Financing of State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

34 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart C
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

34 C.F.R. § 361.60 Matching requirements.

(a) Federal share—(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the Federal share for expenditures made by the State under the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, including expenditures for the provision of vocational rehabilitation services and the administration of the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, is 78.7 percent. (2) Construction projects. The Federal share for expenditures made for the construction of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes may not be more than 50 percent of the total cost of the project. (b) Non-Federal share—(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section, expenditures made under the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan to meet the non-Federal share under this section must be consistent with the provisions of 2 CFR 200.306(b). (2) Third party in-kind contributions. Third party in-kind contributions specified in 2 CFR 200.306(b) may not be used to meet the non-Federal share under this section. (3) Contributions by private entities. Expenditures made from those cash contributions provided by private organizations, agencies, or individuals and that are deposited in the State agency's account or, if applicable, sole local agency's account, in accordance with State law prior to their expenditure and that are earmarked, under a condition imposed by the contributor, may be used as part of the non-Federal share under this section if the funds are earmarked for— (i) Meeting in whole or in part the State's share for establishing a community rehabilitation program or constructing a particular facility for community rehabilitation program purposes; (ii) Particular geographic areas within the State for any purpose under the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, other than those described in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, in accordance with the following criteria: (A) Before funds that are earmarked for a particular geographic area may be used as part of the non-Federal share, the State must notify the Secretary that the State cannot provide the full non-Federal share without using these funds. (B) Funds that are earmarked for a particular geographic area may be used as part of the non-Federal share without requesting a waiver of statewideness under § 361.26. (C) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, all Federal funds must be used on a statewide basis consistent with § 361.25, unless a waiver of statewideness is obtained under § 361.26; and (iii) Any other purpose under the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, provided the expenditures do not benefit in any way the donor, employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, an individual with whom the donor has a close personal relationship, or an individual, entity, or organization with whom the donor shares a financial or other interest. The Secretary does not consider a donor's receipt from the State unit of a subaward or contract with funds allotted under this part to be a benefit for the purposes of this paragraph if the subaward or contract is awarded under the State's regular competitive procedures.

34 C.F.R. § 361.61 Limitation on use of funds for construction expenditures.

No more than 10 percent of a State's allotment for any fiscal year under section 110 of the Act may be spent on the construction of facilities for community rehabilitation program purposes.

34 C.F.R. § 361.62 Maintenance of effort requirements.

(a) General requirements. The Secretary reduces the amount otherwise payable to a State for any fiscal year by the amount by which the total expenditures from non-Federal sources under the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan for any previous fiscal year were less than the total of those expenditures for the fiscal year two years prior to that previous fiscal year. (b) Specific requirements for construction of facilities. If the State provides for the construction of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes, the amount of the State's share of expenditures for vocational rehabilitation services under the plan, other than for the construction of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes or the establishment of a facility for community rehabilitation purposes, must be at least equal to the expenditures for those services for the second prior fiscal year. (c) Separate State agency for vocational rehabilitation services for individuals who are blind. If there is a separate part of the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan administered by a separate State agency to provide vocational rehabilitation services for individuals who are blind— (1) Satisfaction of the maintenance of effort requirements under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section is determined based on the total amount of a State's non-Federal expenditures under both parts of the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan; and (2) If a State fails to meet any maintenance of effort requirement, the Secretary reduces the amount otherwise payable to the State for a fiscal year under each part of the plan in direct proportion to the amount by which non-Federal expenditures under each part of the plan in any previous fiscal year were less than they were for that part of the plan for the fiscal year 2 years prior to that previous fiscal year. (d) Waiver or modification. (1) The Secretary may waive or modify the maintenance of effort requirement in paragraph (a) of this section if the Secretary determines that a waiver or modification is necessary to permit the State to respond to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a major natural disaster or a serious economic downturn, that— (i) Cause significant unanticipated expenditures or reductions in revenue that result in a general reduction of programs within the State; or (ii) Require the State to make substantial expenditures in the vocational rehabilitation program for long-term purposes due to the one-time costs associated with the construction of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes, the establishment of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes, or the acquisition of equipment. (2) The Secretary may waive or modify the maintenance of effort requirement in paragraph (b) of this section or the 10 percent allotment limitation in § 361.61 if the Secretary determines that a waiver or modification is necessary to permit the State to respond to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a major natural disaster, that result in significant destruction of existing facilities and require the State to make substantial expenditures for the construction of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes or the establishment of a facility for community rehabilitation program purposes in order to provide vocational rehabilitation services. (3) A written request for waiver or modification, including supporting justification, must be submitted to the Secretary for consideration as soon as the State has determined that it has failed to satisfy its maintenance of effort requirement due to an exceptional or uncontrollable circumstance, as described in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section.

34 C.F.R. § 361.63 Program income.

(a) Definition. For purposes of this section, program income means gross income received by the State that is directly generated by a supported activity under this part or earned as a result of the Federal award during the period of performance, as defined in 2 CFR 200.80. (b) Sources. Sources of program income include, but are not limited to: Payments from the Social Security Administration for assisting Social Security beneficiaries and recipients to achieve employment outcomes; payments received from workers' compensation funds; payments received by the State agency from insurers, consumers, or others for services to defray part or all of the costs of services provided to particular individuals; and income generated by a State-operated community rehabilitation program for activities authorized under this part. (c) Use of program income. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, program income, whenever earned, must be used for the provision of vocational rehabilitation services and the administration of the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan. Program income— (i) Is considered earned in the fiscal year in which it is received; and (ii) Must be disbursed during the period of performance of the award. (2) Payments provided to a State from the Social Security Administration for assisting Social Security beneficiaries and recipients to achieve employment outcomes may also be used to carry out programs under part B of title I of the Act (client assistance), title VI of the Act (supported employment), and title VII of the Act (independent living). (3)(i) The State must use program income to supplement Federal funds that support program activities that are subject to this part. See, for example, 2 CFR 200.307(e)(2). (ii) Notwithstanding 2 CFR 200.305(a) and to the extent that program income funds are available, a State must disburse those funds (including repayments to a revolving fund), rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional funds from the Department. (4) Program income cannot be used to meet the non-Federal share requirement under § 361.60.

34 C.F.R. § 361.64 Obligation of Federal funds.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any Federal award funds, including reallotted funds, that are appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out a program under this part that are not obligated by the State by the beginning of the succeeding fiscal year remain available for obligation by the State during that succeeding fiscal year. (b) Federal funds appropriated for a fiscal year remain available for obligation in the succeeding fiscal year only to the extent that the State met the matching requirement for those Federal funds by obligating, in accordance with 34 CFR 76.707, the non-Federal share in the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated.

34 C.F.R. § 361.65 Allotment and payment of Federal funds for vocational rehabilitation services.

(a) Allotment. (1) The allotment of Federal funds for vocational rehabilitation services for each State is computed in accordance with the requirements of section 110 of the Act, and payments are made to the State on a quarterly basis, unless some other period is established by the Secretary. (2) If the vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan designates one State agency to administer, or supervise the administration of, the part of the plan under which vocational rehabilitation services are provided for individuals who are blind and another State agency to administer the rest of the plan, the division of the State's allotment is a matter for State determination. (3) Reservation for pre-employment transition services. (i) Pursuant to section 110(d) of the Act, the State must reserve at least 15 percent of the State's allotment, received in accordance with section 110(a) of the Act for the provision of pre-employment transition services, as described in § 361.48(a) of this part. (ii) The funds reserved in accordance with paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section— (A) Must only be used for pre-employment transition services specified in § 361.48(a); and (B) Must not be used to pay for administrative costs, (as defined in § 361.5(c)(2)) associated with the provision of such services or any other vocational rehabilitation services. (b) Reallotment. (1) The Secretary determines not later than 45 days before the end of a fiscal year which States, if any, will not use their full allotment. (2) As soon as possible, but not later than the end of the fiscal year, the Secretary reallots these funds to other States that can use those additional funds during the period of performance of the award, provided the State can meet the matching requirement by obligating the non-Federal share of any reallotted funds in the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated. (3) In the event more funds are requested by agencies than are available, the Secretary will determine the process for allocating funds available for reallotment. (4) Funds reallotted to another State are considered to be an increase in the recipient State's allotment for the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated.

Starting a business? Corpus forms LLCs in all 50 states and DC.