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Criminal Justice Division Funding Announcement: Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program, FY2020
Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office • April 21, 2020
Purpose
The purpose of this announcement is to solicit applications for projects that seek to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.
Available Funding
Federal Funds are authorized under Division B of H.R. 748, Pub. L. No. 116136 (Emergency Appropriations for Coronavirus Health Response and Agency Operations); 28 U.S.C. 530C. CESF funds are made available through a Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated federal funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.
Texas expects to make approximately $37.8 million available to local units of government through regionally based allocations using the Regional Councils of Governments boundaries. Please see the Regionally Based Allocations Appendix at the end of this announcement for more information.
Eligible Organizations
Applications may be submitted by Native American tribes and units of local government, which are defined as a non-statewide governmental body with the authority to establish a budget and impose taxes.
Note: Units of local government eligible for a direct award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) should first seek funds directly through BJA. The list of local allocations for direct BJA awards to Texas jurisdictions can be found here, and the federal solicitation is available here. Applications are due to BJA by May 29, 2020.
Application Process
Applicants must access the PSO’s eGrants grant management website at https://eGrants.gov.texas.gov
to register and apply for funding. For more instructions and information, see Developing a Good Project Narrative Guide, available here.
Action Date
Funding Announcement Release 04/15/2020
Online System Opening Date 04/15/2020
Final Date to Submit and Certify an Application 06/15/2020 at 5:00 PM CST
Earliest Project Start Date 02/01/2020
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Funding Announcement Release | 04/15/2020 |
| Online System Opening Date | 04/15/2020 |
| Final Date to Submit and Certify an Application | 06/15/2020 at 5:00 PM CST |
| Earliest Project Start Date | 02/01/2020 |
***Applications will be reviewed and processed as they are received. PSO intends to issue awards in an expeditious manner and encourages applicants to submit prior to the deadline in order to receive notification of an award as soon as reasonable. ***
Project Period
Projects must begin on or after 02/01/2020 and may not exceed a 12-month project period.
Funding Levels
Minimum: $10,000
Maximum: None
Match Requirement: None
Standards
Grantees must comply with standards applicable to this fund source cited in the State Uniform Grant Management Standards (UGMS), Federal Uniform Grant Guidance, and all statutes, requirements, and guidelines applicable to this funding.
Eligible Activities and Costs
Funds must be utilized to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to, overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (such as gloves, masks, sanitizer), training, travel expenses (particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas), and addressing the medical needs of inmates in local and tribal jails and detention centers.
Examples of allowable costs include:
- Personnel Overtime (Peace Officer, Jailer, Correctional Officer, Medical, and other Essential Staff)
- Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Supplies (i.e. gloves, masks, sanitizer, disinfectant)
- Temporary Staff
- Medical care for inmates that have tested positive for COVID-19
- Any other costs associated with the implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Guidance documents, specifically:
- Interim Guidance on Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Correctional and Detention Facilities
- What Law Enforcement Personnel Need to Know about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for COVID-19 in the United States
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Eligibility Requirements
- Entities receiving funds from PSO must be located in a county that has an average of 90% or above on both adult and juvenile dispositions entered into the computerized criminal history database maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as directed in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 66. The disposition completeness percentage is defined as the percentage of arrest charges a county reports to DPS for which a disposition has been subsequently reported and entered into the computerized criminal history system.
- Beginning January 1, 2020, counties applying for grant awards from the Office of the Governor must commit that the county will report at least 90 percent of convictions within seven business days to the Criminal Justice Information System at the Department of Public Safety. By January 1, 2021, such reporting must take place within five business days.
- Eligible applicants operating a law enforcement agency must be current on reporting Part I violent crime data to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for inclusion in the annual Uniform Crime Report (UCR). To be considered eligible for funding, applicants must have submitted a full twelve months of accurate data to DPS for the most recent calendar year.
- The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has established a goal set by the Texas Legislature for all local law enforcement agencies to implement and report crime statistics data by using the requirements of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) no later than September 1, 2019. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) will collect required crime statistics solely through the NIBRS starting January 1, 2021. Due to these upcoming state and federal deadlines, grantees are advised that eligibility for future grant funding may be tied to compliance with NIBRS. Financial grant assistance for transitioning to NIBRS may be available for your jurisdiction from the Criminal Justice Division (CJD).
- Local units of government, including cities, counties and other general purpose political subdivisions, as appropriate, and institutions of higher education that operate a law enforcement agency, must comply with all aspects of the programs and procedures utilized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to: (1) notify DHS of all information requested by DHS related to illegal aliens in Agency’s custody; and (2) detain such illegal aliens in accordance with requests by DHS. Additionally, counties and municipalities may NOT have in effect, purport to have in effect, or make themselves subject to or bound by, any law, rule, policy, or practice (written or unwritten) that would: (1) require or authorize the public disclosure of federal law enforcement information in order to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection fugitives from justice or aliens illegally in the United States; or (2) impede federal officers from exercising authority under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), § 1226(c), § 1231(a), § 1357(a), § 1366(1), or § 1366(3). Lastly, eligible applicants must comply with all provisions, policies, and penalties found in Chapter 752, Subchapter C of the Texas Government Code.
- Each local unit of government, and institution of higher education that operates a law enforcement agency, must download, complete and then upload into eGrants the CEO/Law Enforcement Certifications and Assurances Form certifying compliance with federal and state immigration enforcement requirements. This Form is required for each application submitted to OOG and is active until August 31, 2021 or the end of the grant period, whichever is later.
- Eligible applicants must have a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number assigned to its agency (to request a DUNS number, go to https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform).
- Eligible applicants must be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM) database located at https://sam.gov/.
Failure to comply with program eligibility requirements may cause funds to be withheld and/or suspension or termination of grant funds.
Prohibitions
Grant funds may not be used to support the unallowable costs listed in the Guide to Grants
or any of the following unallowable costs:
- Law enforcement equipment that is standard department issue; and
- Any other prohibition imposed by federal, state or local law or regulation.
Selection Process
Application Screening: PSO will screen all applications to ensure that they meet the requirements included in the funding announcement, to understand the overall demand for the program and to identify significant variations in costs per item. After this review, the Office of the Governor will determine if eligible applications can be funded based on funds available, if there are cost-effectiveness benefits to normalizing or setting limits on the range of costs, and if other fair-share cuts may allow for broader distribution and a higher number of projects while still remaining effective.
Final Decisions: The PSO executive director will consider staff recommendations along with other factors and make all final funding decisions. Other factors may include cost effectiveness, overall funds availability, state government priorities and strategies, legislative directives, need, geographic distribution, balance of focuses and approaches, or other relevant factors.
PSO may not fund all applications or may only award part of the amount requested. In the event that funding requests exceed available funds, PSO may revise projects to address a more limited focus.
Contact Information
For more information, contact the eGrants help desk at eGrants@gov.texas.gov
or (512) 463-1919.
Regionally Based Allocations Appendix
Texas is divided into 24 regions, each served by a voluntary organization of local governmental entities that coordinate programs and services to address needs that cross jurisdictional boundaries. PSO will use the allocations below as a guide when making funding decisions for applications within each region. Funds remaining within a regionally based allocation after all eligible applications have been selected for award from that region may be reallocated to other regions.
Please visit https://txregionalcouncil.org/regional-councils/
to determine which Council of Governments region your jurisdiction belongs to.
ETCOG is now accepting interest forms from individuals passionate about making a difference in our region. We have multiple vacancies on our advisory committees, and we invite citizens in our region to submit your interest for consideration.
The Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the Community Development Fund. Maximum award amount is $750,000 for eligible applicants. Applications are due on December 3, 2024.
ETCOG is proud to announce its Executive Committee approved the renewal of purchasing a mass emergency notification system as a part of its public safety program for the 14 th consecutive year. ETCOG has entered a new five-year contract with Rave Mobility for an annual payment of $80,000, funded by our Homeland Security Grant funding. This system allows ETCOG to partner with East Texas’ city and county emergency management coordinators to send messages quickly notifying citizens about emergencies such as: Tornadoes and storm events Drinking water contamination Utility outages Evacuation notices and routes Missing persons Fires or floods Bomb threats Hostage or active shooter situations Chemical spills or gas leaks Other emergency incidents where rapid and accurate notification is essential This will be the second five-year contract ETCOG has entered into with Rave Mobility, offering unlimited minutes/texting, unlimited system users, and unlimited weather warnings that instantly and automatically alert recipients based on weather in the area, including type of weather, location, and severity. It also allows emergency management coordinators to deploy messages in over 50 different language translations and integrates with social media platforms. “We are excited to continue our service with Rave Mobility to offer Smart911 alerts,” said ETCOG’s Public Safety Director, Stephanie Heffner. “The capacity to have unlimited minutes and users opens up the opportunity to partner with more jurisdictions in the region that may have not participated before. Also, we know many of our jurisdictions used to pay for weather warning services out of pocket, so we are happy to offer a cost-saving opportunity with this vendor.” The system has been contracted for Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. To sign up for Smart911 Alerts from your community, visit www.etcog.org/alerts . The system will collect information to share with first responders on your household, medical and emergency contacts, and if there are pets in the home.
Assistance is available to find and compare 2025 health and drug plans now
ETCOG is pleased to announce its new Chairman, City of Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn, the new Board and Executive Committee Officers serving for FY 2025, and Executive Committee members serving a new two-year term. The ETCOG Board of Directors appoints the Executive Committee, which is responsible for establishing the policies, programs, and services on behalf of the Board for our 14-county region. Board Officers Chairman – City of Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn 1st Vice Chairman – Rusk County Commissioner Robert Kuykendall 2nd Vice Chairman – City of Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley 3rd Vice Chairman – Camp County Judge AJ Mason Secretary/Treasurer – Smith County Commissioner Ralph Caraway “I am proud to serve on the Executive Board for ETCOG!” said Mayor Randy Dunn. “Since the time I began serving, I have learned there is so much more that ETCOG offers than I knew before. As Chairman for the upcoming fiscal year, I hope we can offer more communication to our counties and communities, making them aware of the funding, knowledge, and assistance available to them. The population growth in our part of the state offers huge opportunities for economic growth and I want our region to take advantage of all the resources available. ETCOG staff is ready and very capable to help!” New Executive Committee Terms Cherokee County – City of Rusk Mayor Ben Middlebrooks Gregg County – Judge Bill Stoudt Rains County – Commissioner Jeremy Cook Smith County – Commissioner Ralph Caraway Smith County Cities – City of Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley New Executive Committee Members Gregg County Cities – City of Longview Councilwoman Michelle Gamboa Marion County – City of Jefferson Mayor Patricia Finstrom "I am grateful for the volunteer service rendered by all of our elected officials and particularly want to thank and congratulate our new Chairman, Mayor Randy Dunn, and the rest of our ETCOG Officers and Board members for their selfless dedication and service to our region," said ETCOG's Executive Director, David Cleveland. With an $85.4 M budget for FY 2025, ETCOG’s service programs have set forth program goals in its annual budget and planning guide. Highlights include: Area Agency on Aging of East Texas - $5,713,918 403,000 home-delivered senior meals 68,400 Senior congregate meals Respite care, caregiver support, and training Public Safety - $4,104,085 180,000 9-1-1 calls Training 2,190 peace officers Completion of establishing the Pineywoods 911 District GoBus - $13,214,118 Providing 130,000 passenger trips Completion of the new maintenance facility in Kilgore Purchase of transportation maintenance facility in Tyler Workforce and Economic Development – $61,938,817 Move to the new Longview Workforce Center $47,278,181 in Child Care funding to East Texas residents and childcare facilities $228,000 in new Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Air Quality grants To learn more about the FY 2025 budget and program goals, visit www.etcog.org/financials .
ETCOG is constantly evaluating opportunities to add value to our members. Many of you have expressed interest in exploring opportunities to drive financial and administrative efficiencies via collaborative purchasing of employee benefits. We’ve engaged our benefits broker partners at Gallagher to help us assess the feasibility of developing a multiple-employer benefits pool for ETCOG members. We'll kick off this process with an educational session. Please join ETCOG and Gallagher’s team of dedicated experts responsible for building and maintaining pools across the U.S. on Thursday, October 17, at 10:00 am for a virtual session to explore the following: What is a benefits pool Why joining a benefits pool is valuable What changes for your leadership team and employees How state and federal legislation impacts the formation of a new consortium The steps and timeline for creating a new consortium
ETCOG has received applications for TCEQ's Municipal Solid Waste Grants. The applications are available for public and private review through October 11, 2024.
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on October 15th to hold a TxCDBG Kickoff Meeting. The meeting will be held at 3:00 PM at ETCOG Offices. Join us to hear about grant allocations planned for our region and an overview of proposed changes to the application process. Regional input is welcomed on how TDA can best serve non-entitlement communities through the revised application process. Questions? Contact our Economic Development Specialist! Rebecca Gage , 903-218-6499
Deadline for applications September 26, 2024