[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22505-22506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09132]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Health Center Program
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of Class Deviation From Competition Requirements for
Low-Cost Extensions and Administrative Supplement Thresholds To
Minimize Disruption of Services for Certain Health Center Program
Service Areas.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Awarding Agency Grants Management
Manual (AAGAM) Chapter 1.03.103, the Bureau of Primary Health Care
(BPHC) requests a class deviation to award low-cost extensions of up to
6 months or, when necessary, administrative supplements to minimize
disruption of services for specific health center program service
areas.
Per the requirements for low-cost extensions outlined in the AAGAM
Chapter 2.04.104B-4A.1.a.(5)(b), these extensions may not exceed 25
percent of the approved federal direct cost budget authorized for the
budget period (exclusive of the additional funding requested) or
$100,000. Likewise, per the requirements for administrative supplements
outlined in the AAGAM Chapter 2.04.104B-4A.4.b, these supplements may
not exceed 25 percent of the approved federal direct cost budget
authorized for the budget period (exclusive of the additional funding)
or $250,000, whichever is less. In each case, the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) is required to publish a notice in the
Federal Register in advance of, or concurrent with, the awarding of the
funds.
BPHC is requesting a class deviation to the requirements for low-
cost extensions to allow HRSA to award extensions that exceed 25
percent of the approved federal direct cost budget authorized for the
budget period (exclusive of the additional funding requested) and/or
$100,000 in cases where the grantee would not receive future continued
support under the Health Center Program. Likewise, BPHC is requesting a
class deviation to the requirements for administrative supplements to
allow HRSA to award supplements that exceed 25 percent of the approved
federal direct cost budget authorized for the budget period (exclusive
of the additional funding) and/or $250,000 in cases where the award is
to a currently funded grantee located in or adjacent to the service
area of a grantee that will not receive continued support under the
Health Center Program. BPHC is also requesting that the deviation allow
for the publication of a consolidated notice in the Federal Register
annually that summarizes the actions taken in the prior fiscal year.
The sole purpose of these low-cost extensions or administrative
supplements is to avoid a gap in the provision of critical health care
services for a funded service area by providing a ``bridge'' until HRSA
is able to make an award to an eligible applicant under a Service Area
Competition (SAC) and/or to assure an orderly phase-out of Health
Center Program activities by the current grantee.
BPHC is not requesting that this class deviation cover single
source replacement awards and will continue to request single case
deviations for such non-competitive actions if necessary.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Intended Recipient of the Award: Health Center Program Grantees.
Amount of Non-Competitive Awards: Variable.
Period of Supplemental Funding: Variable.
CFDA Number: 93.224, 93.527.
Authority: Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254b), as amended; Public Law 111-148, the Affordable Care Act of 2010,
Section 5601 and Section 10503, as amended; Public Law 111-152, Health
Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Section 2303.
Justification: BPHC always conducts an open competition to identify
a new Health Center Program grantee for a previously funded but now
available service area; however, it generally takes up to 6 months to
announce and conduct the SAC and select a new grantee for the service
area.
In fiscal year 2013, BPHC awarded operational grants to support
approximately 1,200 Health Center Program grantee organizations.
Throughout the course of the current fiscal year, there have been 14
cases where a deviation and accompanying Federal Register Notice were
warranted per AAGAM 2.04.104B-4A, based on the need to issue a low-cost
extension or administrative supplement. Such cases occurred when a
Health Center Program grant was discontinued prior to the project
period end date. Discontinuations prior to the project period end date
have been the result of a voluntary relinquishment of the grant award
by the current grantee or an enforcement action taken by HRSA due to a
grantee's material noncompliance with program requirements. The need
for a low-cost extension or administrative supplement has also occurred
at the end of a grantee's project period due to a lack of eligible or
fundable applications for the announced service area. In all cases, the
purpose for the HRSA award of the low-cost extension or administrative
supplement was to avoid a gap in the provision of critical health care
services for a service area by providing a ``bridge'' until HRSA was
able to make an award to an eligible applicant under a SAC and to
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assure an orderly phase-out of Health Center Program activities by the
current grantee. Often the funds necessary to continue services in
these service areas exceed the amount authorized for low-cost
extensions and administrative supplements under the AAGAM.
Given the commonality of purpose and time-sensitive circumstances
surrounding these low-cost extensions and administrative supplements,
approval of a class deviation to allow a streamlined process for these
awards would ensure both consistency and efficiency, and support HRSA's
commitment to minimizing a disruption in services to health center
patients.
The number of grantees that HRSA would award low-cost extensions or
administrative supplements to is expected to be extremely limited (less
than 10-15 per year) based on recent experience. In addition, the
amount of grant funds provided under the extension or supplement would
be determined based on pro-rating HRSA's existing funding commitment to
the service area. In all cases, current fiscal year funds will be used
to supplement or extend the grantee's existing budget period award.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Olivia Shockey, Chief, Expansion
Branch, Office of Policy and Program Development, Bureau of Primary
Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, email: [email protected].
Dated: April 16, 2014.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-09132 Filed 4-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P