[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 125 (Thursday, June 29, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 33812-33814] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-15971] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HIV Care Grant Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of grants made to States and territories. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces that fiscal year 1995 funds have been awarded to States and territories (hereinafter States) for the HIV Care Grant Program. Although these funds have already been awarded to the States, HRSA is publishing this notice to [[Page 33813]] inform the general public of the existence of the funds. In addition, HRSA determined that it would be useful for the general public to be aware of the structure of the HIV Care Grant Program and the statutory requirements governing the use of the funds. Funds will be used by the States to improve the quality, availability, and organization of health care and support services for individuals and families with HIV infection. The HIV Care Grant Program was authorized by Title II of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990, Public Law 101-381, which amended Title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act. Funds were appropriated under Public Law 103-333. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Individuals interested in the HIV Care Grant Program should contact the appropriate office in their State, and may obtain information on their State contact by calling Anita Eichler, M.P.H., Director, Division of HIV Services, at (301) 443-6745. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Availability of Funds A total of $174,766,500 was made available for the Title II HIV Care Grant Program. These funds have been allotted to the States according to a formula based on the number of AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the 24 months ending September 30, 1994, and a per capita income factor. Below is the distribution of funds by State. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ State Amount ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alabama.................................................... $1,349,942 Alaska..................................................... 100,000 Arizona.................................................... 1,759,313 Arkansas................................................... 753,038 California................................................. 27,867,193 Colorado................................................... 1,980,699 Connecticut................................................ 2,404,858 Delaware................................................... 585,604 District of Columbia....................................... 2,532,524 Florida.................................................... 17,780,752 Georgia.................................................... 4,731,696 Hawaii..................................................... 499,350 Idaho...................................................... 138,867 Illinois................................................... 5,577,650 Indiana.................................................... 1,536,770 Iowa....................................................... 333,360 Kansas..................................................... 568,263 Kentucky................................................... 643,697 Louisiana.................................................. 2,785,044 Maine...................................................... 228,492 Maryland................................................... 4,684,012 Massachusetts.............................................. 3,776,077 Michigan................................................... 2,675,943 Minnesota.................................................. 973,550 Mississippi................................................ 954,192 Missouri................................................... 2,504,335 Montana.................................................... 100,000 Nebraska................................................... 267,083 Nevada..................................................... 964,174 New Hampshire.............................................. 175,763 New Jersey................................................. 8,958,831 New Mexico................................................. 479,074 New York................................................... 29,093,044 North Carolina............................................. 2,414,668 North Dakota............................................... 100,000 Ohio....................................................... 2,623,138 Oklahoma................................................... 1,050,786 Oregon..................................................... 1,300,587 Pennsylvania............................................... 5,177,510 Rhode Island............................................... 554,753 South Carolina............................................. 2,679,771 South Dakota............................................... 100,000 Tennessee.................................................. 1,846,877 Texas...................................................... 12,636,414 Utah....................................................... 428,266 Vermont.................................................... 103,727 Virginia................................................... 2,642,609 Washington................................................. 2,310,797 West Virginia.............................................. 184,768 Wisconsin.................................................. 1,063,650 Wyoming.................................................... 100,000 Guam....................................................... 2,902 Puerto Rico................................................ 7,682,087 Virgin Islands \1\......................................... 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Did not apply for FY 1995 funds. Eligibility Criteria In order to receive funding under Title II of the CARE Act, each State was required to develop:A detailed description of the HIV-related services provided in the State to individuals and families with HIV disease during the year preceding the year for which the grant was requested, and the number of individuals and families receiving such services; and A comprehensive plan for the organization and delivery of HIV health care and support services to be funded with the Title II grant, including a description of the purposes for which the State intends to use such assistance. Each State was also required to submit an application containing such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary determined to be necessary to carry out this program, including an assurance that: The public health agency that is administering the grant for the State will conduct public hearings concerning the proposed use and distribution of the Title II grant assistance; The State will, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that HIV-related health care and support services delivered with Title II assistance will be provided and without regard to the current or past health condition of the individual; ensure that such services will be provided in a setting that is accessible to low-income individuals with HIV disease, and provide outreach to inform such individuals of the services available; and, in the case of a State that intends to use grant funds for the continuation of health insurance coverage, ensure that the State has established a program that assures that such amounts will be targeted to individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford health insurance coverage, that income, assets, and medical expense criteria will be established and applied by the State to identify those individuals who qualify for assistance, and that information concerning such criteria will be made available to the public; The State will provide for periodic independent peer review to assess the quality and appropriateness of health and support services provided by entities that receive Title II funds from the State; The State will permit and cooperate with any Federal investigations undertaken regarding programs conducted under Title II; The State will maintain HIV-related activities at a level that is equal to not less than the level of such expenditures by the State for the 1-year period preceding the fiscal year for which the State applied to receive a grant under Title II; and The State will ensure that grant funds are not utilized to make payments for any item or service to the extent that payment has been made, or can reasonably be expected to be made, with respect to that item or service (1) under any State compensation program, under an insurance policy, or under any Federal or State health benefits program, or (2) by an entity that provides health services on a prepaid basis. General Use of Grant Funds States may use the HIV Care Grant funds to: Establish and operate HIV care consortia within areas most affected by HIV. The statute defines a consortium as an association of one or more public, and one or more nonprofit private health care and support service providers and community-based organizations operating within areas determined by the State to be most affected by HIV disease. Provide home- and community-based care services for individuals with HIV disease. Funding priorities must be given to entities that provide assurances to the State that they will participate in HIV care consortia if such consortia exist within the State, and will utilize the funds for the provision of home- and community-based services to low-income individuals with HIV disease. Provide assistance to assure the continuity of health insurance coverage for low-income (as defined by the State) [[Page 33814]] individuals with HIV disease. The State must establish a program that assures that (1) funds will be targeted to individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford health insurance coverage, and (2) income, asset, and medical expense criteria will be established and applied by the State to identify those individuals who qualify for assistance, and information concerning such criteria shall be made available to the public. Provide treatments that have been determined to prolong life or prevent serious deterioration of health for low-income individuals with HIV disease. A State must use at least 15 percent of its grant funds to provide health and support services to infants, children, women and families with HIV disease. At least 75 percent of the fiscal year 1995 Title II grant awarded to a State must be obligated to specific programs and projects and made available for expenditure within 120 days of the receipt of the grant by the State. Federal Smoke-Free Compliance The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early childhood development services are provided to children. Executive Order 12372 It has been determined that the Title II HIV Care Grant Program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 concerning inter-governmental review of Federal programs. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 93.917. Dated: June 23, 1995. Ciro V. Sumaya, Administrator. [FR Doc. 95-15971 Filed 6-28-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-15-P