Section 16.8 - Reimbursement Awards(a) The office shall make a determination and provide notice of a reimbursement award or a notice of denial to an applicant not later than 60 calendar days after the date that the office receives a completed application from the applicant. An application will not be considered complete for purposes of this section unless an applicant has provided all the information necessary for the office to review the application, including any additional information requested by the office to complete the review.(b) The office shall prioritize, and may give preference to, applications for pole replacement costs for poles located in rural areas.(c) All grant funding decisions made by the office are final and are not subject to appeal.(d) The approval of a reimbursement award shall not obligate the office to make any additional, supplemental, or other reimbursement award.(e) The office shall provide notice of award to a successful applicant and, as applicable, the pole owner and the retail broadband service provider attaching the eligible broadband facility.(f) After receiving notice of award, a grant recipient shall have 30 calendar days from receiving the notice of award to negotiate the terms of the grant agreement between the grant recipient and the office and to sign the grant agreement. The comptroller may extend the deadline to fully execute the grant agreement upon a showing of good cause by a grant recipient. If the grant agreement is not signed by the grant recipient and received by the office by the later of the 30th day after the award of the grant agreement or the extended deadline date, the office may rescind the award.(g) The office shall issue the award after the grant agreement is fully executed by the grant recipient and the office.34 Tex. Admin. Code § 16.8
Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 47, Number 10, March 11, 2022, TexReg 1294, eff. 3/17/2022; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 49, Number 29, July 19, 2024, TexReg 5349, eff. 7/28/2024