Section 1520.47  Application and Receipt of Violence Against Women Act of 1994 Funds

a)         The Authority will annually review Section 2001 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322, effective September 13, 1994) and based on the need to strengthen law enforcement, prosecution and victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women, particularly crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, the services available to address that need, consultation with nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service programs, and oral and written comment and testimony received at public meetings conducted pursuant to the Open Meetings Act [5 ILCS 120], will select program funding priorities for each federal fiscal year. Such funding priorities shall be selected by the Authority at a public meeting in conformance with the Open Meetings Act and the Authority's rules (2 Ill. Adm. Code 1750.330).

b)         Federal funds made available to the State of Illinois through the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 may be distributed to State agencies, units of local government, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs.  In distributing funds, the Authority will give priority to areas of varying geographic size with the greatest needs, consider the population to be served within a geographic area, assure that the needs of previously underserved populations are identified and addressed, and equitably distribute monies on a geographic basis, including non-urban and rural areas of various geographic sizes.  Based on the funding priorities selected by the Authority pursuant to subsection (a) above, the Executive Director shall use the following evaluation criteria to identify those State agencies, units of local government, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs eligible for the receipt of federal funds:

1)         analysis of need as evidenced by public health data, data regarding orders of protection, and demographic and criminal justice data;

2)         comments from the public, service providers, and State and local officials;

3)         information (including but not limited to prior experience with grants and current efforts regarding cases involving violent crimes against women) indicating the likelihood that a State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services program will achieve the desired objectives of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994;

4)         criminal justice and victim service agency surveys, which include information regarding service availability and the numbers of victims actually served, and the incidence of violent crimes against women (percentages as well as gross numbers);

5)         current research findings; and

6)         consultation with nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service programs.

c)         A State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovern- mental victim service program, so identified pursuant to subsection (b) above, shall be contacted by the Executive Director to assess its interest in and ability to qualify for the receipt of federal funds pursuant to the requirements of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and, if so interested and so qualified, to prepare a description of programs or services that identifies the problem to be addressed, states goals and objectives, and indicates the means by which the State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service program proposes to achieve those goals and objectives.  In assessing the interest in and ability to qualify for the receipt of the above-mentioned funds, the Executive Director shall consider resolutions from county and municipal boards and written assurance from these boards of their ability to obtain the required matching contribution.

d)         A State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovern- mental victim service program not so contacted by the Executive Director pursuant to subsection (c), shall, however, upon written request to the Executive Director, be included among those State agencies, units of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service programs evaluated by the Executive Director pursuant to the criteria established in subsection (b) above.  Such written request shall include a description of programs or services that identifies the problem to be addressed, states goals and objectives, and indicates the means by which the State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service program proposes to achieve those goals and objectives.  In assessing the interest in and ability to qualify for the receipt of federal funds pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Executive Director shall consider resolutions from county and municipal boards and written assurance from these boards of their ability to obtain the required matching contribution.  If the Executive Director determines that the State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service program is not so eligible or so qualified, the Executive Director shall notify the State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service program, within 45 days after receipt of the written request, that it will not be recommended for funding and the reasons for such recommendation.  The State agency, unit of local government, or nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service program may submit a written request for reconsideration to the Chairman of the Budget Committee within 28 days from receiving notice from the Executive Director.  The written request for reconsideration shall include the reasons for requesting reconsideration by the Budget Committee.

e)         The Budget Committee shall, at a public meeting conducted pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, designate programs or projects, implementing agencies, and amounts for funding, which address one or more of the program priorities specified by the Authority in subsection (a) above, consistent with the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.  The Budget Committee's decision to designate these programs or services, implementing agencies and fund amounts shall be based upon equal consideration of the following factors:

1)         the recommendations of the Executive Director made pursuant to subsection (b) above and written requests for reconsideration made pursuant to subsection (d) above;

2)         comments from the public, service providers and State and local officials;

3)         the proven effectiveness of a program, by making a prudent assessment of the problem to be addressed by a proposed program;

4)         the likelihood that a program will achieve the desired objectives, by making a prudent assessment of the concepts and implementation plans included in a proposed  program and by the results of any evaluations of previous tests, demonstrations or similar programs;

5)         the availability of funds;

6)         the overall cost of the program or services; and

7)         the requirement that a minimum of 25% of the funds received be distributed to each of the following: law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services.

f)         Pursuant to Section 2002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Application to the Violence Against Women Grants Office shall include a State implementation plan describing identified goals and how funds will be used to achieve those goals, and those certifications and assurances listed in Section 2002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

g)         Upon notification by the Violence Against Women Grants Office that an Application has been approved, the Executive Director shall enter into interagency agreements with those implementing agencies designated by the Budget Committee pursuant to subsection (e) above, specifying the terms and conditions under which the programs or projects are to be conducted and the federal funds are to be received.  If the Authority is the designated implementing agency, then the Executive Director shall document such terms and conditions, which, to become effective, must be accepted in writing by the Chairman of the Authority.  The terms and conditions shall include but not be limited to reporting requirements that reflect fiscal expenditures and progress toward program objectives, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, maintenance of financial and program records beyond the expiration of the agreement, the prohibition of subcontracting or assignment of agreements without prior written approval of the Authority, audit procedures as described in the federal laws and regulations listed in Section 1520.50(a), and the status of the implementing agency as an independent contractor.

(Source:  Amended at 21 Ill. Reg. 8909, effective June 27, 1997)