CSBG-AT-2022-04 State Plan Application FY 2023

Community Services Block Grant

Action Transmittal

AT#:  CSBG-AT-2022-04

DATE:  July 1, 2022

TO: CSBG State Grant Recipients and Territories

SUBJECT: CSBG State Plan Application FFY 2023

ATTACHMENT(S):        1. FFY2023 CSBG State Plan Submission Groups
2. CSBG State Plan 3.0
3. CSBG State Plan 3.0 Fillable Tool                                                                     

RELATED REFERENCES:

Community Services Block Grant Act, Title VI, Subtitle B, of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35, as amended; Human Services Amendments of 1994, P.L. 103- 252; the FY 1996 CSBG Appropriation Legislation, P.L. 104-134; CFR Title 45, Part 96; Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998, P.L. 105-285, Department of Health and Human Services Block Grant Regulations and Current Poverty Income Guidelines.

PURPOSE:

To inform states and U.S. territories of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) application and plan requirements for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023. To qualify for FFY 2023 CSBG funding, states and territories must submit their application and plan to the Office of Community Services (OCS) by September 1, 2022, using the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved online CSBG State Plan format. States and territories should submit their information electronically through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) On-Line Data Collection system (OLDC), available through GrantSolutions.gov.

SUBMISSION AND REQUIREMENTS:

According to Section 676(b) of the CSBG Act, states, including territories, must prepare and submit an application and plan — hereinafter referred to as the CSBG State Plan — to receive CSBG funding. OCS provides funds to CSBG grant recipients based on the determination that the submitted CSBG State Plan, which also serves as an application, is complete and in accordance with all requirements of the CSBG Act.

CSBG applications for FFY 2023 are due to OCS no later than September 1, 2022. States have the option of submitting the CSBG State Plan annually (covering one federal fiscal year) or biannually (covering two federal fiscal years) as per CSBG statute. States must submit their State Plans electronically through GrantSolutions.gov . GrantSolutions is now available for entry and submission.

As with previous years, GrantSolutions will pre-populate most responses into the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan submission, based on the previous CSBG State Plan submission.

A full submission includes the:

1. CSBG Eligible Entity List (a separate form available in OLDC)
2. Standard Form for Federal Assistance (SF-424M) [the cover page of the CSBG State Plan]
3. CSBG State Plan, Sections 1-14, including the designation letter (Section 1, Question 1.3)
4. Certifications, Section 15 (as defined by the CSBG statute)

Once all forms are complete, the authorized official, as designated in the designation letter, must certify the CSBG State Plan within GrantSolutions, per the CSBG statute.

CSBG Eligible Entity List

As discussed in CSBG-DCL-2022-39, CSBG state lead agencies are only required to update the CSBG Eligible Entity List if there was a change to the number of CSBG-eligible entities since the last CSBG State Plan submission. This is to allow for the replacement of the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number later in the year. Once approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all state grant recipients will be required to resubmit their CSBG Eligible Entity List, but there is no impact on the submission of the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan. OCS will contact states when these changes are required.

Monique Alcantara and Joey Lim will contact you by Thursday, July 7 to verify the eligible entities currently listed in your CSBG Eligible Entity List. They will provide guidance if any revisions need to be made.

CSBG State Plan

For FFY 2023, CSBG state lead agencies will use CSBG State Plan 3.0 for submissions. Please see the attached CSBG State Plan for reference. As a reminder, CSBG state lead agencies must complete the CSBG State Plan based on the federal fiscal year: October 1 — September 30. If a state chooses to submit a two-year CSBG State Plan, the state must complete all questions related to the second year covered by the CSBG State Plan to be considered a full and complete submission.

Content areas for the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan submission:

• CSBG Cover Page (SF-424M)
• Section 1: CSBG Administrative Information
• Section 2: State Legislation and Regulation
• Section 3: State Plan Development and Statewide Goals
• Section 4: CSBG Hearing Requirements
• Section 5: CSBG Eligible Entities
• Section 6: Organizational Standards for Eligible Entities
• Section 7: State Use of Funds
• Section 8: State Training and Technical Assistance
• Section 9: State Linkages and Communication
• Section 10: Monitoring, Corrective Action, and Fiscal Controls
• Section 11: Eligible Entity Tripartite Board
• Section 12: Individual and Community Income Eligibility Requirements
• Section 13: Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) System
• Section 14: CSBG Programmatic Assurances and Information Narrative
• Section 15: Federal Certifications

STATES REQUIRED TO SUBMIT

Based on FFY 2022 CSBG State Plan submissions, CSBG state lead agencies will fall under one of the following submission groups, which are further defined in the attachment titled “FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan Submission Groups.”

• Group A: There are 27 CSBG state lead agencies with accepted one-or two-year Plans ending September 30, 2022. For the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan cycle, these 27 states must complete a full submission as defined above. The CSBG State Plan will be subject to all requirements of the CSBG Act, including the public hearing requirement.
• Group B: There are 26 CSBG state lead agencies with accepted two-year Plans ending September 30, 2023. States that fall within this group have two options:
• • Option 1: Submit the SF-424M as a separate form within OLDC. Review the CSBG Eligible Entity List and revise as applicable. Choose this option if the state does not have any revisions it would like to make to its currently accepted two-year CSBG State Plan.
  • Option 2: If a state elects to make and submit revisions to its accepted CSBG State Plan, it is subject to the requirements of submitting a full plan as detailed above, including having the authorized official certify the report.

ADDITIONAL CSBG ACT REQUIREMENTS:

Please see additional CSBG Act requirements for more information about:

• Capital Improvement and Construction Waivers (CSBG Act, Section 678F(a)(2))
• Proportionate Share of Funding (CSBG Act, Sections 676(b)(8) and 678C)
• Collaboration with Faith-Based Organizations (CSBG Act, Section 679)

FY 2023 ANNUAL REPORT REQUIREMENT:

Section 678E(a)(2) of the CSBG Act requires grant recipients to prepare and submit an annual report on the activities and performance of the state and its eligible entities to receive CSBG funding. As of FY 2018, CSBG state lead agencies submit the CSBG Annual Report via GrantSolutions.gov . Submitting the CSBG Annual Report annually through GrantSolutions fulfills CSBG statute requirements. States are no longer required to send OCS an email detailing how they plan to submit their CSBG Annual Report. The corresponding FY 2023 CSBG Annual Report will be due on or around March 31, 2024. OCS will provide additional information about the submission in the months leading up to the submission.

TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT:

FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan Webinar Series

OCS announced the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan training and technical assistance webinar series on June 14, 2022, via CSBG-DCL-2022-35, State Plan Webinar Series FY 2023. The schedule is as follows. Recordings can be found on the OCS webinars webpage.

• FY 2023 CSBG State Plan 3.0: What’s Changed? Presentation (PDF) | Recording pending release
• CSBG State Plan 3.0: Let’s Delve In!
  • Sections 1 through 5 Presentation (PDF) | Recording pending release
  • Sections 6 through 9 Presentation (PDF) | Recording pending release
  • Sections 10 through 13 July 7, 2022, 3:00 — 4:00pm ET |Presentation  |Recording pending release
    
• CSBG State Plan 3.0: OLDC Refresher July 13, 2022, 3:30 — 4:30pm ET | Pre-register

GrantSolutions Access

OCS encourages all states to review their GrantSolutions access and ensure that state staff have been registered in the correct roles for the CSBG State Plan submission process. Please keep in mind:

• States should have at least one individual assigned as the Grant Administrator. This is usually the CSBG point of contact. Individuals assigned to this role can submit, un-submit, and enter data into all CSBG forms within OLDC.

States should have at least one individual assigned as the Authorized Official. This must be the individual (e.g., director, secretary, or commissioner) designated in the CSBG state designation letter, or that person’s official designee. OCS will not accept any CSBG State Plans that do not include a designation letter that clearly specifies the designated lead agency and the title of the official who is authorized to certify the CSBG State Plan.

Note: The Office of Grants Management will issue the Notice of Grant Award electronically via email distribution to the Authorized Official noted within OLDC on the SF-424M. Therefore, all states must ensure that the Authorized Official email contact information is accurate.

To request GrantSolutions access for CSBG staff, or to make changes to an existing account, please send an email to Niki Frazier and Jacinta Mutonga.

An individual who already has access to GrantSolutions for another program (e.g., LIHEAP), must still submit an official request to add CSBG to their account. (The individual will use one username and password to login to GrantSolutions, and then may select from the menu of programs included in their account.)

PREVIOUS APPLICABLE CSBG INFORMATON MEMORANDA:

The CSBG State Plan is a critical document for both state and federal oversight of CSBG. The CSBG State Plan — submitted via GrantSolutions.gov  — integrates and aligns requirements from the CSBG Act with elements of the overall CSBG Performance Management and Accountability Framework. This framework includes 1) organizational standards for CSBG eligible entities, 2) accountability measures at the state and federal levels, and 3) Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) (or another performance management system). Ultimately, this framework will enable the CSBG Network (at the local, state, and federal level) to continuously improve their programs and generate breakthrough outcomes for families, individuals, and communities with low incomes. The operation of CSBG, in accordance with these plans, is dependent on the enactment of FFY 2023 appropriations supporting CSBG.

For more information about the CSBG Performance Management and Accountability Framework, please see the following Information Memoranda (IM):

• IM 138: State Establishment of Organizational Standards for CSBG Eligible Entities
• IM 144: CSBG State and Federal Accountability Measures and Data Collection Modernization
• IM 152: CSBG Annual Report

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:

If states have questions regarding the content of the CSBG State Plan, contact the respective Federal CSBG Program Specialist.

If states have questions regarding GrantSolutions and/or how to submit a completed form, please send your questions to Niki Frazier and Monique Alcantara.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to OCS partners.

/s/
Charisse Johnson
Director, Division of Community Assistance
Office of Community Services