Notice2024-09542
Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the Puerto Rico Disaster Assistance Grant Program
Primary source
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Published
May 2, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCommunity Living Administration
Abstract
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the intent to award a single-source supplement to the current cooperative agreement held by the Puerto Rico Ombudsman Office for the Elderly (PROOE) for the project Puerto Rico Disaster Assistance Grant which is through the Older Americans Act, Disaster Assistance for State Units on Aging (SUAs) and Tribal Organizations in Major Disasters Declared by the President and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35831-35832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09542]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Community Living
Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the
Puerto Rico Disaster Assistance Grant Program
AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the
intent to award a single-source supplement to the current cooperative
agreement held by the Puerto Rico Ombudsman Office for the Elderly
(PROOE) for the project Puerto Rico Disaster Assistance Grant which is
through the Older Americans Act, Disaster Assistance for State Units on
Aging (SUAs) and Tribal Organizations in Major Disasters Declared by
the President and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
DATES: The supplement award will be issued to extend the project period
to May 1, 2023, through September 30, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Votava, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Center
for Regional Operations: telephone (202) 795-7603;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d1b4bcb0b8bdbab0a5b9bdb4b4bfffa7bea5b0a7b091b0b2bdffb9b9a2ffb6bea7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd98909c9491969c899591989893d38b92899c8b9cbd9c9e91d395958ed39a928b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this program, as set forth in
Section 310(a)(1) of the Older Americans Act (OAA) is to provide
funding to the aging network for disaster-related items in areas
receiving a Major Disaster Declaration by the President under the
Robert T. Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, where funds may only be
used in those areas designated in the Disaster Declaration. These funds
are used by the aging network in recovery so that they can resume
operations to support older adults and their caregivers. The overall
goals of the program are as follows:
1. Provide disaster relief reimbursements to States/Territories (or
to any tribal organization receiving a grant under title VI), upon
application, for funds such State makes available to area agencies on
aging (and/or aging network) in such State (or funds used by such
tribal organization) for the delivery of supportive services (and
related supplies) during any major disaster declared by the President
in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act. In addition, provide disaster relief reimbursements for
expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian.
2. Provide funds for the aging network to deliver the following
Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III types of gap-filling services
following a disaster: emergency meals and medications, outreach,
information and assistance, counseling, case management, advocacy on
behalf of older persons unable or reluctant to speak for themselves,
and transportation.
3. Assist the aging network in restoring their capacity and
operations after a disaster in order that they may be able to help
older adults and caregivers in their communities.
The administrative supplement for FY 2024 will be in the amount of
$7,809,231, bringing the total awards made in FY 2023 and FY 2024 to
$9,779,231. The supplement will provide sufficient resources to enable
the grantee, PROOE, and their partners to continue to address the
significant
[[Page 35832]]
needs of Hurricane Fiona older adult survivors living in Puerto Rico
and expand the reach and effectiveness of this project by:
<bullet> Expanding the grantee's project to restore operations
impacted by Hurricane Fiona to additional multipurpose senior centers,
including installing solar panels, generators, and cisterns, as well as
replenishing the supply of emergency meals for older adults;
<bullet> Advancing the capacity of the broader aging services
network to deliver services to older adults and their caregivers who
were impacted by Hurricane Fiona by continuing to identify and address
the most critical needs; and
<bullet> Increasing outreach, evaluation, technical assistance, and
sub-grantee monitoring and financial oversight activities.
The supplement will accomplish the goals of the program using the
following approaches:
<bullet> Partnerships are essential for delivering programs and
services vital to help older adults remain in their communities.
PROOE's partnership with the aging network, including multipurpose
senior centers, is critical to allow services and programs to be
provided in communities at the local level, especially in recovery from
disasters.
<bullet> Community-based resources, such as multipurpose senior
centers, provide congregate meals, home delivered meals, evidence-based
disease prevention and health promotion services, outreach, information
and referral services, socialization as well as many other supports for
older adults in their local communities. In Puerto Rico, these centers
often provide an access point for healthcare, including offering
nursing care to and housing medications that need refrigeration for
community-dwelling older adults.
<bullet> Stewardship is key to any project. The supplement will
enable PROOE to increase stewardship over the sub-grant process to
manage expanded work and enhance program oversight, monitoring,
evaluation, and additional activities proportional to the increased
funding and expectations resulting from this supplement.
Program Name: Puerto Rico Disaster Assistance Grant.
Recipient: Puerto Rico Ombudsman Office for the Elderly (PROOE).
Period of Performance: The supplement award will be issued to
extend the project period to May 1, 2023, through September 30, 2025.
Total Award Amount: $ 9,779,231.
Award Type: Cooperative Agreement Supplement.
Basis for Award: The Puerto Rico Ombudsman Office for the Elderly
(PROOE), the State Unit on Aging (SUA), is currently funded to carry
out the objectives of the project entitled Puerto Rico Disaster
Assistance Grant for the period of May 1, 2023, through September 30,
2024. Since project implementation began in 2023, the grantee has
accomplished a great deal. This supplement will enable the grantee to
carry their work even further, serving more older adult survivors of
Hurricane Fiona by expanding their project to additional senior centers
in local communities. The additional funding will not be used to begin
new projects or activities. The PROOE is uniquely positioned to
complete the work called for under this project. PROOE is the
designated SUA and administers the Older American Act programs and
services to support older adults living in the community as well as
their caregivers. PROOE's partners include the Territory's network of
senior centers and local communities, many of which are in rural areas.
Establishing an entirely new grant project at this time would be
potentially disruptive to the current work already well under way. More
importantly, the older adults being served by this project could be
negatively impacted by a disruption, thus posing the risk of re-
traumatization and further negative impacts on health and wellbeing in
their recovery from Hurricane Fiona. If this supplement is not
provided, the project would be less able to address the significant
unmet health and social support needs of additional older adult
survivors and their caregivers. Similarly, the project would be unable
to expand its current reach. Finally, providing this supplement to
PROOE will allow for the greater realization of Congress' intent in the
Older Americans Act which includes targeting older individuals with
greatest economic need (including low- income minority individuals and
older individuals residing in rural areas) and older individuals with
greatest social need (including low-income minority individuals and
older individuals residing in rural areas) to receive services under
this Act, as well as targeting of services to older adult individuals
at risk for institutional placement to permit such individuals to
remain in home and community-based settings.
Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C. 3030; Pub. L. 117-328, 136 Stat.
4459.
Dated: April 29, 2024.
Allison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2024-09542 Filed 5-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P
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