CSBG-AT-2023-05 State Plan Application FY 2024

Publication Date: June 14, 2023
Current as of:

Community Services Block Grant

Action Transmittal

AT#: CSBG-AT-2023-05

DATE: June 14, 2023

TO: CSBG State and Territory Grant Recipients

SUBJECT: CSBG State Plan Application FFY 2024

ATTACHMENT(S): CSBG State Plan Submission Groups

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 (hereinafter referred to as CSBG grant recipients) of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) application and plan requirements for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024. To qualify for FFY 2024 CSBG funding, states and territories must submit their application and plan to the Office of Community Services (OCS) by September 1, 2023, using the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved online CSBG State Plan format. CSBG grant recipients 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, CSBG grant recipients 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 is complete and in accordance with all requirements of the CSBG Act.

FFY 2024 CSBG State Plans are due to the Office of Community Services (OCS) no later than September 1, 2023. CSBG grant recipients 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 CSBG State Plan electronically through GrantSolutions.gov . GrantSolutions is now available for entry and submission.

As with previous years, GrantSolutions will pre-populate most responses from the previous CSBG State Plan submission into the FFY 2024 CSBG State Plan submission.

A complete CSBG State Plan submission includes the:

  1. CSBG Eligible Entity List (a separate form available in OLDC)
  2. Standard Form for Federal Assistance (SF-424M) (CSBG State Plan Cover Page)
  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

All CSBG grant recipients are required to revise their CSBG Eligible Entity List by July 15, 2023. Please see CSBG-AT-2023-04  for more information. If submitting a new CSBG State Plan for FFY 2024, you must complete your revisions and resubmit the CSBG Eligible Entity List before initializing your new CSBG State Plan.

Revisions to the CSBG Eligible Entity List include adding the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Executive Director (or similar position), and website address for all CSBG eligible entities within your state.

CSBG State Plan

For FFY 2024, CSBG grant recipients will use CSBG State Plan 3.0 for submissions. Please see the attached CSBG State Plan for reference. As a reminder, CSBG grant recipients must complete the CSBG State Plan based on the federal fiscal year: October 1 — September 30. If a CSBG grant recipient chooses to submit a two-year CSBG State Plan, the CSBG grant recipients must complete all questions related to the second year covered by the CSBG State Plan to comply with submission requirements.

Content areas for the FFY 2024 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 2023 CSBG State Plan submissions, CSBG grant recipients fall under one of the following submission groups, which are further defined in the attachment titled “FFY 2024 CSBG State Plan Submission Groups.”

  • Group A: There are 37 CSBG grant recipients with accepted one- or two-year Plans ending September 30, 2023. For the FFY 2023 CSBG State Plan cycle, these 37 states must complete a full submission as defined above, including revising the CSBG Eligible Entity List by July 15, 2023, and prior to initialing the new CSBG State Plan. The CSBG State Plan will be subject to all requirements of the CSBG Act, including the public hearing requirement.
  • Group B: There are 15 CSBG grant recipients with accepted two-year Plans ending September 30, 2024. CSBG grant recipients that fall within this group must revise their CSBG Eligible Entity List by July 15, 2023. CSBG grant recipients within this group also have the option to revise and resubmit their accepted CSBG State Plan. Certain revisions may be subject to the requirements[1] of submitting a full plan as detailed above, including having the authorized official certify the report[2].

Note: previously CSBG grant recipients with accepted two-year CSBG State Plans were required to submit the SF-424M the year for which a new CSBG State Plan was not due. This is no longer a requirement.

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 2024 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 2024 CSBG Annual Report will be due on or around March 31, 2025. OCS will provide additional information about the submission in the months leading up to the submission.

TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT

To assist with the CSBG State Plan submission, OCS created the CSBG State Plan Toolkit. The CSBG State Plan toolkit is includes the most recent communications, guidance (OLDC step-by-step guides and manuals), the current version of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved forms, fillable forms, webinars, and training demos. Please visit the CSBG State Plan Toolkit to access OLDC step-by-step guidance and the fillable form for the CSBG State Plan.

Additionally, OCS will host the following webinars to assist you in your submission of the CSBG Eligible Entity List and the FY 2024 CSBG State Plan.

FY 2024 State Plan Webinar Series — PEAAK Performance:

Webinar

Purpose

Date & Time

Registration

FY 2024 State Plan Webinar Series — PEAAK Performance: Introduction and Eligible Entity List Requirements

The Division of Community Assistance (DCA) will provide general instructions and updates for successful submission of the FY 2024 CSBG State Plan. This webinar will highlight DCA Leadership’s state plan priorities, legislative mandates, eligible entity list requirements, and important timelines. This is a pre-recorded webinar

Available:

June 27, 2023

Pre-recorded webinar

FY 2024 State Plan Webinar Series — PEAAK Performance: Standards, Funds, Assistance, and Linkages

DCA will interactively engage grant recipients in a review of Sections 6-9 of the CSBG State Plan, with emphasis on Section 6: Organizational Standards for Eligible Entities, Section 7: State Use of Funds, Section 8: State Training and Technical Assistance and Section 9: State Linkages and Communication.

July 11, 2023

2:30-3:30 PM ET

Click to Register

FY 2024 State Plan Webinar Series — PEAAK Performance: Everything You Need to Know about Oversight, Administration & Continuous Improvement

DCA will interactively engage grant recipients in a review of DCA reviews of Sections 10-15 of the CSBG State Plan, with focus on 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 Assurance and Information Narrative, and Section 15: Federal Certifications.

July 18, 2023

2:30-3:30 PM ET

Click to Register

FY 2024 State Plan Webinar Series — PEAAK Performance: Navigating the On-Line Data Collection system (OLDC)

DCA will review the elements of a complete CSBG State Plan ready for successful submission, provide an overview of GrantSolutions and the Online Data Collection System (OLDC), and provide a demo of how to complete and submit the CSBG State Plan. This is a pre-recorded webinar

Available:

July 31, 2023

Pre-recorded webinar

GrantSolutions Access

OCS encourages all CSBG grant recipients 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:

  • CSBG grant recipients 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.
  • CSBG grant recipients 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.

Requesting new accounts: There is a new process for requesting a new GrantSolutions/OLDC account. To request a new account please complete and submit the Recipient User Account Request Form and the OLDC Access Form (DOCX) to the GrantSolutions Helpdesk. The Notice of Grant Award will also be available via the Grants Management Module (GMM) within GrantSolutions.gov. For additional information about using the new GMM, please see this video . If you have an existing GrantSolutions/OLDC account, but do not have access to the GMM, please contact Monique Alcantara and Niki Frazier-Curry.

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 2024 appropriations supporting CSBG.

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

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-Curry 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

[1] If the state is changing its distribution formula for eligible entities, adding or removing eligible entities, or reducing or terminating the proportionate share of funding to an eligible entity, the state must hold a new hearing. Regardless of whether there is a hearing, the state should distribute the revised CSBG State Plan to eligible entities prior to submission.

[2] OCS does not require states to revise their accepted two-year CSBG State Plans, and only suggests doing so for major revisions. Major revisions include but are not limited to making a change to the state’s intended use of funds (Section 7), significant proposed changes to the state CSBG policies/procedures (Section 3, Section 10, etc.), and/or revising the state’s organizational standards policies and procedures (Section 6).