GOHSEP Elected_Officials_Manual_2015

Grants Management: Obligation of Federal
Funds + Disbursement to Applicant
FEMA notifies the State (which is also the Grantee)
that funds have been obligated for an Applicant
project. Funds reside in a Federal account.
Generally, funds are dispersed by the State on a
reimbursement basis after an Applicant provides
documentation that eligible work was done and
reasonable costs were incurred.
The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 – Public
Law (P.L). 113-2 – makes important and significant
changes to project development for FEMA PA in the
areas of permanent work, debris removal and force
account labor. FEMA may apply these changes to
future disasters as well as current disasters where
construction has not yet begun. For a detailed
description of changes, see FEMA Fact Sheet: Sandy
Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 and FEMA’s
Recovery Directorate, February 2013 found in the back
pocket on this Manual.
FEMA Project Review + Validation
The purpose of the project review is to validate or confirm
the eligibility, compliance, accuracy and reasonableness of
small projects formulated by an Applicant and to ensure
that the Applicant receives the maximum amount of
assistance available under the law.
5.2.2 FEMA PA Page 4 of 6
Appeals + Arbitration
The appeals process is the opportunity for Applicants
to request review of decisions made by FEMA regarding
financial assistance or the refusal thereof. There are two
(2) levels of appeal. The first level appeal is to the FEMA
Regional Administrator (RA). The second level appeal
is to the Assistant Administrator for Recovery at FEMA
Headquarters.
The Applicant must file an appeal with the Grantee
within 60 days of receipt of GOHSEP’s official notice
of the action that is being appealed. The Applicant
must provide documentation to support the appeal. This
documentation should explain why the Applicant believes
the original determination is in error.
In addition to appeals, Applicants who find themselves
at odds with FEMA over grant funding relating to
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita whose project is equal
to or in excess of $500,000 have the option to choose
arbitration to settle the dispute with FEMA. A request
for arbitration must be made within 30 days of notice of
adverse FEMA action.
The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 provides
for nationwide arbitration by an independent review
panel for ALL Presidentially declared disasters where
the amount in dispute is at least $1 million. This
Revised: December 21, 2014