A DSA may operate or administer the program or projects under this part to carry out the purposes specified in § 367.1, either directly or through—

(a) Subawards to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations; or

(b) Contracts with individuals, entities, or organizations that are not public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations.

(Authority: Sections 752(g) and (h) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 796k(g) and (h)(2)(A))

Non-Federal contributions required by § 367.31(b) must meet the requirements in 2 CFR 200.306 (Cost sharing or matching).

(Authority: Section 752(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 796k(f))

(a) Expenditures that meet the non-Federal share requirements of 2 CFR 200.306 may be used to meet the non-Federal share matching requirement. Expenditures used as non-Federal share must also meet the following requirements:

(1) The expenditures are made with funds made available by appropriation directly to the DSA or with funds made available by allotment or transfer from any other unit of State or local government;

(2) The expenditures are made with cash contributions from a donor that are deposited in the account of the DSA in accordance with State law for expenditure by, and at the sole discretion of, the DSA for activities authorized by § 367.3; or

(3) The expenditures are made with cash contributions from a donor that are earmarked for meeting the State's share for activities listed in § 367.3;

(b) Cash contributions are permissible under paragraph (a)(3) of this section only if the cash contributions are not used for expenditures that benefit or will benefit in any way the donor, an individual to whom the donor is related by blood or marriage or with whom the donor has a close personal relationship, or an individual, entity, or organization with whom the donor shares a financial interest.

(c) The receipt of a subaward or contract under section 752(g) of the Act from the DSA is not considered a benefit to the donor of a cash contribution for purposes of paragraph (b) of this section if the subaward or contract was awarded under the State's regular competitive procedures. The State may not exempt the awarding of the subaward or contract from its regular competitive procedures.

(d) For purposes of this section, a donor may be a private agency, a profit-making or nonprofit organization, or an individual.

(Authority: Section 752(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 796k(f))

In-kind contributions may be—

(a) Used to meet the matching requirement under section 752(f) of the Act if the in-kind contributions meet the requirements and are allowable under 2 CFR 200.306; and

(b) Made to the program or project by the State or by a third party (i.e., an individual, entity, or organization, whether local, public, private, for profit, or nonprofit), including a third party that is a subrecipient or contractor that is receiving or will receive assistance under section 752(g) of the Rehabilitation Act.

(Authority: Section 752(f) and (g) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 796k(f) and (g))

(a) A State may not condition the making of a subaward or contract under section 752(g) of the Act on the requirement that the applicant for the subaward or contract make a cash or in-kind contribution of any particular amount or value to the State.

(b) An individual, entity, or organization that is a subrecipient or contractor of the State, may not condition the award of a subcontract on the requirement that the applicant for the subcontract make a cash or in-kind contribution of any particular amount or value to the State or to the subrecipient or contractor of the State.

(Authority: Section 752(f) and (g) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 796k(f) and (g))

(a) Definition—Program income means gross income earned by the grantee, subrecipient, or contractor that is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of the grant, subaward, or contract.

(1) Program income received through the transfer of Social Security Administration program income from the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program (Title I) in accordance with 34 CFR 361.63(c)(2) will be treated as program income received under this part.

(2) Payments received by the State agency, subrecipients, or contractors from insurers, consumers, or other for IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program to defray part or all of the costs of services provided to individual consumers will be treated as program income received under this part.

(b) Use of program income. (1) Program income, whenever earned, must be used for the provision of services authorized under § 367.3.

(2) Program income must be added to the Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307(e)(2).

(3) Program income may not be used to meet the non-Federal share requirement under § 367.31(b).

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c))

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any Federal funds, including reallotted funds, that are appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out a program under this part that are not obligated or expended by the DSA prior to the beginning of the succeeding fiscal year, and any program income received during a fiscal year that is not obligated or expended by the DSA prior to the beginning of the succeeding fiscal year in which the program income was received, remain available for obligation and expenditure by the DSA during that succeeding fiscal year.

(b) Federal funds appropriated for a fiscal year under this part remain available for obligation in the succeeding fiscal year only to the extent that the DSA complied with its matching requirement by obligating, in accordance with 34 CFR 76.707, the non-Federal share in the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated.

(c) Program income is considered earned in the fiscal year in which it is received. Program income earned during the fiscal year must be disbursed during the time in which new obligations may be incurred to carry out the work authorized under the award, and prior to requesting additional cash payments.

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c))

(a) Participation of individuals in cost of services. (1) A State is neither required to charge nor prohibited from charging consumers for the cost of IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program;

(2) If a State charges consumers or allows other service providers to charge for the cost of IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program, a State is neither required to nor prohibited from considering the ability of individual consumers to pay for the cost of these services in determining how much a particular consumer must contribute to the costs of a particular service.

(b) State policies on cost of services. If a State chooses to charge or allow other service providers to charge consumers for the cost of IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program and if a State chooses to consider and allow other service providers to consider the ability of individual consumers to pay for the cost of IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individual Who Are Blind program, the State must maintain policies that—

(1) Specify the type of IL services for which costs may be charged and the type of IL services for which a financial need test may be applied;

(2) Explain the method for determining the amount charged for the IL services and how any financial need test will be applied;

(3) Ensure costs are charged uniformly so that all individuals are treated equally;

(4) Ensure that if costs are charged or financial need is considered, the consumer's required participation is not so high that it effectively denies the individual a necessary service;

(5) Require documentation of an individual's participation in the cost of any IL services provided, including the determination of an individual's financial need; and

(6) Provide that individuals who have been determined eligible for Social Security benefits under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act may not be charged any cost to receive IL services under this program.

(c) Policies on consumer financial participation. If a State permits other service providers to charge the costs of IL services provided under the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program, or chooses to allow other service providers to consider the ability of individual consumers to contribute to the cost of IL services provided through the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program, the State must require that such service providers comply with the State's written policies regarding consumer financial participation in the cost of IL services.

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c)).

The DSA and all other service providers under this part shall use formats that are accessible to notify individuals seeking or receiving services under this part about—

(a) The availability of CAP authorized by section 112 of the Act;

(b) The purposes of the services provided under the CAP; and

(c) How to contact the CAP.

(Authority: Section 20 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 717)

(a) General provisions. The DSA and all other service providers under this part shall adopt and implement policies and procedures to safeguard the confidentiality of all personal information, including photographs and lists of names. These policies and procedures must assure that—

(1) Specific safeguards protect current and stored personal information, including a requirement that data only be released when governed by a written agreement between the DSA and other service providers and the receiving entity under paragraphs (d) and (e)(1) of this section, which addresses the requirements in this section;

(2) All applicants for, or recipients of, services under this part and, as appropriate, those individuals' legally authorized representatives, service providers, cooperating agencies, and interested persons are informed of the confidentiality of personal information and the conditions for gaining access to and releasing this information;

(3) All applicants or their legally authorized representatives are informed about the service provider's need to collect personal information and the policies governing its use, including—

(i) Identification of the authority under which information is collected;

(ii) Explanation of the principal purposes for which the service provider intends to use or release the information;

(iii) Explanation of whether providing requested information to the service provider is mandatory or voluntary and the effects to the individual of not providing requested information;

(iv) Identification of those situations in which the service provider requires or does not require informed written consent of the individual or his or her legally authorized representative before information may be released; and

(v) Identification of other agencies to which information is routinely released;

(4) Persons who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently or who rely on alternative modes of communication must be provided an explanation of service provider policies and procedures affecting personal information through methods that can be meaningfully understood by them;

(5) At least the same protections are provided to individuals served under this part as provided by State laws and regulations; and

(6) Access to records is governed by rules established by the service provider and any fees charged for copies of records are reasonable and cover only extraordinary costs of duplication or making extensive searches.

(b) Service provider use. All personal information in the possession of the service provider may be used only for the purposes directly connected with the provision of services under this part and the administration of the program under which services are provided under this part. Information containing identifiable personal information may not be shared with advisory or other bodies that do not have official responsibility for the provision of services under this part or the administration of the program under which services are provided under this part. In the provision of services under this part or the administration of the program under which services are provided under this part, the service provider may obtain personal information from other service providers and cooperating agencies under assurances that the information may not be further divulged, except as provided under paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

(c) Release to recipients of services under this part. (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(2) and (3) of this section, if requested in writing by a recipient of services under this part, the service provider shall release all information in that individual's record of services to the individual or the individual's legally authorized representative in a timely manner.

(2) Medical, psychological, or other information that the service provider determines may be harmful to the individual may not be released directly to the individual, but must be provided through a qualified medical or psychological professional or the individual's legally authorized representative.

(3) If personal information has been obtained from another agency or organization, it may be released only by, or under the conditions established by, the other agency or organization.

(d) Release for audit, evaluation, and research. Personal information may be released to an organization, agency, or individual engaged in audit, evaluation, or research activities only for purposes directly connected with the administration of a program under this part, or for purposes that would significantly improve the quality of life for individuals served under this part and only if, in accordance with a written agreement, the organization, agency, or individual assures that—

(1) The information will be used only for the purposes for which it is being provided;

(2) The information will be released only to persons officially connected with the audit, evaluation, or research;

(3) The information will not be released to the involved individual;

(4) The information will be managed in a manner to safeguard confidentiality; and

(5) The final product will not reveal any personally identifying information without the informed written consent of the involved individual or the individual's legally authorized representative.

(e) Release to other programs or authorities. (1) Upon receiving the informed written consent of the individual or, if appropriate, the individual's legally authorized representative, the service provider may release personal information to another agency or organization, in accordance with a written agreement, for the latter's program purposes only to the extent that the information may be released to the involved individual and only to the extent that the other agency or organization demonstrates that the information requested is necessary for the proper administration of its program.

(2) Medical or psychological information may be released pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section if the other agency or organization assures the service provider that the information will be used only for the purpose for which it is being provided and will not be further released to the individual.

(3) The service provider shall release personal information if required by Federal laws or regulations.

(4) The service provider shall release personal information in response to investigations in connection with law enforcement, fraud, or abuse, unless expressly prohibited by Federal or State laws or regulations, and in response to judicial order.

(5) The service provider also may release personal information to protect the individual or others if the individual poses a threat to his or her safety or to the safety of others.

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c))

For the purpose of conducting audits, examinations, and compliance reviews, the DSA and all other service providers shall provide access to the Secretary and the Comptroller General, or any of their duly authorized representatives, to—

(a) The records maintained under this part;

(b) Any other books, documents, papers, and records of the recipients that are pertinent to the financial assistance received under this part; and

(c) All individual case records or files or consumer service records of individuals served under this part, including names, addresses, photographs, and records of evaluation included in those individual case records or files or consumer service records.

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c))

The DSA and all other service providers shall maintain—

(a) Records that fully disclose and document—

(1) The amount and disposition by the recipient of that financial assistance;

(2) The total cost of the project or undertaking in connection with which the financial assistance is given or used;

(3) The amount of that portion of the cost of the project or undertaking supplied by other sources; and

(4) Compliance with the requirements of this part; and

(b) Other records that the Secretary determines to be appropriate to facilitate an effective audit.

(Authority: Section 12(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c))