[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40492-40493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19855]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 17
RIN 2900-AI84
Grants to States for Construction or Acquisition of State Home
Facilities
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document proposes to amend the ``Medical'' regulations in
38 CFR part 17 regarding applications for grants to States for the
construction or acquisition of State home facilities. VA awards grants
based on a priority ranking system. Usually, the higher priority
applications deplete the available funding to the extent that the
lowest ranking application to be offered funding is offered only a
partial grant. It is proposed that if the lowest ranking grant
application receives only a partial grant in a fiscal year and if such
grant award is partial solely because VA has insufficient funds for a
full grant, the application would be placed at the top of the list
within its priority group for the next fiscal year. Often applicants
are hesitant to accept a partial grant because of the uncertainty of
receiving an additional grant the next fiscal year. It appears that the
adoption of the proposal would encourage States to accept a partial
grant by creating the likelihood that the State would receive an
additional grant in the subsequent
[[Page 40493]]
fiscal year. Accordingly, this would help ensure that VA would be able
to award grants to higher priority applicants that might otherwise
reject partial funding.
Also, it is proposed that the applicant receiving partial funding
and receiving priority as proposed would not be required to submit a
second application for additional funds in the subsequent fiscal year,
but could be required to update information already submitted. It
appears that the first application would normally be adequate because
the grant award in the second fiscal year would be for the same project
which received the partial grant award.
Further, under the proposal, the total amount awarded for the
application could not exceed 65 percent of the total cost of the
project as determined at the time of the second grant award for that
grant application. This is consistent with the statutory requirement
that limits grant awards to no more than 65 percent of the estimated
cost of construction or acquisition.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 29, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver written comments to: Director, Office
of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1154, Washington, DC 20420. Comments should
indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AI84.'' All
written comments received will be available for public inspection at
the above address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158,
between the hours 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
(except holidays).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kathleen Greve, Geriatrics and
Extended Care Strategic Healthcare Group, (202) 273-8534.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary hereby certifies that the
adoption of this proposed rule would not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities as they
are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
The rule would affect grants to States and would not directly
affect small entities. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this
rule would be exempt from the initial and final regulatory
flexibility analyses requirements of sections 603 and 604.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance program number for this
document is 64.005.
List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 17
Administrative practice and procedure, Alcohol abuse, Alcoholism,
Claims, Drug abuse, Foreign relations, Government contracts, Grant
programs-health, Grant programs-veterans, Health care, Health
facilities, Health professions, Health records, Homeless, Medical and
dental schools, Medical devices, Medical research, Mental health
programs, Nursing homes, Philippines, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Scholarships and fellowships, Travel and transportation
expenses, Veterans.
Approved: July 17, 1997.
Hershel W. Gober,
Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 38 CFR part 17 is
proposed to be amended as set forth below:
PART 17--MEDICAL
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follow:
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1721, unless otherwise noted.
2. In Sec. 17.212, paragraph (d) is added immediately before the
section authority citation following paragraph (c) to read as follows:
Sec. 17.212 Scope of grants program.
* * * * *
(d)(1) Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this section and the
provisions for ranking projects within a priority group in
Sec. 17.213(c)(3)(i), the Secretary shall give an application first
priority within the priority group to which it is assigned on the list
of projects established under Sec. 17.213(d) for the next fiscal year
if:
(i) the State has accepted a grant for that application as of
August 15 of the current fiscal year that is less than the amount that
the Secretary would have awarded if VA had had sufficient grant funds
to award the grant in such amount in that fiscal year; and
(ii) the application is the lowest ranking application on the
priority list for the current fiscal year for which grant funds are
available as of August 15 of that year.
(2) The Secretary shall not require a State to submit a second
grant application for a project which receives priority under paragraph
(1) of this section but may require the State to update information
already submitted in the application for the project. The Secretary
shall determine the amount of a second grant at the time of the award
of that grant. In no case shall the total amount awarded for the
application exceed 65 percent of the total cost of the project as
determined at the time of the second grant award for that grant
application.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 97-19855 Filed 7-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-U
