U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women OVW STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program Fiscal Year 2004 Solicitation APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 10, 2004 GMS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 27, 2004 U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women 810 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC 20531 John Ashcroft Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Diane M. Stuart Director Office on Violence Against Women Department of Justice Response Center: 1-800-421-6770 TTY 202-307-2277 Office on Violence Against Women World Wide Web Homepage: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo STOP Formula Program World Wide Web Homepage: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm About the Office on Violence Against Women The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Created in 1995, OVW implements the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership against domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Since its inception, the Office has launched a multifaceted approach to responding to these crimes. By forging state, local and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, the judiciary, victim advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, and others, VAWA grants help provide victims with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives and enable communities to hold offenders accountable. About the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program This solicitation provides program and application guidelines for FY 2004 Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP Program) funding, including guidelines for requirements of the VAWA. By statute, the STOP Program continues to encourage the development and strengthening of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women and the development and strengthening of victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. Availability of Funds Funding to support the STOP Program in Fiscal Year 2004 is contingent upon Congressional appropriation of funds. Therefore awards under this initiative are subject to Congressional appropriation. Award Period The award period for these grants will be 24 months. Budget requests must reflect 24 months of project activity. Award Amount By statute, OVW will award a base amount of $600,000 to each state. Funds remaining after the allocation of the base amount will be distributed among the states based on population. The most recent data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Census is used to determine the state populations. Indian tribal populations are not included in the population count. Application Due Date Please note that final applications are due by 5:30 p.m. (EST) on February 10, 2004 and will be accepted only through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) online Grants Management System (GMS). In addition, applicants should register with GMS by January 27, 2004. It may take up to one week for you to receive confirmation that you are eligible to apply. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section on page 13 of this solicitation for further instructions. Program Eligibility Eligible applicants for the STOP Program include any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, hereafter referred to as states and territories. To be eligible for funds, states and territories must certify that they are in compliance with the statutory eligibility requirements of the Program. Appendix A consists of the Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (as Amended) form which authorized representatives of states and territories must sign and submit annually to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. 1. With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning costs for criminal charges and protection orders, a state or territory must certify: • That its laws, policies, and practices do not require, in connection with the prosecution of any misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a protection order, or a petition for a protection order, to protect a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges against the offender, or the costs associated with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, protection order, petition for a protection order, or witness subpoena, whether issued inside or outside the state, tribal, or local jurisdiction. 2. With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning forensic medical examination payment for victims of sexual assault: • The state or territory, Indian tribal government, unit of local government, or another governmental entity must incur the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault. OVW strongly encourages states and territories to pay for forensic exams regardless of the level of cooperation of victim/survivors with law enforcement and the criminal justice process. OVW also encourages states and territories to allow victim/survivors the option of not filing a claim with their insurance company in order to receive reimbursement. For more information on these requirements, go to the OVW website which can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo. Program Scope The scope of the STOP Program is defined by the statutory purpose areas and the identified program activities. Statutory Purpose Areas STOP Program grants are intended for use by states and territories; state, local, and tribal courts; Indian tribal governments; units of local government; and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs. Grants and subgrants supported through this Program must meet one or more of the following statutory purpose areas: • Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence; • Developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; • Developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; • Developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services programs, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence programs, developing or improving delivery of victim services to underserved populations, providing specialized domestic violence court advocates in courts where a significant number of protection orders are granted, and increasing reporting and reducing attrition rates for cases involving violent crimes against women, including crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence; • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing stalking; • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing the needs and circumstances of Indian tribes dealing with violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; • Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not supported by state funds, to coordinate the response of state law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other state agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence; • Training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual assault; • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and others to address the needs and circumstances of older and disabled women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, including recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such violence or assault and targeting outreach and support, counseling, and other victim services to such older and disabled individuals; • Providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigration matters. Program Priorities The emphasis of the STOP Program continues to be on the implementation of comprehensive strategies addressing violence against women that are sensitive to the needs and safety of victims and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. States and territories should seek to carry out these strategies by forging lasting partnerships between the criminal justice system and victim advocacy organizations and by encouraging communities to look beyond traditional resources and to look to new partners to respond more vigorously to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes. In shaping their strategies for FY 2004, states are encouraged to develop and support projects to: • Implement community-driven initiatives to address the needs of underserved populations as defined by VAWA, including people with disabilities and elder victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. • Address sexual assault and stalking through service expansion; development and implementation of protocols; training for judges, other court personnel, prosecutors, and law enforcement; and development of coordinated community responses to violence against women. Activities that May Compromise Victim Safety Ensuring victim safety is the guiding principle underlying this Program. Experience has shown that certain practices compromise victim safety rather than enhance it. Some responses by the justice system may minimize or trivialize the offender's criminal behavior. Accordingly, consistent with the goals of ensuring victim safety and holding perpetrators accountable for their criminal conduct, applicants are discouraged from proposing projects that include any of the activities listed below: • Offering perpetrators the option of entering pre-trial diversion programs; • Mediation or counseling for couples as a systemic response to domestic violence or sexual assault; • Requiring victims to report sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence crimes to law enforcement or forcing victims to participate in criminal proceedings; • Batterer intervention programs that do not use the coercive power of the criminal justice system to hold batterers accountable for their behavior; and • Procedures that would force victims of domestic violence to testify against their abusers or impose other sanctions on them. Rather, procedures that provide victims the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether to testify are encouraged. Application Content The deadline for submitting applications is February 10, 2004. All applications must be submitted online through the OJP GMS. Instructions for using GMS are provided in Appendix B, Quick Start Guide to Using GMS. All applications MUST include the following: 1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) The SF-424 will be filled out online through GMS. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program is 16.588 (block 10). The Federal cognizant audit agency and fiscal year of the applicant organization should be listed in block 11 of the form. Applicants must ensure that the information for the authorizing official and alternate contact are filled out correctly. The authorizing official is the individual authorized to accept grant funds on behalf of the jurisdiction or non-governmental private entity applying. If the individual applying online is not the authorizing official, that individual must list the authorizing official's name and contact information where appropriate. 2. DUNS Number Beginning October 1, 2003, a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number must be included in every application for a new award or renewal of an award. The DUNS number will be entered into GMS by the applicant. The DUNS number will be required whether an applicant is submitting an application on paper, through OJP's Grants Management System, or using the government-wide electronic portal (Grants.gov). An application will not be considered complete until a valid DUNS number is provided by the applicant. Individuals who would personally receive a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government are exempt from this requirement. Applicants can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-800-333-0505. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Comptroller's Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-0786. 3. A Program Narrative containing the following elements: • An explanation of the status of the applicant's compliance with the VAWA provisions pertaining to payment for forensic medical exams, and costs related to criminal charges and protection orders; • A report on the status of subgrant awards for fiscal years 1995 - 2003, if none has been submitted to date or if the status has changed since the last report. If the state has not completed making subgrants, the state should provide the amount of each fiscal year's funds not yet awarded, an explanation of why the funds have not been awarded, and the anticipated date funds will be obligated; • Information on active and pending federal grant awards supporting this or related efforts and on how these will be coordinated with the STOP Program funding. For each funding source, please provide the program or project title, federal grantor agency, federal award amount, and a brief description of the purpose. This information is sought to encourage better coordination among federal agencies in addressing state and local needs; and • Information on whether the project or activity proposed in the application includes research that may involve human subjects, as defined in 28 CFR Part 46, or collection or use of information identifiable to a private person as defined in 28 CFR Part 22. NOTE: Items described in #4-#7 below must be faxed to OVW at 202/354-4147 or submitted on-line as an "Other Program Attachment," and should include your application number. Please use descriptive titles for all on-line attachments. 4. Documentation from prosecution, law enforcement, court, and victim services programs to be assisted demonstrating the need for the grant funds, intended use of grant funds, expected results from the use of the grant funds, and demographic characteristics of the populations to be served, including age, marital status, disability, race, ethnicity, and language background. This documentation may be in the form of letters from current grantees, or state-wide organizations representing prosecution, law enforcement, courts and victims services which can comment on the current and proposed use of grant funds, and the anticipated results for the populations to be served. 5. Documentation demonstrating the commitment of nonprofit, nongovernmental victim-services programs to participate in the development of the grantee's implementation plan. This documentation may be in the form of letters from members of the planning team and should indicate that the plan will address the needs and services identified as priorities by the team. 6. Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act as Amended (Appendix A): This form should be signed by an authorized official. 7. Certification of Nonsupplanting A letter certifying that no supplantation of non-federal funds will take place should a grant award be made must accompany the application. The letter should be addressed to the Director of OVW. A sample letter of nonsupplanting is contained in Appendix C. 8. Assurances (Form 4000/3) and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug- Free Workplace Requirements (Form 4061/6). Review the assurances and certification forms. Agreement to these assurances and certifications will be assumed upon receipt of an application received through GMS. NOTE: If the authorizing official is not the individual submitting the application via GMS, be sure the correct authorizing official information has been entered. Anti-Lobbying Act The Anti-Lobbying Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1913, recently was amended to expand significantly the restriction on use of appropriated funding for lobbying. This expansion also makes the anti-lobbying restrictions enforceable via large civil penalties, with civil fines between $10,000 and $100,000 per each individual occurrence of lobbying activity. These restrictions are in addition to the anti-lobbying and lobbying disclosure restrictions imposed by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently in the process of amending the OMB cost circulars and the common rule (codified at 28 C.F.R. part 69 for DOJ grantees) to reflect these modifications. However, in the interest of full disclosure, all applicants must understand that no federally appropriated funding made available under this grant program may be used, either directly or indirectly, to support the enactment, repeal, modification or adoption of any law, regulation, or policy, at any level of government, without the express approval by OJP. Any violation of this prohibition is subject to a minimum $10,000 fine for each occurrence. This prohibition applies to all activity, even if currently allowed within the parameters of the existing OMB circulars. 9. Single Point of Contact Executive Order 12372 requires applicants from State and local units of government or other organizations providing services within a State to submit a copy of the application to the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), if one exists, and if this program has been selected for review by the State. Applicants must contact the State SPOC to determine if the program has been selected for State review. The date that the application was sent to the SPOC or the reason such submission is not required should be indicated on the Form SF-424. The list of SPOCs can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/g rants/spoc.html. Program Requirements Upon satisfying the application requirements, a state shall be qualified for funds under the STOP Program provided that the state complies with the following program requirements: Program Purposes The funds will be used for any of the eleven statutory purpose areas listed previously and set forth in the STOP Program statute. STOP Implementation Plan Within 90 days of the grant award, grantees shall develop a plan for implementation of their STOP Program. States must develop their state implementation plans through deliberative consultation and coordination with a broad range of participants, specifically nongovernmental, nonprofit victim services programs (including sexual assault and domestic violence programs) and victim advocates. States must demonstrate through the plan that they have consulted and coordinated in a meaningful way with sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs and coalitions. The identification of what victim services programs to consult is up to each state. However, states should bear in mind that the VAWA defines a victim services program as "a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that assists domestic violence or sexual assault victims, including rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, and other sexual assault or domestic violence programs, including nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations assisting domestic violence or sexual assault victims through the legal process." States are strongly encouraged to involve representatives from Indian tribal governments in their planning processes and to consider the needs of Indian tribes in developing the state's law enforcement, prosecution, court, and victim services strategies. Beginning in FY 2003, states and territories could satisfy the requirement to submit an annual implementation plan by submitting full implementation plans every three years. In the intervening years, e.g., FY 2004 and FY 2005, the state would fulfill the implementation plan requirement by providing to OVW a certification which indicates whether or not the three year plan has changed and, if so, outlining the changes in the plan for that year. States which submitted a one year implementation plan in FY 2003 should complete a full implementation plan in FY 2004. In order to get on the three year planning cycle, that plan should cover the period of FY 2004- 2005. For assistance in conducting the state planning process and developing implementation plans, please refer to STOP State Implementation Plans: A Tool for Administrators, available through the STOP Technical Assistance Project and on the OVW Web Site, which is located at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo. The full implementation plan must describe: the process used to develop the plan and the involvement of victim services programs and advocates; major shifts in direction, if any, because of reevaluation or reassessment of previous efforts; how the approach to reducing and preventing violence against women this year will build on efforts of previous years; how the funds will be distributed across the law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services categories; the types of programs the grantee intends to support with grant dollars; and how the success of grant-funded activities will be evaluated. The implementation plan also should describe how the state will achieve the following: • Give priority to areas of varying geographic size with the greatest showing of need based on the availability of existing domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the population and geographic area to be served in relation to the availability of such programs in other such populations and geographic areas; • Determine the amount of subgrants based on the population and geographic area to be served; • Equitably distribute monies on a geographic basis including nonurban and rural areas of various geographic sizes; and • Recognize and address the needs of underserved populations. Implementation plans or certification regarding how, or whether, the previously submitted three year plan has changed should be sent to the state or territory's OVW program manager within 90 days after receiving the award. Applicants are reminded that they will not be able to draw down funds until their implementation plan has been approved by OVW. Allocation of Funds The implementation plan must reflect that at least 25 percent of each year's grant award will be allocated to police, at least 25 percent to prosecutors, at least 5 percent to state and local courts including juvenile courts, and at least 30 percent to nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services. This is a statutory requirement. These allocations may not be redistributed or transferred to another area. States and territories have 24 months (the duration of the grant period) to meet the statutory funding allocations. The remainder of the funds may be spent at the discretion of the state or territory to address the statutory program purposes described previously. Grantees are required to submit only total cost estimates, not category- specific amounts, for each subgrant. Decisions about the allocation of STOP Program funds must be made in a manner that avoids any conflicts of interest as described in the OJP Financial Guide Allowable Costs In general, STOP Program grants may support personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and equipment costs to enhance the apprehension, prosecution, and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women, and to provide or improve services for victims. Administrative Funds Grantees may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for grant administration, including statewide review, processing, monitoring, progress and financial report review, technical assistance, grant adjustments, accounting, auditing, and fund disbursement to subgrantees. Administrative funds will be available immediately upon receipt of the award. The balance of funds will be made available to states after the state has submitted and received approval for its implementation plan. Allowable costs under administrative funds are the same as those for the program. Grantees should set aside the 10 percent allocated for administrative funds prior to the distribution of funds to subgrantees. Administrative funds should not be included in the allocations to law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services. Match Requirements Awards to states made under this grant program may support up to 75 percent of the total cost of each project. The state is responsible for ensuring compliance with the 25 percent nonfederal match requirement. Exception: The requirement for matching funds is waived for grants awarded to the Insular Areas (American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) pursuant to the authority granted to OVW in 48 U.S.C. § 1469a. The following provisions apply to match requirements: • The state or territory may satisfy the match requirement with either cash (e.g., funds contributed from private sources or state and local governments) or in-kind services (e.g., services or goods donated by the applicant organization or other entities); • Funds from other Federal sources may not be used to meet the match requirement, except for subgrants to Indian tribal governments who may be able to use certain Federal funds for match; • A state or territory may use its discretion to require some or all of its subgrantees to meet the match requirement, in whole or in part. OVW encourages states and territories to consider the ability of subgrantees to meet match requirements when deciding whether and how much of the match to pass on. However, the state remains responsible to satisfy the match requirement; • Funds or in-kind resources used as match must be directly related to the project goals and objectives; • Grantees or subgrantees "Must maintain records which clearly show the source, the amount, and the timing of all matching contributions;" • Sources of match are restricted to the same uses allowed under the STOP Program and must be documented in the same manner as STOP Program funds, including financial and programmatic reports; and • The state must calculate its match based on the entire STOP formula award, including amounts states are allowed to allocate for administrative expenses. The amount of the required match contribution is calculated as follows: Federal funds = Amount X 25% = match 75% For a federal award amount of $600,000, the match would be: 600,000 = $800,000 x 25%= $200,000 75% Grantees are advised that further guidance on the calculation, documentation and auditing of the match requirement can be found in the OJP Financial Guide and on the OVW web site. Copies of the Guide are available from the Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800- 421-6770 or on-line at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/FinGuide/. For more information and ideas regarding match, please see the OVW web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo. Indirect Costs If your organization is requesting indirect costs for this project, please include a copy of your current, signed indirect cost rate agreement. However, any indirect costs requested must be paid from the 10 percent administrative funds. Technical Assistance Grant recipients are required to work collaboratively with staff from OVW and designated technical assistance providers for the Initiative. Grant recipients will be asked to identify grant supported personnel and project partner representatives to participate in technical assistance events. OJP Financial Guide All grantees are required to comply with the regulations and requirements outlined in the OJP Financial Guide. The Financial Guide includes information on allowable costs, methods of payment, audit requirements, accounting systems, and financial records. Copies are available from the Department of Justice Response Center (1-800-421-6770) and also through the OJP web page: http:/www.ojp.usdoj.gov/Fin Guide. Faith-Based Organizations Consistent with President Bush's Executive Order 13279, December 12, 2002, it is OVW policy that faith-based and community organizations, that statutorily qualify as eligible applicants under OVW programs, are invited and encouraged to apply for assistance awards. Faith-based and community organizations will be considered for awards on the same basis as other eligible applicants and, if they receive assistance awards, will be treated on an equal basis with non faith-based and community organization grantees in the administration of such awards. No eligible applicant or grantee will be discriminated against on the basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition of its board of directors or persons working in the organization. Civil Rights Compliance All recipients of Federal grant funds are required to comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in various Federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VI") and section 809 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ("Safe Streets Act"), as amended. In the event that a court or administrative agency makes a finding of discrimination on grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or age against a recipient of funds after a due process hearing, the recipient must agree to forward a copy of the finding to the Office of Civil Rights of OJP. All applicants should consult the Assurances required with the application funds to understand the applicable legal and administrative requirements. Services to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Persons National origin discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of LEP. To ensure compliance with Title VI and the Safe Streets Act, recipients are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to their programs. Meaningful access may entail providing language assistance services, including oral and written translation, where necessary. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued guidance for grantees to assist them in complying with Title VI requirements. The guidance document can be accessed on the Internet at www.lep.gov or by contacting OJP's Office for Civil Rights at (202) 307- 0690, or by writing to the following address: Office for Civil Rights Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice 810 7th Street, N.W., 8th Floor Washington, DC 20531 Program reporting Requirements Program Evaluation As a special condition to any awards made under the STOP Program, grantees will be required to cooperate with OVW, other DOJ components, and designated contractors on officially-sponsored evaluation initiatives. Performance Measures and Evaluation There are three statutory requirements that require VAWA grantees to collect and maintain data that measures the effectiveness of the funded project. The first is the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) which was enacted to increase Congressional and Administrative focus on the results from government programs and activities. At its simplest, GPRA asks "What are we getting for the money that we are spending?" To make GPRA more directly relevant for federal officials who manage grant programs, GPRA expands this question into three: What is your program trying to achieve? How will its effectiveness be determined? How is it actually doing? The second requirement found in VAWA 2000, specifically requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the effectiveness of Grants to End Violence Against Women. As a result, all grant recipients are now statutorily required to report on the effectiveness of their programs. The third statutory requirement comes from Section 2004 (b) of VAWA which requires that the Attorney General report to Congress on STOP Program data. Information provided in the STOP Annual Progress Report generates the information for this report. Specifically, grantees funded under the STOP Program must collect and maintain data that measures the success of the state or territory's current efforts to strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies and victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. By statute, information that grantees must collect includes: The number of individuals served, detailing the nature of victimization; The number of individuals seeking services who could not be served; and Demographic information on persons served including data on age, sex, relationship of victim to offender, geographic distribution, race, ethnicity, language, and disability, and the membership of persons served in any underserved population. Other data of particular interest to OVW includes, but is not limited to: The number of sexual assault examiners trained; The number of protection orders granted, as well as the percentage of orders granted out of the total requests; • The number of dual arrests, and the percentage of dual arrests out of the total arrests for domestic violence; • The number and percentage of police reports resulting in criminal charges (domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking); • The number of arrests, and a percentage of arrests out of the total police responses (domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking); • The number of prosecutions (domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking); • Prosecution outcomes (domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking); and • The number of grant funded positions by type of position, i.e., victim advocate, law enforcement officer, prosecutor, etc. Annual Progress Reports The state administrative agency is responsible for reporting to the OVW on program activities. This requirement is currently met through the annual submission of the Subgrant Award and Performance Report. In the future this report format will be revised for consistency with the OVW Measuring Effectiveness Initiative. Information in performance reports will also be used to fulfill the requirement in Section 2004 (b) that the Attorney General report to Congress on the following information: the number of grants made and funds distributed under this part; a summary of the purposes for which those grants were provided and an evaluation of their progress; a statistical summary of persons served, detailing the nature of victimization, and providing data on age, sex, relationship of victim to offender, geographic distribution, race, ethnicity, language, and disability, and the membership of persons served in any underserved population; and an evaluation of the effectiveness of programs funded under this part. Financial Reports Grantees will be required to submit quarterly Financial Status Reports. In addition, grant recipients who expend $300,000 or more in federal funds during their fiscal year are required to submit a single organization-wide audit. Beginning with recipient fiscal years ending 12/31/03 or later, the threshold is $500,000. Additional information on these reporting requirements will be provided to successful applicants in the award package. Suspension or Termination of Funding OVW may suspend funding in whole or in part, terminate funding, or impose another sanction on a recipient who has failed to comply substantially with the following: The requirements of VAWA and statutory objectives of the STOP Program; Timely submission of quarterly Financial Status Reports; Timely submission of Annual Progress Reports; The regulations and guidelines issued for the STOP Program; or The application submitted in accordance with the provisions of VAWA or other provision of any other applicable federal Act. OVW will provide reasonable notice of its intent to impose sanctions and will attempt informally to resolve the problem. Hearing and appeal procedures will follow those in the Department of Justice regulations in 28 CFR Part 18. How To Apply Applicants must submit a fully executed application to OVW through GMS, including all required supporting documentation. Applications submitted via GMS must be in the following word processing formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc*), PDF files, (*.pdf*), or Text Documents (*.txt*). (Please refer to Appendix B, the GMS Quick Start Guide.) The following documents must be submitted via GMS: the SF-424; Certifications and Assurances; and the project narrative. Supporting documentation can be submitted either via fax to 202-354-4147 or electronically through GMS, and can include: Certification of nonsupplanting; Documentation from prosecution, law enforcement, court, and victim services programs demonstrating the need for, intended use of, and expected results from the use of grant funds, and demographic characteristics of the populations to be served; Documentation demonstrating the commitment of nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs to participate in the development of the grantee's implementation plan; and Certification of compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the VAWA (Appendix A). Note: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for the STOP applications is 16.588 and the title is FY 2004 STOP Violence Against Women Formula Program. Detailed instructions on how to use the GMS system to submit your application online are available at OVW's web page, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo. Also, a toll-free telephone number has been established for you to receive technical assistance as you work through the online application process, 1-888-549-9901. Application Due Date Applications must be electronically received by the close of business (5:30 p.m. EST) on February 10, 2004 through GMS. The application attachments (e.g., Certification of Non-Supplanting, etc.), which may be faxed to 202-354-4147 or submitted through GMS as attachments, must also be received by 5:30 p.m. EST on February 10, 2004. We recommend that you register through GMS at least two weeks before the application due date, or no later than January 27, 2004. All applicants must receive confirmation that you are eligible to submit an application through GMS prior to completing the application submission process. Contact Information For additional information about the STOP Program, please contact OVW at 202-307- 6026. APPENDIX A CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTORY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT AS AMENDED OMB Approval No. 1121-0185 Expires 08/31/06 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Violence Against Women Office Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act as Amended Applicants should refer to the regulations cited below for further information regarding the certifications to which they are required to attest. Applicants also should review the instructions for certification included in the program regulations before completing this form. Signature on this form certifies that the state is qualified to receive the funds and provides for compliance with relevant requirements under 28 CFR Part 90 and 42 U.S.C 3796gg through 3796gg-5. The certifications shall be treated as a material representation of fact upon which the Department of Justice will rely if it determines to award the covered transaction, grant, or cooperative agreement. Upon complying with the application requirements set forth in this Application Guide, any state shall be qualified for funds provided under the Violence Against Women Act upon certification that: (1) the funds will be used only for the statutory purposes described in 42 U.S.C. § 3796gg (b); (2) grantees and subgrantees will develop plans for implementation and will consult and coordinate with nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs, including sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs; (3) the amount granted will be allocated, without duplication, as follows: at least 25 percent to police, at least 25 percent to prosecutors, at least 30 percent to nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs, and at least 5 percent for state and local courts; (4) any federal funds received under this subchapter will be used to supplement, not supplant, nonfederal funds that would otherwise be available for activities funded under this chapter. In addition, as required by 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4 and 3796gg-5 and implemented at 28 CFR Part 90: (1) Forensic Medical Examination Payment Requirement for Victims of Sexual Assault (a) A state, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government shall not be entitled to funds unless the state, Indian tribal government, unit of local government, or another governmental entity incurs the full out-of-pocket costs of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault. (b) A state, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government shall be deemed to incur the full out-of- pocket cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault if any government entity (1) provides such exams to victims free of charge to the victims; (2) arranges for victims to obtain such exams free of charge to the victims; or (3) reimburses victims for the cost of such exams if (i) the reimbursement covers the full cost of such exams, without any deductible requirement or limit on the amount of a reimbursement; (ii) the reimbursing governmental entity permits victims to apply for reimbursement for not less than one year from the date of the exam; (iii) the reimbursing governmental entity provides reimbursement not later than 90 days after written notification of the victim's expense; and (iv) the state, Indian tribal government, unit of local government, or reimbursing governmental entity provides information at the time of the exam to all victims, including victims with limited or no English proficiency, regarding how to obtain reimbursement. 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4. (2) Filing Costs For Criminal Charges and Protection Orders (a) A state, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government will not be entitled to funds unless it certifies that its laws, policies, and practices do not require, in connection with the prosecution of any misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a protection order, or a petition for a protection order, to protect a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges against the offender, or the costs associated with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, protection order, petition for a protection order, or witness subpoena, whether issued inside or outside the state, tribal, or local jurisdiction; or (ii) gives the Attorney General assurances that its laws, policies, and practices will be in compliance with the provision by the date on which the next session of the state legislature ends or October 28, 2002. As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I hereby certify that the applicant will comply with above certifications. Typed Name of Authorized Representative Title Telephone Number Signature of Authorized Representative Date Signed Agency Name Public Reporting Burden Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We try to create forms that are accurate, can be easily understood, and which impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with information. The estimated average time to complete and file this form is 60 minutes per form. If you have comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate, or suggestions for making this form simpler, you can write to the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, 810 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531. APPENDIX B GMS QUICK START GUIDE Quick-Start Guide to Using the Office of Justice Programs Online Grants Management System (GMS) Step 1. Using your established Internet account,* go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. An online GMS Application Procedures Handbook is available on this page, and you may link directly to GMS, which will provide online "help" screens. Step 2. Select "Logon to the Grants Management System (GMS)" to apply for OJP grant funding. Step 3. If you have never used GMS, click on "New User? Register Here" and follow the on-screen instructions to register with GMS. After you register, you must select the FY 2004 Program solicitation and begin working on it so that your registration will be sent to OVW. You will receive confirmation through email that you are eligible to submit your application. Confirmation may take up to one week. If you are not a new user and have a GMS password, click on "Login." If your password has expired, you will receive an "Authentication Error" or "Unauthorized User" message. In this case, click on "Having Login Problems?" for assistance in updating your password. Please Note: Applicants must ensure that the information for the authorizing official and alternate contact is entered correctly. The authorizing official is the individual authorized to accept grant funds in your organization (e.g., executive director, attorney general, governor). If the individual applying online is not the authorizing official, that individual must list the authorizing official's name and contact information where appropriate. Step 4. To submit your application online, complete the on-screen 424 /Application for Federal Assistance, upload your budget narrative (which should include your budget detail), program narrative, and other program attachments in either word processing or spreadsheet files. All supporting documentation may be submitted as attachments. All GMS attachments must be in the following word processing formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc*), PDF files, (*.pdf*), or Text Documents (*.txt*). Please use descriptive titles when naming the attachments for easy identification, i.e., MOU, letter of non- supplanting. After submission, you will receive confirmation through email that OVW has received your application and you will be given an application number for future reference. Documents that cannot be submitted electronically through GMS (e.g. MOU, and letter of non-supplanting) must be faxed to both (202) 354-4140 and (202) 354-4147. You must include your GMS application number and the Program title of the OVW program to which you are applying on all materials submitted by fax. If you have any questions about GMS or need technical assistance with applying online, contact the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901. *If you do not have an Internet account, call the OVW at 202-307-6026 for assistance. APPENDIX C SAMPLE CERTIFICATION OF NONSUPPLANTING SAMPLE [Applicant Letterhead] [date] Diane Stuart, Director Office on Violence Against Women 810 7th Street, NW Washington, DC 20531 Dear Ms. Stuart: [Applicant] certifies that any funds awarded through the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program will be used to supplement existing funds for program activities and will not replace (supplant) nonfederal funds that have been appropriated for the purpose of providing services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence and child victimization. The [name of applicant] understands that supplanting violations can result in a range of penalties, including suspension of future funds under this program, suspension or debarment from federal grants, recoupment of monies provided under this grant, and civil and/or criminal penalties. Sincerely, [Applicant's Authorizing Official]