Refugee Resettlement Program; Proposed Availability of Formula Allocation Funding for FY 1994 Targeted Assistance Grants for Services to Refugees\1\ in Local Areas of High Need

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of Refugee Resettlement

Refugee Resettlement Program; Proposed Availability of Formula

Allocation Funding for FY 1994 Targeted Assistance Grants for Services

to Refugees\1\ in Local Areas of High Need

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, HHS.

\1\In addition to persons admitted to the United States as

refugees, eligibility for targeted assistance includes Cuban and

Haitian entrants, certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted

to the U.S. as immigrants, and certain Amerasians from Vietnam who

are U.S. citizens. (See section II of this notice on

``Authorization.'') The term ``refugee'', used in this notice for

convenience, is intended to encompass such additional persons who

are eligible to participate in refugee program services, including

the targeted assistance program.

\1\Refugees admitted to the U.S. under admissions numbers set

aside for private-sector-initiative admissions are not eligible to

be served under the targeted assistance program (or under other

programs supported by Federal refugee funds) during their period of

coverage under their sponsoring agency's agreement with the

Department of State--usually two years from their date of arrival,

or until they obtain permanent resident alien status, whichever

comes first.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACTION: Notice of proposed availability of formula allocation funding

for FY 1994 targeted assistance grants to States for services to

refugees in local areas of high need.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the proposed availability of funds and

award procedures for FY 1994 targeted assistance grants for services to

refugees under the Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP). These grants are

for service provision in localities with large refugee populations,

high refugee concentrations, and high use of public assistance, and

where specific needs exist for supplementation of currently available

resources. In order to provide States increased flexibility, this

notice proposes to eliminate the specific requirement that at least 85%

of targeted assistance funds must be used for services which directly

enhance refugee employment potential and proposes to replace this

requirement with a more general requirement that targeted assistance

funds must be used primarily for employment-related services. In

addition, this notice proposes to eliminate the requirement that cash

assistance recipients must make up a percentage of the targeted

assistance caseload which is not less than the State's current welfare

dependency rate among refugees. This notice also proposes to eliminate

welfare dependency as a factor in the targeted assistance allocation

formula in light of the unavailability of up-to-date national welfare

dependency data since FY 1989. The formula has been updated to take

into account FY 1993 arrivals. In FY 1994, targeted assistance funds

will be available only for a one-year grant project period.

DATES: Comments on the proposals contained in this notice must be

received by April 18, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Address written comments, in duplicate, to: Toyo A. Biddle,

Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and

Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The deadline for applications will be established

by the final notice; applications should not be sent in response to

this notice of proposed allocations.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.566.

(For further programmatic information, States should contact their

State Liaison in ORR.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Purpose and Scope

This notice announces the proposed availability of funds for grants

for targeted assistance for services to refugees in counties where,

because of factors such as unusually large refugee populations, high

refugee concentrations, and high use of public assistance, there exists

and can be demonstrated a specific need for supplementation of

resources for services to this population.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has available $49,397,000

in FY 1994 funds for the targeted assistance program (TAP) as part of

the FY 1994 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human

Services (Pub. L. 103-112).

The House Appropriations Committee Report reads as follows with

respect to targeted assistance funds (H.R. Rept. No. 103-156, p. 93):

This program provides grants to States for counties which are impacted

by high concentrations of refugees and high dependency rates. The

Committee intends that $19,000,000 of the total be provided to continue

the current program of support to communities affected as a result of

the massive influx of Cuban and Haitian entrants during the Mariel

boatlift. The Committee also intends that 10 percent of the total

appropriated for targeted assistance be used for grants to localities

most heavily impacted by the influx of refugees such as Laotian Hmong,

Cambodians, and Soviet Pentecostals, including secondary migrants who

entered the United States after October 1, 1979. The Committee expects

these grants to be awarded to communities not presently receiving

targeted assistance because of previous concentration requirements and

other factors in the grant formulas, as well as those who do currently

receive targeted assistance grants. The Committee intends that the

State of California shall be held harmless in the formula allocation of

targeted assistance funds as a result of any reductions to the total

amount appropriated for the targeted assistance program. California's

total share of funding under the formula allocation in fiscal year 1994

should be no less than the percentage share of California's allotment

under fiscal year 1993 appropriations. In determining the hold harmless

allocation to California, the total amount appropriated for targeted

assistance will be used.

The Senate Appropriations Committee Report (S. Rept. No. 103-143,

p. 162) is less specific than, but consistent with, the above-quoted

House Report.

The Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) proposes

to use the $49,397,000 appropriated for FY 1994 targeted assistance as

follows:

$25,457,300 is proposed for allocation under the updated

formula, as set forth in this notice.

$19,000,000 will be awarded to Florida for the Dade County

public schools and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami.

$4,939,700 (10% of the total) will be awarded under

discretionary grant announcements which will be issued separately

setting forth application requirements and evaluation criteria.

The purpose of targeted assistance grants is to provide, through a

process of local planning and implementation, direct services intended

to result in the economic self-sufficiency and reduced welfare

dependency of refugees through job placements.

The targeted assistance program reflects the requirements of

section 412(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),

which provides that targeted assistance grants shall be made available

``(i) primarily for the purpose of facilitating refugee employment and

achievement of self-sufficiency, (ii) in a manner that does not

supplant other refugee program funds and that assures that not less

than 95 percent of the amount of the grant award is made available to

the county or other local entity.''

II. Authorization

Targeted assistance projects are funded under the authority of

section 412(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as

amended by the Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-

605), 8 U.S.C. 1522(c); section 501(a) of the Refugee Education

Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-422), 8 U.S.C. 1522 note, insofar as

it incorporates by reference with respect to Cuban and Haitian entrants

the authorities pertaining to assistance for refugees established by

section 412(c)(2) of the INA, as cited above; section 584(c) of the

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs

Appropriations Act, 1988, as included in the FY 1988 Continuing

Resolution (Pub. L. 100-202), insofar as it incorporates by reference

with respect to certain Amerasians from Vietnam the authorities

pertaining to assistance for refugees established by section 412(c)(2)

of the INA, as cited above, including certain Amerasians from Vietnam

who are U.S. citizens, as provided under title II of the Foreign

Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Acts,

1989 (Pub. L. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101-167), and 1991 (Pub. L. 101-

513).

III. Client and Service Priorities

Targeted assistance funding should be used to assist refugee

families to achieve economic independence. To this end, ORR expects

States and counties to ensure that a coherent plan of services is

developed for each eligible family that addresses the family's needs

from time of arrival until attainment of economic independence. Each

service plan should address a family's needs for both employment-

related services and other needed social services.

Services funded under the targeted assistance allocations are

required to focus primarily on those refugees who, either because of

their protracted use of public assistance or difficulty in securing

employment, continue to need services beyond the initial years of

resettlement. The targeted assistance program, however, is not intended

to be limited to cash assistance recipients. TAP-funded services may

also be provided to other refugees in need of services, regardless of

whether the refugees are receiving cash assistance.

In addition to the statutory requirement that TAP funds be used

``primarily for the purpose of facilitating refugee employment''

(section 412(c)(2)(B)(i)), funds awarded under this program are

intended to help fulfill the Congressional intent that ``employable

refugees should be placed on jobs as soon as possible after their

arrival in the United States'' (section 412(a)(1)(B)(i) of the INA).

Therefore targeted assistance funds must be used primarily for services

which directly enhance refugee employment potential, have specific

employment objectives, and are designed to enable refugees to obtain

jobs with less than one year's participation in the targeted assistance

program. Examples of these activities are: Job development; job

placement; job-related and vocational English; short-term job training

specifically related to opportunities in the local economy; on-the-job

training; business and employer incentives (such as on-site employee

orientation, vocational English training, or bilingual supervisor

assistance); and business technical assistance. General or remedial

educational activities--such as adult basic education (ABE) or

preparation for a high school equivalency or general education diploma

(GED)--may be provided within the context of an individual

employability plan for a refugee which is intended to result in job

placement in less than one year. ORR encourages the continued provision

of services after a refugee has entered a job to help the refugee

retain employment or move to a better job. Targeted assistance funds

cannot be used for long-term training programs such as vocational

training that last for more than a year or educational programs that

are not intended to lead to employment within a year. If TAP funds are

used for the provision of English language training, such training

should be provided concurrently, rather than sequentially, with

employment or with other employment-related services, to the maximum

extent possible.

A portion of a local area's allocation may be used for services

which are not directed toward the achievement of a specific employment

objective in less than one year but which are essential to the

adjustment of refugees in the community, provided such needs are

clearly demonstrated and such use is approved by the State.

Reflecting section 412(a)(1)(A)(iv) of the INA, the Director of ORR

expects States to ``insure that women have the same opportunities as

men to participate in training and instruction.'' In addition, States

are expected to make sure that services are provided in a manner that

encourages the use of bilingual women on service agency staffs to

ensure adequate service access by refugee women. In order to facilitate

refugee self-support, the Director also expects States to implement

strategies which address simultaneously the employment potential of

both male and female wage earners in a family unit. States and counties

are expected to make every effort to assure availability of day care

services in order to allow women with children the opportunity to

participate in employment services or to accept or retain employment.

To accomplish this, day care may be treated as a priority employment-

related service under the targeted assistance program. Refugees who are

participating in TAP-funded or social services-funded employment

services or have accepted employment are eligible for day care

services. For an employed refugee, TAP-funded day care must be limited

to one year after the refugee becomes employed. States and counties,

however, are expected to use day care funding from other publicly

funded mainstream programs as a prior resource and are encouraged to

work with service providers to assure maximum access to other publicly

funded resources for day care.

Targeted assistance services should be provided in a manner that is

culturally and linguistically compatible with a refugee's language and

cultural background. In light of the increasingly diverse population of

refugees who are resettling in this country, refugee service agencies

will need to develop practical ways of providing culturally and

linguistically appropriate services to a changing ethnic population. To

the maximum extent possible, particularly during a refugee's initial

years of resettlement, targeted assistance services should be provided

through a refugee-specific service system rather than through a system

in which refugees are only one of many client groups being served.

ORR strongly encourages States and counties when contracting for

targeted assistance services, including employment services, to give

consideration to the special strengths of MAAs, whenever contract

bidders are otherwise equally qualified, provided that the MAA has the

capability to deliver services in a manner that is culturally and

linguistically compatible with the background of the target population

to be served.

ORR defines MAAs as organizations with the following

qualifications:

a. The organization is legally incorporated as a nonprofit

organization; and

b. Not less than 51% of the composition of the Board of Directors

or governing board of the mutual assistance association is comprised of

refugees or former refugees, including both refugee men and women.

Finally, in order to provide culturally and linguistically

compatible services in as cost-efficient a manner as possible in a time

of limited resources, ORR strongly encourages States and counties to

promote and give special consideration to the provision of services

through coalitions of refugee service organizations, such as coalitions

of MAAs, voluntary resettlement agencies, or a variety of service

providers. ORR believes it is essential for refugee-serving

organizations to form close partnerships in the provision of services

to refugees in order to be able to respond adequately to a changing

refugee picture. Coalition-building and consolidation of providers is

particularly important in communities with multiple service providers

in order to ensure better coordination of services and maximum use of

funding for services by minimizing the funds used for multiple

administrative overhead costs.

The award of funds to States under this notice would be contingent

upon the completeness of a State's application as described in section

IX, below.

IV. [Reserved for Discussion of Comments in Final Notice]

V. Eligible Grantees

The following requirements, which have previously applied to TAP,

would continue to apply with respect to FY 1994 awards: Eligible

grantees are those agencies of State governments which are responsible

for the refugee program under 45 CFR 400.5 in States containing

counties which qualify for FY 1994 targeted assistance awards. The use

of targeted assistance funds for services to Cuban and Haitian entrants

is limited to States which have an approved State plan under the Cuban/

Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP).

The State agency will submit a single application on behalf of all

county governments of the qualified counties in that State. Subsequent

to the approval of the State's application by ORR, local targeted

assistance plans will be developed by the county government or other

designated entity and submitted to the State.

A State with more than one qualified county is permitted, but not

required, to determine the allocation amount for each qualified county

within the State. However, if a State chooses to determine county

allocations differently from those set forth in this notice, the FY

1994 allocations proposed by the State must be included in the State's

application.

Applications submitted in response to this notice are not subject

to review by State and areawide clearinghouses under Executive Order

12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

VI. Qualification and Allocation Formula

A. Qualification Criteria

The INA authorizes the Director at section 412(c)(2)(A) ``to make

grants to States for assistance to counties and similar areas in the

States where, because of factors such as unusually large refugee

populations (including secondary migration), high refugee

concentrations, and high use of public assistance by refugees, there

exists and can be demonstrated a specific need for supplementation of

available resources for services to refugees''.

ORR is willing to consider data for the purpose of determining the

eligibility of new counties to participate in TAP in FY 1994.

Interested counties should submit the following written evidence: (a) A

list of refugees identified by name, alien number, social security

number, date of birth, and date of arrival; and (b) a description of

the source of data. Listings of refugees who are not identified by

their alien numbers will not be considered. Written evidence should be

submitted separately from comments on the proposals in this notice no

later than 30 days from date of publication of this notice and should

be addressed to: Loren Bussert, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 370

L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-

4732.

In determining whether a new county would be eligible to

participate in the targeted assistance program, the same four criteria

used previously will be used, including the same cutoff points. Updated

information on refugee arrivals, concentrations, dependency rates, and

receipt of cash assistance will be taken into account. To qualify for

TAP funds, a county (or group of adjacent counties within the same

Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, or SMSA) is required to be

above the median or above a specified cutoff point of jurisdictions for

which data are reviewed in three of the four following criteria: (1)

The number of refugees placed in the county during FY 1983-1993; (2)

the ratio of the overall county population to the refugees in item (1),

above; (3) the number of refugees in the county who were receiving cash

assistance under the programs of aid to families with dependent

children (AFDC) and refugee cash assistance (RCA) on October 1, 1993;

and (4) the ratio of refugees in item (3) to the number of refugees in

item (1). A county which places above the cutoff point in any three of

the above categories is determined to be qualified to apply for

targeted assistance funds.

The median for Criterion 1, above, is 2,066.5. The median for

Criterion 2 is 244.5. The cutoff point for Criterion 3 is 1,000. The

cutoff point for Criterion 4 was established at 50%. Counties which

meet three of the four criteria are qualified for the program.

B. Allocation Formula

Since current welfare dependency data on refugees are not available

at the national level, the Director of ORR proposes to eliminate

welfare dependency rates as a factor in calculating targeted assistance

formula allocations to States in FY 1994. In all other respects, the FY

1994 TAP formula allocations would be based on the same formula as in

FY 1993, updated to reflect arrivals through September 30, 1993.

Under this formula, one portion of the allocation is based on

refugee and Cuban/Haitian entrant arrivals during FY 1980-1982; funds

for this portion of the formula are allocated on the same proportionate

basis among participating counties as in FY 1992. The second portion of

the allocation is based on refugee and entrant placements in these

counties during calendar year (CY) 1983--September 30, 1993.

For the participating counties, the $25,457,300 which is proposed

to be allocated by formula would be apportioned as follows:

a. $8,655,482 or 34%, would be allocated on the basis of the

formula which has been used for all previous targeted assistance

allocations (``old formula'') and which is based on initial placements

during FY 1980-1982 and other factors as described under ``Formula Used

to Date'' in the FY 1989 TAP notice published in the Federal Register

on July 3, 1989 (54 FR 27944).

b. $16,801,818 or 66%, would be allocated on the basis of arrivals

during CY 1983--September 30, 1993 (``new formula'').

The above percentages are based on the proportion of initial

placements in these counties during the two periods: 338,247 refugee

arrivals, or 34% of the total number of placements, during the old-

formula period; and 658,930 or 66%, during the new-formula period.

The old-formula allocation of $8,655,482 follows the same

distribution among counties as in the past.

The new-formula allocation of $16,801,818 is based on the number of

initial placements in each county during CY 1983--September 30, 1993.

Welfare dependency rates were not used as a factor in this portion of

the formula.

VII. Proposed Allocations

Table 1 lists the participating counties, the number of placements

in each county during CY 1983--September 30, 1993, the amount of each

county's proposed allocation which is based on the old formula, the

amount of each county's allocation which is based on the new formula,

and the county's total proposed allocation.

Although Table 1 shows an amount for each county, the Director

proposes, in the case of a State which contains more than one qualified

county, to continue to permit the State to determine (in accordance

with the requirements set forth in this notice) the appropriate

allocation of the State's targeted assistance award among the qualified

counties in the State. If a State chooses to make allocations which are

different from the notice, the State, as in the FY 1993 TAP, would be

responsible for determining an appropriate and equitable basis for

allocating the funds among the qualified counties in the State and for

including in its application a description of this allocation basis,

the data to be used, and the allocation proposed for each county.

Table 2 provides State totals for the proposed county allocations

set forth in Table 1.

Table 3 indicates the areas that each participating county

represents.

Table 1.--Proposed Targeted Assistance Allocations by County: FY 1994

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portion of

Arrivals proposed FY Portion of Total proposed

Jan. 1983- 1994 proposed FY 1994 FY 1994

County State Sep. 1993 allocation allocation under allocation\1\

(A) under old new formula (C) (D)

formula (B)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alameda......................... CA 14,333 $215,050 560,739 775,789

Contra Costa.................... CA 4,042 61,488 158,132 219,620

Fresno.......................... CA 12,854 118,751 502,878 621,629

Los Angeles..................... CA 90,912 1,085,976 3,556,683 4,642,659

Merced.......................... CA 4,118 144,945 161,105 306,050

Orange.......................... CA 39,745 483,225 1,554,914 2,038,139

Sacramento...................... CA 15,339 184,062 600,096 784,158

San Diego....................... CA 22,382 360,162 875,635 1,235,797

San Francisco................... CA 22,850 279,500 893,944 1,173,444

San Joaquin..................... CA 8,797 185,730 344,159 529,889

Santa Clara..................... CA 30,856 359,731 1,207,157 1,566,888

Stanislaus...................... CA 3,210 33,604 125,582 159,186

Tulare.......................... CA 5,207 0 203,710 203,710

Denver.......................... CO 7,815 72,548 123,180 195,728

Broward......................... FL 2,709 120,171 42,699 162,870

Dade............................ FL 43,871 2,096,472 691,493 \2\21,787,965

Hillsboro....................... FL 3,009 37,765 47,428 85,193

Palm Beach...................... FL 3,058 49,922 48,200 98,122

Honolulu........................ HI 3,134 79,887 49,398 129,285

Cook/Kane....................... IL 32,482 375,262 511,980 887,242

Sedgwick........................ KS 3,788 89,424 59,706 149,130

Orleans......................... LA 3,678 61,090 57,972 119,062

Montgomery/Prince Georges....... MD 8,100 74,318 127,672 201,990

Middlesex....................... MA 5,727 58,710 90,269 148,979

Suffolk......................... MA 14,877 134,742 234,491 369,233

Hennepin........................ MN 9,349 94,663 147,359 242,022

Ramsey.......................... MN 9,191 133,102 144,868 277,970

Jackson......................... MO 3,795 34,751 59,817 94,568

Essex........................... NJ 5,498 20,111 86,659 106,770

Hudson.......................... NJ 2,355 134,572 37,119 171,691

Union........................... NJ 1,586 27,015 24,998 52,013

New York........................ NY 117,363 300,254 1,849,870 2,150,124

Multnomah....................... OR 14,793 203,998 233,167 437,165

Philadelphia.................... PA 16,863 139,637 265,794 405,431

Providence...................... RI 4,601 99,736 72,521 172,257

Harris.......................... TX 19,383 163,680 305,514 469,194

Salt Lake....................... UT 6,632 49,759 104,533 154,292

Arlington....................... VA 2,886 86,228 45,489 131,717

Fairfax......................... VA 7,908 103,974 124,646 228,620

King/Snohomish.................. WA 25,694 248,385 404,988 653,373

Pierce.......................... WA 4,140 53,082 65,254 118,336

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Total..................... ............. 658,930 8,655,482 16,801,818 \2\44,457,300

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\Based on arrivals through September 30, 1993.

\2\The allocation for Dade County, Florida, includes $19,000,000 for Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami) and the

Dade County (Miami) public schools. This is referred to in the House and Senate Reports on the appropriation

``to continue the current program of support to communities affected as a result of the massive influx of

Cuban and Haitian entrants during the Mariel boatlift.'' The amounts are $10,636,376 for Jackson Memorial and

$8,363,624 for the Dade County schools.

Table 2.--Proposed Targeted Assistance Allocations by State: FY 1994

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FY 1994 proposed

State allocation\1\

------------------------------------------------------------------------

California............................................ 14,256,958

Colorado.............................................. 195,728

Florida............................................... \2\22,134,150

Hawaii................................................ 129,285

Illinois.............................................. 887,242

Kansas................................................ 149,130

Louisiana............................................. 119,062

Maryland.............................................. 201,990

Massachusetts......................................... 518,212

Minnesota............................................. 519,992

Missouri.............................................. 94,568

New Jersey............................................ 330,474

New York.............................................. 2,150,124

Oregon................................................ 437,165

Pennsylvania.......................................... 405,431

Rhode Island.......................................... 172,257

Texas................................................. 469,194

Utah.................................................. 154,292

Virginia.............................................. 360,337

Washington............................................ 771,709

-----------------

Total........................................... 44,457,300

------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\Based on arrivals through September 30, 1993.

\2\The allocation for Florida includes $19,000,000 for Jackson Memorial

Hospital (Miami) and the Dade County (Miami) public schools. See

footnote 2 to Table 1.

Table 3.--Targeted Assistance Areas

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Targeted Assistance Area\1\ Definition

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CA Alameda

Contra Costa

Fresno

Los Angeles

Merced

Orange

Sacramento

San Diego

San Francisco............... Marin, San Francisco, & San Mateo Counties.

San Joaquin

Santa Clara

Stanislaus

Tulare

CO Denver...................... Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, & Jefferson Counties.

FL Broward

Dade

Hillsboro

Palm Beach

HI Honolulu

IL Cook/Kane

KS Sedgwick

LA Orleans..................... Jefferson & Orleans Parishes.

MD Montgomery/Prince Georges

MA Middlesex

Suffolk

MN Hennepin

Ramsey

MO Jackson..................... Jackson County, MO, & Wyandotte County, KS.

NJ Essex

Hudson

Union

NY New York.................... Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, & Richmond Counties.

OR Multnomah................... Clackamas, Multnomah, & Washington Counties, OR, & Clark County,

WA.

PA Philadelphia

RI Providence

TX Harris

UT Salt Lake Davis, Salt Lake, & Utah Counties.

VA Arlington Fairfax County & Independent Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, & Falls

Fairfax..................... Church.

WA King/Snohomish

Pierce

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\Consists of named county/counties unless otherwise defined.

VIII. Application and Implementation Process

Under the FY 1994 targeted assistance program, States would apply

for and receive grant awards on behalf of qualified counties in the

State. A single allocation would be made to each State by ORR on the

basis of an approved State application. The State agency would, in

turn, receive, review, and determine the acceptability of individual

county targeted assistance plans.

Beginning in FY 1994, TAP funds will be awarded through a more

streamlined grant process similar to that used for the ORR social

services formula grant program. An application and assurances will

still be required of the States eligible to receive TAP funding.

Guidance on application content will be provided later this year in the

FY 1994 final targeted assistance notice. FY 1994 funds will be

available for obligation by the State agency for a period of one year

from the date of the grant award. There will be no carryover of

unobligated funds into the FY 1995 grant award. Funds obligated by the

States during this one-year period must be liquidated within 2 years

from the date of obligation.

Although funding for educational services in Dade County, FL, and

for medical services at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL, is part

of the appropriation amount for targeted assistance, the scope of

activities for these special projects will be administratively

determined. Applications for those funds are therefore not subject to

provisions contained in this notice but to other requirements which

have been conveyed separately. Similarly, the requirements regarding

the 10% portion of the targeted assistance appropriation that will be

awarded separately will be addressed in the grant announcement for

those funds.

IX. Application Requirements

The proposed State application requirements for grants for the FY

1994 targeted assistance formula allocation are as follows: States that

are currently operating under approved management plans for their FY

1993 targeted assistance program and wish to continue to do so for

their FY 1994 grants may provide the following in lieu of resubmitting

the full currently approved plan: The State's application for FY 1994

funding shall provide: A. Assurance that the State's current management

plan for the administration of the targeted assistance program, as

approved by ORR, will continue to be in full force and effect for the

FY 1994 targeted assistance program, subject to any additional

assurances or revisions required by this notice which are not reflected

in the current plan. Any proposed modifications to the approved plan

will be identified in the application and are subject to ORR review and

approval. Any proposed changes must address and reference all

appropriate portions of the FY 1993 application content requirements to

ensure complete incorporation in the State's management plan.

B. Assurance that, for each qualified local area, targeted

assistance funds will be used primarily for, but not limited to,

services to cash assistance recipients.

C. Assurance that targeted assistance funds will be used primarily

for the provision of services which directly enhance refugee employment

potential, have specific employment objectives, and are designed to

enable refugees to obtain jobs with less than one year's participation

in the targeted assistance program. States must indicate what

percentage of FY 1994 targeted assistance formula allocation funds will

be used for employment services.

D. Timetables for awarding funds to the local areas consistent with

the conclusion of services under the FY 1993 program.

E. A line item budget and justification for State administrative

costs limited to a maximum of 5% of the total award to the State. Each

total budget period funding amount requested must be necessary,

reasonable, and allocable to the project.

States Administering the Program Locally

States that have administered the program locally or provide direct

service to the refugee population (with the concurrence of the county)

must submit a program summary to ORR for prior review and approval. The

summary must include a description of the proposed services; a

justification for the projected allocation for each component including

relationship of funds allocated to numbers of clients served,

characteristics of clients, duration of training and services,

projected outcomes, and cost per placement. In addition, the program

component summary should describe any ancillary services or

subcomponents such as day care, transportation, or language training.

States With Two or More Counties Receiving Targeted Assistance Funds

As in FY 1993, a State with two or more local areas which qualify

for the program may choose to determine respective county allocations.

If the State chooses to determine county allocations differently from

those set forth in Table 1 of this notice, the State should provide a

description of the State's proposed allocation plan and the basis for

the proposed allocations. The allocation approach should be based upon

existing FY 1993 funds, prior-year funds carried forward, and

indicators of refugee need for targeted assistance services. The

application should contain a description of the allocation approach,

data used in its determination, the calculated allocation amount for

each county, and the rationale for the proposed allocations. States are

encouraged to revise allocation formulas to assure appropriate funding

among eligible counties for the duration of the grant such that

targeted assistance activities within the State conclude

simultaneously. Where the State chooses not to determine county

allocation amounts, the State must provide the allocations which are

specified in this notice.

X. Reporting Requirements

States would be required to submit quarterly reports on the

outcomes of the targeted assistance program, using the same form which

States use for reporting on refugee social services formula grants.

This is Schedule A and Schedule C of the ORR-6 Quarterly Performance

Report form. ORR is no longer using the ORR-12 form which was

originally used to report on the outcomes of the targeted assistance

program. ORR is in the process of consolidating its reporting

requirements. The new reporting form will consolidate social services

and targeted assistance performance reporting in one format in order to

simplify and coordinate reporting. ORR expects this new form to be

available when reporting on FY 1994 grants begins, which would be at

the end of the first quarter of FY 1995.

Dated: March 9, 1994.

Lavinia Limon,

Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.

[FR Doc. 94-6305 Filed 3-17-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-P