FEDERAL AGENCY:

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

AUTHORIZATION:

Social Security Act, Section 1150 as added by Section 122 of Public Law 106-170; Ticket-to-Work Incentives Improvement Act; Part C of Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Rehabilitation and Assistance and Bill of Rights Act; Workforce Improvement Act of 1998, 42 U.S.C. 6041, et. seq.

OBJECTIVES:

To comply with the Ticket-to-Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act legislation passed in December 1999, permitting the SSA to make payments to each State to the protection and advocacy system established for the purpose of providing services to disabled beneficiaries who want to work.

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Applicant Eligibility: Applicants applying for grant funds are limited to established State protection and advocacy systems.

Beneficiary Eligibility: Established State protection and advocacy systems.

Credentials/Documentation: Costs and administrative requirements for grantees will be determined in accordance with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations 45 CFR 74 and 92.

Pre-application Coordination: Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure: The standard application forms furnished by SSA must be used for this program. When grant opportunities are available, SSA sends a letter to the applicable protection and advocacy agency; a notice is not published in the Federal Register because the program is limited to the designated agencies. Application kits that contain the prescribed application forms and supplemental descriptive information on the priority areas are available from the SSA/OAG Internet site at www.ssa.gov/oag/grants. SSA grant program announcements and application information also can be obtained from the Grants Management Team, Office of Operations Contracts and Grants (OOCG), Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG), Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management (DCFAM), Social Security Administration, 1-E-4, Gwynn Oak Building, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21207-5279. Contact: Ms. Phyllis Y. Smith, Grants Management Officer. Telephone: (410) 965-9518. To be considered for a grant, all applicants must complete the prescribed application forms and submit them to the Grants Management Team. The application shall be executed by an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization who will assume the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement. Reviewers prepare written assessments of each program-relevant grant application.

Award Procedure: OAG provides a Notice of Grant Award as official notice for approved applications. The notice indicates award amount, the purpose of the award, award terms and conditions, the budget period, the anticipated project period, and the awardee's cost-sharing requirement.

Deadlines: Closing dates for receipt of grant applications are stated in the covering letter (usually 60 to 90 days after date of the letter).

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Generally, 3 to 6 months after the closing date established in the Federal Register announcement.

Appeals: There are no formal appeal procedures. If an application is not approved, the reasons will be stipulated in the denial notice.

Renewals: Grants can be continued via formal application, which is subject to approval. If an application is recommended for approval for 2 or more budget periods, the awardee must submit a formal request for funding continuation each year. Continuation applications are evaluated prior to a recommendation of additional funding.

Formula and Matching Requirements: The formula is based on the amount appropriated and the percentage of beneficiaries with disabilities: A protection and advocacy system located in a State (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) other than Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, the greater of $100,000 or 1/3 of 1 percent of the amount available for payments. In the case of a protection and advocacy system located in Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, $50,000.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Funds are usually granted for a period of 12 to 17 months. Funds, however, can be granted for a minimum of 3 months, and up to a maximum of 60 months.

Reports: Progress and financial reports are required on all projects. Quarterly reports are due within 30 days after the end of each quarter of the budget period. Program performance reports are required on all projects. Program performance reports are due within 30 days after the end of each year of the budget period. Comprehensive final reports are due no later than 90 days after the cooperative agreement expires.

Audits: Audits shall be conducted in accordance with HHS regulations 45 CFR 74 and 92. In accordance with the provisions of (OMB) Circular A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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: Awardees must maintain financial records, supporting documents, statistical records and all other records pertinent to an award for 3 years after the end of the project. In the event of an audit, records must be maintained until all questions are resolved.

Account Identification: 28-8704-0-7-999.

Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $4,500,000; FY 02 est $7,000,000; and FY 03 est $7,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
Range, $50,000 to $319,000 average $107,496.

In fiscal year 2001, SSA funded partial year awards all grant recipients. SSA expects to award 12-month awards totaling up to $7,000,000 in fiscal years 2002 - 2004.

None.

Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.

Headquarters Office: Dionne J. Mitchell Social Security Administration Office of Acquisition and Grants 1540 Robert M. Ball Building 6401 Security Boulevard , Baltimore, Maryland 21235 Email: dionne.mitchell@ssa.gov Phone: 4109659534

Web Site Address:  
http://www.ssa.gov

There will be no examples until awards have been made.

Generally, applications are evaluated on the following criteria: (1) capability; (2) relevance and adequacy of project design; (3) resources and management; and (4) quality assurance.