Section 403 of Public Law 115-182 does not authorize a grant program or cooperative agreement program through which covered facilities or any other entity may apply for residents to be placed in covered facilities or to apply for VA to pay or reimburse costs under § 17.248. VA therefore will not conduct a public solicitation to determine those covered facilities in which residents may be placed or to determine costs that may be paid or reimbursed under § 17.248. VA will instead determine those covered facilities in which residents may be placed and determine any costs to be paid or reimbursed under § 17.248 in accordance with the following parameters:

(a) VA Central Office will issue a request for proposal (RFP) to announce opportunities for residents to be placed in covered facilities and to have costs paid or reimbursed under § 17.248. This RFP will describe, at a minimum:

(1) Consideration factors to include the criteria in § 17.246, that will be used to evaluate any responses to the RFP, as well as the relative importance of such consideration factors;

(2) Information required to be in any responses to the RFP; and

(3) The process to submit a response to the RFP.

(b) Covered facilities will submit responses to the RFP to VA Central Office.

(c) Consistent with paragraph (a) of this section, VA Central Office will evaluate responses to the RFP and will determine those covered facilities where residents may be placed and costs under § 17.248 are paid or reimbursed.