Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Targeted Assistance (93.584)

Program

93.584 Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Targeted Assistance

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Administration For Children And Families

Authorization

Refugee Act of 1980, Section 412, Public Law 96-212, 94 Stat. , 8 U.S.C 1522, as amended by Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986, Public Law 99-605, as amended by Refugee Assistance Amendments of 1982, Public Law 97-363; Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, Public Law 96-422, as amended by Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1990, Public Law 101-302, as amended by Departments of Labor, HHS, And Education Appropriations Act of 1991, Public Law 101-517, as amended by Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1990, Public Law 101-167, as amended by Departments of Labor, HHS, And Education Appropriations Act of 1990, Public Law 101-166, as amended by Making Appropriations for Department of Labor, HHS, and Eduation, and Related Agencies, for Fiscal Year ending September 30, 1992 and Other Purposes, 102 Stat. 170, as amended by An act to repeal a provision of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, Public Law 96-424, as amended by Departments of Labor, HHS, And Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1989, Public Law 100-436, as amended by Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35; Victims of Trafficking Violence and Protection Act of 2000, Public Law 106-386, as amended by William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, Public Law 110-457; FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Section 602, Public Law 111-08; Defense Authorization Act of 2008, Public Law 110-181; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Public Law 110-161.

Program Number

93.584

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide funding for employment-related and other social services for refugees, asylees, certain Amerasians, victims of a severe form of trafficking, entrants,and Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants in areas of high refugee concentration and high welfare utilization.

Types of Assistance

FORMULA GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Assistance is limited to employment-related and other social services for refugees, asylees, certain Amerasians, victims of a severe form of trafficking, Afghan and Iraqi special immigrant, and entrants, as defined in the authorizing Acts, supplemented by appropriate documentation provided to the refugee from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), formerly INS.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

The State agency designated as responsible for the Refugee Resettlement Program is eligible to receive funding for assistance to counties and similar areas in States where, because of factors such as unusually large refugee or entrant populations, high refugee or entrant concentrations in relation to the overall population, and high use of public assistance by refugees, there exists a need for supplementation of available resources for services to refugees.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Persons admitted to the U.S. within the last 5 years as refugees under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; granted asylum under Section 208 of the Act; Cuban and Haitian entrants, as defined in Section 501 of the Refugee Education Assistance Act; and certain Amerasians from Vietnam and their accompanying family members, as defined by Section 584(c) of the Foreign Relations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriation Act of 1988. Victims of a severe form of trafficking who have received a certified or letter of eligibility from ORR.

Credentials/Documentation

Persons for whom assistance is authorized are limited to refugees, asylees, certain Amerasian immigrants, and Afghan and Iraqi special immigrants with documentation from the USCIS as to their status and to Cuban and Haitian entrants with documentation from the USCIS as to status allowed under Title V of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, victims of a severe form of trafficking who have been certified by ORR. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. States with qualifying counties must submit an application for funding in accordance with application requirements described in the annual notice of availability of formula allocation funding for targeted assistance grants. A State must submit a single application on behalf of all qualified counties in that State. Funding is contingent upon the submission and approval of a State application. Subsequent to the approval of the application by ORR, county governments develop local targeted assistance plans and submit them to the State.

Award Procedure

Grants are made to designated State agencies on behalf of qualified counties (as determined every three years depending on number of arrivals). State agencies, in turn, receive, review, and determine the acceptability of individual county targeted assistance plans. Not less than 95 percent of targeted assistance funds must be allocated by the State to qualified counties.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 30 to 60 days. Approximately 1 month.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Grants are for an annual budget period and a 3-year project period. FY 09 was the second year of the 3-year grant cycle (FY 08 - FY 10). In FY 09, ORR reviewed and verified refugee data on arrivals, entrants and asylees submitted by States and for counties that qualified for formula targeted assistance program (TAP) funds in FY 08. Counties qualified in FY 08 continue to qualify for TAP through FY 10. The new 3-year grant cycle will begin in FY 11 and ORR will begin the re-qualification process.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory Formula: Title 45, Chapter IV, Part 400.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funds are appropriated on a yearly basis. Payments to States are made through the Payment Management System (PMS). Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Trimesterly program performance (and related statistics) reports are provided by the State agency to ORR. Cash reports are not applicable. Trimesterly program performance (and related statistics) reports are provided by the State agency to ORR. Quarterly expenditure and program performance (and related statistics) reports are provided by the State agency to ORR. ORR has a contract for program monitoring and contract staff assist ORR staff in monitoring programs and validating data. ORR primarily targets on-site monitoring to states with large populations that receive significant funding. The ORR team reviews with state staff the eligibility and documentation requirements and verifies the maintenance of accurate and up to date client files. ORR staff also monitor State financial, aggregate, and case level reports.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133."

Records

Separate financial records must be maintained by State agency for 3 years after final payment or of the time period for the particular records in Parts 1-20 of Federal Procurement Regulations, whichever expires earlier.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In FY 08, 30 grants were awarded. For FY 08, ORR reviewed and weighted both the 5-year arrival population (FYs 2003 through 2007) for each county and the concentration of refugees within that county to determine its allocation for targeted assistance. FY 08 was the first year of the qualification cycle. FY 2011 is the first year of a new qualification cycle. FY 2009 will be the second year of the qualification cycle. Fiscal Year 2009: FY 2009 will be the second year of the qualification cycle. It is anticipated that 30 grants will be awarded in FY 09 and FY 10. Fiscal Year 2010: FY 2009 will be the third year of the qualification cycle. It is anticipated that 30 grants will be awarded in FY 10.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1503-0-1-609.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $43,731,000; FY 09 est $43,731,000; FY 10 est $43,731,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Awards ranged from $133,072 to $16,234,265.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

45 CFR Subpart L-400.310 to 400.319. Various materials are available on request from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, Aerospace Building, 8th Floor West, Washington, DC 20447.

Related Programs

93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_State Administered Programs; 93.567 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Voluntary Agency Programs; 93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Discretionary Grants; 93.598 Services to Victims of a Severe Form of Trafficking

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Pamela Green-Smith 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW, 8th Floor West, Washington, District of Columbia 20447 Email: pamela.greensmith@acf.hhs.gov Phone: (202) 401-4531 Fax: (202) 401-0981

Web Site Address

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: (1) Job development and placement; (2) on-the-job training; (3) business and employer incentives; (4) job- related and vocational English; and (5) short-term job training. Fiscal Year 2009: (1) Job development and placement; (2) on-the-job training; (3) business and employer incentives; (4) job- related and vocational English; and (5) short-term job training. Fiscal Year 2010: (1) Job development and placement; (2) on-the-job training; (3) business and employer incentives; (4) job- related and vocational English; and (5) short-term job training.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

A State with at least one qualifying county submits an application on behalf of the qualified counties in that State. Subsequent to the approval of the State's application by ORR, county governments develop local targeted assistance plans for its submission to the State.