Section 1944.533 - Grant approval and announcementGrant approval and announcement will be accomplished under the following procedure. The Administrator may modify this section if necessary to obligate funds in a timely and efficient manner.
(a) The District Office will review the docket to determine whether the application complies with these regulations and is consistent with the information and supporting documents submitted with the preapplication and any comments and recommendations of the State and National Offices.(b) If major problems occur during the development of the docket, the District Office will call upon the State Office for assistance.(c) If a grant is recommended, Form RD 1940-1 and the Grant Agreement will be prepared by the District Office and forwarded to the applicant for signature as authorized in its authorizing resolution. Exhibit A, Grant Agreement, is a part of these regulations.(d) When Form RD 1940-1 and the Grant Agreement are received from the applicant and signed by the applicant, the docket will be forwarded to the State Director.(e) Exhibit A to RD Instruction 2015-C (available in any FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 office) will be prepared and sent to the Director, Legislative and Public Affairs Staff (LAPAS), in the Rural Development National Office.(f) If the State Director approves the project, the following actions will be taken in the order listed:(1) The State Director, or the State Director's designee, will telephone the Finance Office Check Request Station requesting that grant funds for a particular project be obligated. Immediately after contacting the Finance Office, the requesting official will furnish the requesting office's security identification code. Failure to furnish the security code will result in the rejection of the request for obligation. After the security code is furnished, the required information from Form RD 1940-1 will be furnished to the Finance Office. Upon receipt of the telephone request for obligation of funds, the Finance Office will record all information necessary to process the request for obligation in addition to the date and time of the request.(2) The individual making the request will record the date and time of the request and sign section 37 of Form RD 1940-1.(i) The Finance Office will notify the State Office by telephone when funds are reserved and of the date of obligation. If funds cannot be reserved for a project, the Finance Office will notify the State Office that funds are not available. The obligation date will be the date the request for obligation is processed.(ii) The Finance Office will terminally process telephone obligation requests. Those requests received prior to 2:30 p.m. Central Time will be processed on the date of the request. Those requests received after 2:30 p.m., to the extent possible, will be processed on the day received; however, there may be instances where the obligation will be processed on the next working day.(iii) The Finance Office will mail Form RD 440-57, "Acknowledgement of Obligated Funds/Check Request," to the State Director, confirming the reservation of funds with the obligation date inserted as required by Item 9 on the Forms Manual Insert (FMI) for Form RD 440-57.(iv) Form RD 1940-1 will not be mailed to the Finance Office.(3) The State Director will notify the Director of Information in the National Office with a recommendation that the project announcement be released.(4) An executed form RD 1940-1 will be sent to the applicant along with an executed copy of the Grant Agreement and scope of work 6 working days from the date funds are obligated.(i) The actual date of applicant notification will be entered on the original of Form RD 1940-1 and the original of the form will be included as a permanent part of the file.(ii) Standard Form 270, "Request for Advance or Reimbursement," will be sent to the applicant for completion and returned to Rural Development.(5) If it is determined that a project will not be funded or if major changes in the scope of the project are made after release of the approval announcement, the State Director will notify the Administrator and the Director, Legislative Affairs and Public Information Staff (LAPAS) by telephone or electronic mail, giving the reasons for such action. The Director, LAPAS, will inform all parties who were notified by the project announcement if the project will not be funded or of major changes in the project using the procedure similar to the announcement process. Form RD 1940-10, "Cancellation of U.S. Treasury Check and/or Obligation," will not be submitted to the Finance Office until five working days after notifying the Administrator and the Director, LAPAS.(6) Upon receipt from the grantee of a properly completed SF-270, Form RD 440-57 will be completed and the check request will be called to the Finance Office Check Request Station in accordance with the FMI for Form RD 440-57.44 FR 36891, June 22, 1979, as amended at 47 FR 36415, Aug. 20, 1982; 48 FR 30946, July 6, 1983; 55 FR 13504, Apr. 11, 1990; 79 FR 55967, Sept. 18, 2014