules.
Standards for Financial Management System
Tribal financial management systems must provide:
(1) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of financial results
of the Highway Safety project.
(2) Adequate record keeping.
(3) Control over and accountability for all funds and assets.
(4) Comparison of actual expenditures with budgeted amounts.
(5) Documentation of accounting records.
(6) Appropriate auditing. Highway Safety projects will be included
in the tribal A-128 single audit requirement.
Tribes will provide a quarterly financial and program status report
to the BIA Indian Highway Safety Program Coordinator, 505 Marquette,
NW, Suite 1705, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102. These reports will be
submitted no later than 7 days beyond the reporting month.
Project Monitoring
During the program year, it is the responsibility of the BIA Indian
Highway Safety Program to maintain a degree of project oversight,
provide technical assistance as needed to assist the project in
fulfilling its objectives, and assure that grant provisions are
complied.
Project Evaluation
BIA will conduct a performance evaluation for each Highway Safety
project. The evaluation will measure the actual accomplishments to the
planned activity. BIA will evaluate the project on-site at the
discretion of the Indian Highway Safety Program Administrator.
Dated: March 16, 1999.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-7118 Filed 3-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P
