Section 26.5 - Administrative requirementsThe following administrative requirements must be met:
(a) Recruitment and selection will be conducted in accordance with a Statewide plan designed to assure: (1) An equal opportunity for both sexes, for all urban and rural youth regardless of social, economic, ethnic or racial background, with special outreach efforts toward minority, disadvantaged, non-public school youth, and youth having left school before graduation;(2) That selections will be made on a random basis, without consideration of race, creed, religion, or national origin. Each project should be assigned as near as possible an equal number of slots for males and females;(3) That enrollees have attained age 15 by June 1 but not age 19 by August 30;(4) That not more than 10 percent of the enrollees in a project have been YCC enrollees in previous years and all returnees be designated as youth leaders and paid $1.50 per day in addition to their hourly rate of pay.(b) To the maximum extent practicable, enrollees should be selected from an area within 1 day's surface travel from their home to a residential YCC project.(c) Capital outlays for facilities should be kept at a minimum. No grant is to be made for construction of residential facilities other than to provide temporary facilities and their necessary basic infrastructure, and necessary renovation or modification of existing facilities.(d) Operation of a project or session will be for a minimum of 26 consecutive calendar days. Projects during nonsummer periods may be authorized by the Secretaries when it can clearly be demonstrated that enrollment will not interfere with the established educational systems.(e) The enrollee is an employee of the grantee or subgrantee. Depending on grantee's or subgrantee's work-week, grantees will insure that enrollees are engaged in up to 40 hours of work-learning activities each week, 25 percent of which will be in environmental awareness.(f) To arrive at the enrollee weekly pay rate, the Federal or State minimum hourly wage (whichever is higher) should be multiplied by 30 hours per week, or 75 percent of the number of hours in the grantee or subgrantee established work-week, if less than 40 hours. To the maximum extent possible, the grantee should apply the same meal and lodging deduction as used by the Federal program.(g) The Federal Government will cost-share as part of the grant enrollee pay based on up to 30 hours per week; any cost based on enrollee compensation for more than 30 hours per week will be assumed by the grantee or sub-grantee and will not be part of the grant.(h) Grantees must provide for an effective accident control, health, and safety program. As a minimum, grantees shall follow U.S. Department of Labor Bulletin No. 101, "A Guide to Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act."(i) Grantees will have a financial management system which will provide the information called for in attachment G of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circular A-102 (formerly FMC 74-7).(j) "Request for Advance or Reimbursement," as outlined in OMB circular A-102, attachment H, item 4(a), will be used to obtain an advance to start and/or maintain the program. It can also be used to obtain a reimbursement during or at the end of a project. An advance, not to exceed 1 month's needs, may be made after approval of the grant application.(k) Grantees will prepare a "Financial Status Report" required by OMB circular A-102, attachment H, item (3)a. This report will be prepared on a cash basis. Instructions and forms will be supplied each grantee at the time of grant award. Grantees shall require similar reports from all subgrantees and contractors to facilitate their own reporting to the grantor agencies. The Financial Status Report will be prepared as of December 31 of each operating year. This report will be forwarded in time to reach the Secretaries by March 31 of the following operating year.(l) Allowable costs under the grant program are defined in FMC 74-4 and OMB circular A-102.(m) Records retention and custodial requirements for records are prescribed by attachment C to OMB circular A-102.(n) A budget revision is required in advance when the scope of the grant is to be changed through (1) addition or elimination of a project, (2) reduction in the State's grant program of 5 percent or more of enrollees, and/or (3) determination that the grantee will not utilize Federal funds in amount in excess of $5,000 or 5 percent of the Federal grant, whichever is greater. A budget revision must also be submitted when the State's matching ratio is reduced. No budget revision may be submitted later than March 31 following the end of the operating year. Procedures in attachment K of OMB circular A-102 will be followed.(o) Grantees shall comply with the provisions of attachments N and O of OMB circular A-102 in regard to nonexpendable personal property and procurement standards.(p) The Secretaries or their designees shall periodically review the conduct of the program of the State.(q) Grantees will supervise those projects in the State being administered by subgrantees and contractors. Subgrantees and contractors will be required to operate in accordance with the procedures outlined in these regulations and the grant agreement with the State. Periodic inspection of subgrantee projects will be made by the grantee under the direction of the program agent or his designee. Grantees or subgrantees may contract with any public agency or organization or any private nonprofit agency or organization which has been in existence for at least 5 years.(r) Grantees will meet the financial audit requirements of attachment G to OMB circular A-102 and will require the same of subgrantees. Copies of audits will be made available to the Secretaries upon request.(s) Grantees shall provide accidental injury compensation and tort claims coverage under State laws for its enrollees. Enrollees shall be employed without regard to State personnel laws, rules, and regulations applicable to full-time employees. It is not intended that State enrollees be covered for retirement, unemployment compensation, health and life insurance purposes, or that they earn or be granted leave-with-pay or sick leave; such charges shall not be considered a qualifiying expense for Federal cost-share purposes.(t) If the grantee fails to comply with the grant award stipulations, standards, or conditions, the Secretaries may jointly suspend the grant, in whole or in part, pending corrective action. Subsequent to or during any period of suspension of the grant, the Federal Government shall not be obligated to reimburse the grantee for any incurrence of obligations for suspended projects other than direct pay of enrollees and then only for a period of time which both the Secretaries shall determine to be reasonable. In addition, the Secretaries may jointly terminate the grant, in whole or in part. Termination shall be effected by notice of termination. Upon receipt of a notice of termination, the grantee shall: (1) Discontinue further commitments of grant funds for the terminated project(s).(2) Cancel all sub-grants or contracts, where possible, scheduled for payment with funds budgeted for the terminated project(s).(3) Within 90 days after receipt of the notice of termination for the entire grant, supply either of the Secretaries with a financial status report, along with a refund check for any unused portion of funds advanced, or a request for reimbursement for allowable expenditures incurred in the grant program.