Agency Guidelines and Solicitations

A number of offices have begun releasing information, guidelines and solicitations regarding funding in the stimulus. We will post this information as we receive it.

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance has posted the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant formula programs: State and Local solicitations
• To view the state and local Byrne JAG allocations, click here.

The Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Solicitation

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Competitive Grant Solicitation

The Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Program Competitive Grant Solicitation

State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program: Combating Criminal Narcotics Activity Stemming from the Southern Border of the United States Competitive Grant Solicitation

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

The Office for Victims of Crime has released VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant Program Solicitation
• View the state allocations for the Crime Victims Fund Compensation Programs.

The VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program Solicitation

Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention (OJJDP)

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention has released its solicitation for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program grants.

COPS Office

The solicitation for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) is available at www.cops.usdoj.gov. In addition to the application, the COPS website also has a number of supporting documents and information about CHRP including a fact sheet, FAQs, a podcast, and an application guide.

Highlights from the CHRP include:
• CHRP grant solicitation opens March 16, 2009 and closes April 14, 2009.
• CHRP is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies having primary law enforcement authority to create and preserve jobs and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts.
• Up to $1 billion in grant funding will be available for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers.
• There is no local match requirement for CHRP, but grant funding will be based on current entry-level salary and benefits packages and therefore any additional costs for higher salaries or benefits for particular individuals hired will be the responsibility of the grantee agency.
CHRP grants will provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts.
• In addition, there is no cap on the number of positions an agency may request, but awards will be limited to available funding. Please be mindful of the initial 3-year grant period and your agency's ability to fill the officer positions awarded, while following your agency's established hiring policies and procedures.
At the conclusion of federal funding, grantees must retain all sworn officer positions awarded under the CHRP grant. The retained CHRP-funded position(s) should be added to the grantees law enforcement budget with state and/or local funds, over and above the number of locally-funded positions that would have existed in the absence of the grant. 

Office on Violence Against Women

The Recovery Act provides $225 million to the Office on Violence Against Women for five of its existing programs:

• $140 million for the Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors Formula Grant Program (STOP Program) to promote a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance services and advocacy to victims, improve the criminal justice system's response, and promote effective law enforcement, prosecution, and judicial strategies to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Applicants are limited to U.S. states and territories. State allocations can be viewed here: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/recovery-grants-awards.htm.

• $8.75 million for State Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions to support the coordination of state victim services activities, including collaboration and coordination with federal, state, and local entities. State Sexual Assault Coalitions and State Domestic Violence Coalitions will receive up to $78,125 each, and dual Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Coalitions will receive up to $156, 250. Eligible applicants are HHS-designated State coalitions.

• $43 million for the Transitional Housing Assistance Program which provides holistic, victim-centered transitional housing services and related support services that move individuals into permanent housing. Eligible applicants include States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations with a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

• $20.8 million for the Tribal Governments Grant Program to enhance the ability of Tribes to respond to violent crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native women, enhance victim safety, and develop education and prevention strategies. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian Tribes, their authorized designee, or a consortium consisting of two or more federally recognized Tribes.

• $2.8 million for the Tribal Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Program to end violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. Eligible applicants are established federally recognized Indian Tribes, their authorized designee, or a consortium consisting of two or more federally recognized Tribes.

• Remaining funds will support Technical Assistance for grantees including assistance on meeting reporting requirements, as required by the Recovery Act.

OMB Guidelines

The White House released additional guidance on stimulus spending. The new memo, released on March 20 outlines additional accountabilty measures.

The Office of Management and Budget released initial implementation guidelines to agency and department heads. The memo provides guidance on information and requirements for financial reporting and contracting. In addition it highlights the provisions requiring agencies to regularly submit spending and performance data to www.recovery.gov, the government website that tracks how the stimulus funds are spent.

Beginning March 3, agencies will be required to submit weekly reports that break down and summarize stimulus funding, future events, and major actions taken, as well as put together monthly financial reports that specify expenditures, obligations and other financial data. More detailed guidance will be issued by the OMB in the next month or so.