(d) Grant awards. 1. The department shall award grants as funds are available.
2. A grant awarded under this subsection shall be made on forms approved by the department.
3. The award shall be signed by the authorized representative of the department and shall list any conditions to which the award is subject.
4. Each grant award shall be for a 3-year period. A grant recipient may reapply for grant funds following the 3-year grant period.
(e) Grant acceptance. The authorized representative of the recipient nonprofit organization shall accept the grant award by signing the award document and returning it to the department. The department may terminate a grant award if the award is not accepted within 10 calendar days of the date of issuance by the department or if the terms of the application are no longer being met.
(f) Amount of grants. 1. Subject to subd. 2., the amount of each grant shall be determined by the department based on the amount requested, but may not exceed the amount requested.
2. a. The amount of funding for the program will be determined annually by the department and is subject to the availability of funds under s. 20.485 (2) (qm), Stats. b. Except in the initial fiscal year, a grant award to an applicant may not exceed $30,000 during any fiscal year.
c. In the initial fiscal year, an applicant may apply for a one-time grant up to $50,000 to assist in launching a program that achieves the required goals as specified in subd. (c) 10.
(g) Program requirements. 1. ‘Grant recipients.’ a. A CIC receiving a grant award shall be approved by the department in coordination with the VHA regional office.
b. The department may not award grants to more than 5 CICs during a grant period unless a greater need is determined by the department.
2. ‘Prohibited use of funds.’ a. A grantee shall only use grant funds for the payment or reimbursement of reasonable and appropriate expenses. Reasonable and appropriate expenses are solely expenses that are consistent with the approved purposes of the grant as determined by the department. Any other use of grant funds is prohibited.
b. A grantee may not use more than a percentage, as determined by the department, of the grant funds for employee wages, compensation, and travel expenses incurred while performing work to achieve the goals as specified in subd. (c) 10.
c. A grantee may not use grant funds to purchase capital equipment unless specified in the grant award.
d. A grantee may not use grant funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, any member of the Wisconsin legislature, or an employee of a member of the legislature in connection with the awarding of any state contract, the making of any state grant, the making of any state loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, or the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any state contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
3. ‘Violation of prohibited use of funds.’ If a grantee uses grant funds for prohibited activities under subd. 2., the department may terminate the grant and recover funds previously paid to the grantee for that funding period on a recoupment schedule specified by the department.
4. ‘Record keeping.’ A grantee shall maintain grant records for at least 3 years and shall provide required information to the department upon request for the purposes of program or fiscal audits.
(h) Participant eligibility and certification. 1. A grantee shall verify that its services are only provided to a transitioning service member.
2. Only an eligible transitioning service member shall receive services funded by a grant awarded under this subsection.
(i) Reporting requirements. A grantee receiving a grant under this subsection shall submit to the department data and information specified in the grant agreement.
(j) Assurances and certifications. 1. ‘Authority to sign and accept funds.’ The grantee shall certify that the designated signatory official has the authority to sign on behalf of the grantee and has the authority to accept funds.
2. ‘Compliance statement.’ Before the department releases grant funds, the grantee shall provide a statement that it is in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, including tax laws, the requirements of this subsection, and the grant award.
3. ‘Nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.’ In accordance with s. 16.765, Stats., the grantee shall follow all state and federal anti-discrimination laws and equal employment opportunity practices in the administration and delivery of services to participants in the program. section 2.
Effective date. The rules adopted in this order shall take effect on the first day of the month following publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register, pursuant to s. 227.22 (2) (intro.), Stats.(END OF RULE TEXT)
Dated Agency ___________________________________
Mary M. Kolar, Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
