To
assist States to acquire or construct State home facilities for
furnishing domiciliary or nursing home care to veterans, and to
expand, remodel, or alter existing buildings for furnishing domiciliary,
nursing home, or hospital care to veterans in State homes.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Grant
funds must be used for: The construction of new domiciliary or nursing
home buildings or acquisition of such facilities; the expansion,
remodeling, or alteration of existing buildings for the provision
of domiciliary, nursing home, or hospital care in State homes, and
the provision of initial equipment for any such buildings. All new
domiciliary buildings must be constructed according to nursing home
care standards for convertibility. Construction cost means the amount
found by the Secretary to be necessary for a construction project,
including architect fees, but excluding land acquisition costs.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Any State may apply after assuring
that the assisted facility will be owned by the State; and will
be used primarily for veterans.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Veterans meeting VA and State
admission criteria.
Credentials/Documentation:
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87
for State and local governments.
Pre-application
Coordination: (1) The standard application forms
as furnished by the Federal agency and required by Title 38, CFR,
Part 43, "Uniform Administrative Requirements" must be used for
this program. (2) The preapplication forms are Standard Form 424,
424C, and 424D, Preapplication for Federal Assistance, with attachments.
(3) Consultation or assistance is available from Headquarters Office
personnel to aid in the preparation of preapplication. (4) An informal
preapplication conference is usually not needed; however, notification
by telephone of intent to submit a preapplication is recommended.
(5) An environmental assessment is required for this program if
outside construction exceeds 75,000 gross square feet to determine
whether an environmental impact statement is necessary. (6) This
program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office
or official designated as the single point of contact in his or
her State for more information on the process the State requires
to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected
the program for review.
Application
Procedure: The standard application forms
as furnished by the Federal agency and required by Title 38, CFR,
Part 43, "Uniform Administrative Requirements" must be used for
this program. (Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance
for Construction Programs, with attachments.) This program is
excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award
Procedure: Formal approval of the award of
the assistance grant to the State is made by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs with program administered by Chief Consultant,
Geriatrics and Extended Care Strategic Healthcare Group.
Deadlines:
Preapplication is due by April 15 for all projects. State assurance
of matching funds is due by August 15 to receive priority group
one status.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 30 to 60
workdays after receipt of bid tabulations, revised budget page
based on bid, and signed Memorandum of Agreement.
Appeals:
No application will be disapproved without the opportunity of
a hearing.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: 38 U.S.C. 8135 (D)(2).
Federal participation provides up to 65 percent of total project
cost, with the State providing the remainder.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Accounts are
cancelled 5 years after appropriation expires. Appropriations
received in fiscal year 1994 or later do not expire. Reimbursement
payments are made to the State based on Federal share of cost
incurred.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Required in accordance with 38 CFR 17.170-17.183. Final Architectural/Engineering
Inspection and equipment list, if applicable, required prior to
final payment.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. 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:
Records should be maintained for the period established by Memorandum
of Agreement (7 to 20 years depending upon the amount of the grant).
If any claim or audit is started before the expiration of this
time period, the records shall be retained until all litigation,
claims or audit findings involving the records have been resolved.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 36-0181-0-1-703.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $90,367,000; FY 02 est $40,000,000; and FY 03 est
$40,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$140,870 to $27,182,408; Average: $2,400,000.
By the end of fiscal year 2001, 13 completed preapplications were
received, 3 grants were awarded, 6 conditional grants were approved,
no applications were disapproved, and 83 preapplications/applications
totaling $236,478,000 were pending. Fiscal year 2002 estimates include
16 grant awards totaling $89,841,000.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations 17.190-17.222, Grants to States
for Construction of State Home Facilities.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: Chief Consultant, Geriatrics and Extended
Care Strategic Healthcare Group (114), Department of Veterans
Affairs, Central Office, Washington, DC 20420. Chief, State Home
Construction Program. Telephone: (202) 273-8536.
Web
Site Address: http://www.va.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
1) Constructed new 120 bed State home nursing home building; 2)
Constructed new 100 bed State home domiciliary building to nursing
home care standards for easy conversion; 3) Remodeled existing State
home nursing home building; 4) Remodeled existing State home domiciliary
building; and 5) Remodeled existing State home hospital building.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
As required by Title 38, U.S.C. Section 5035, all applications are
reviewed and accorded priority in the following order: (1) adequate
State financial support (matching funds); (2) States without State
homes constructed or acquired under Title 38 U.S.C. 8131-8137; (3)
greater need; (4) lesser need; and (5) other criteria determined
appropriate and published in regulations (38 CFR 17.170 through
17.183).
