FEDERAL AGENCY:

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 412(c)(2), as amended; Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986, Public Law 99-605, 8 U.S.C. 1522(c); Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, Section 501(a), Public Law 96-422, 8 U.S.C. 1522 note; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, Section 584(c), Public Law 100-202; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1989, Public Law 100-461; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1990, Public Law 101-167; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1991, Public Law 101-513.

OBJECTIVES:

To provide funding for employment-related and other social services for refugees, asylees, Amerasians, and entrants in areas of high refugee concentration and high welfare utilization.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Assistance is limited to employment- related and other social services for refugees, asylees, Amerasians, and entrants, as defined an the authorizing Acts, supplemented by appropriate documentation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in possession of the refugee.

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.

Credentials/Documentation:   Persons for whom assistance is authorized are limited to refugees, asylees, and Amerasian immigrants with documentation from the INS as to their status and to Cuban and Haitian entrants with documentation from the INS as to status allowed under Title V of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.

Pre-application Coordination:   None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   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 qualifying counties. 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:   The deadline for applications is 30 days from the date of publication of the final notice. Contact Headquarters Office listed below for further information.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Approximately 1 month.

Appeals:   None.

Renewals:   Grants are for annual budget period and a three year project period. FY 99 was the first year of the three year grant.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   The program provides funding, to the extent of available appropriations, for employment-related and other social services for eligible refugees, asylees, Amerasian immigrants, and entrants. The formula for allocation is not established in legislation. Funds are distributed to States according to a formula which takes into account refugee, asylee, Amerasian, and entrant arrivals in the past five fiscal years. Procedures for documenting the number of asylees are being developed. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Targeted assistance funds must supplement, rather than supplant, existing State and local resources.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Funds are appropriated on a yearly basis. Payments to States are made through the Payment Management System (PMS).

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Quarterly expenditure and program performance (and related statistics) reports are provided by the State agency to ORR.

Audits:   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.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-1503-0-1-609.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $44,529,300; FY 02 est $44,529,300; and FY 03 est $44,529,300.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
In FY 2015, Awards ranged from $82,045 to $12,093,268. The average award was $1,157,862.

In fiscal year 2001, 50 qualified counties in 29 States received formula funds to provide employment-related and other social services. In fiscal year 2002, a new budget cycle will begin. ORR will weigh both the 5-year arrival population (fiscal year 1997 through fiscal year 2001) for each county and the concentration of refugees within that county to determine eligibility for this program. In fiscal year 2002 and 2003 we estimate that 50 qualified counties in 29 States will receive formula funds to provide employment related and other social services.

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, Washington, DC 20447.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:   Carl Rubenstein Mary E. Switzer Building 330 C Street SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20201 Email: carl.rubenstein@acf.hhs.gov Phone: (202) 205-5933 Fax: (202) 205-5888

Web Site Address:  
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

(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 and submit them to the State.