Potential Reallotment of Funds for FY 1996 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Potential Reallotment of Funds for FY 1996 Low Income Home Energy

Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

AGENCY: Office of Community Services, ACF, DHHS.

ACTION: Preliminary determination concerning funds available for

reallotment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a preliminary determination has

been made that fiscal year (FY) 1996 Low Income Home Energy Assistance

Program (LIHEAP) funds are available for reallotment. Section

2607(b)(1) of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act (the Act) Title

XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621

et seq.), as amended, requires that if the Secretary of the Department

of Health and Human Services determines that, as of September 1 of any

fiscal year, an amount in excess of certain levels allotted to a

grantee for any fiscal year will not be used by that grantee during the

fiscal year, the Secretary must notify the grantee and publish a notice

in the Federal Register that such funds may be reallotted to other

grantees during the following fiscal year. It has been determined that

a total of $457,022 of FY 1996 funds may be available for reallotment

during FY 1997. This determination is based on reports from the

District of Columbia, and from the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc.

(Alaska) and the Association of Village Council Presidents (Alaska),

which are Tribal grantees, which were submitted to the Office of

Community Services as required by 45 CFR 96.81.

The statute allows grantees who have funds unobligated at the end

of the fiscal year for which they are awarded to request that they be

allowed to carry over up to 10 percent of their allotments to the next

fiscal year. Funds in excess of this amount must be returned to HHS and

are subject to reallotment under section 2607(b)(1) of the Act. All of

the amounts described in this notice were reported as unobligated FY

1996 funds in excess of the amount that the District and the two Alaska

Native Associations [tribes] named above could carry over to FY 1997.

The District of Columbia was notified by certified mail that

$140,762 of its FY 1996 funds may be reallotted. The Association of

Village Council Presidents of Alaska was notified by certified mail

that $295,076 of its FY 1996 funds may be reallotted. The Tanana Chiefs

Conference, Inc. was notified by certified mail that $21,184 of its FY

1996 funds may be reallotted. In accordance with section 2607(b)(3),

the Chief Executive Officers of the District of Columbia, the

Association of Village Council Presidents and the Tanana Chiefs

Conference, Inc. have 30 days from the date of the letters to submit

comments to: Donald Sykes, Director, Office of Community Services, 370

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

That 30-day comment period will expire on June 20, 1997. After

considering any comments submitted, the Chief Executive Officers will

be notified of the decision, and the decision will also be published in

the Federal Register. If funds are reallotted, they will be allocated

in accordance with section 2604 of the Act and must be treated by

LIHEAP grantees receiving them as an amount appropriated for FY 1997.

As FY 1997 funds, they will be subject to all of the requirements of

the Act, including section 2607(b)(2), which requires that a grantee

must obligate at least 90% of its total block grant allocation for a

fiscal year by the end of the fiscal year for which the funds are

appropriated, that is, by September 30, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Fox, Director, Division of

Energy Assistance, Office of Community Services, 370 L'Enfant

Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447; telephone (202) 401-9351.

Dated: May 15, 1997.

Donald Sykes,

Director, Office of Community Services.

[FR Doc. 97-13409 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]

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