Fy2020 CDLPI Funding Conference QA.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S

LICENSE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION (CDLPI)

FY2020 FUNDING CONFERENCE

1. Are public universities eligible to submit applications under the CDLPI grant program?

Response: Yes, they are eligible under the High Priority/Emerging Issues Priority. The project would just have to fall under one of the priorities.

2. Are all the CDLPI high priority projects funded at 85% or 100%?

Response: It will depend on the type of project. Please reference the NOFO under Basic

CDLPI and High Priority/Emerging Issues Priorities. Each priority lists the Federal participation level. NOTE: After the funding conference, FMCSA provided clarification on the High Priority/Emerging Issues project: State’s self-assessment/comprehensive review conducted by a qualified third party on SDLA’s compliance with 49 CFR Parts

383 and 384. This project is eligible for 100% Federal participation, no match requirement.

3. The projects under section B, are they 85% or 100%? On page 6.

Response: Section B states whether a project will be funded at 85% or 100%. If there is no percentage spelled out, then the project will be funded at 85%. NOTE: After the funding conference, FMCSA provided clarification on the High Priority/Emerging Issues project: State’s self-assessment/comprehensive review conducted by a qualified third party on SDLA’s compliance with 49 CFR Parts 383 and 384. This project is eligible for

100% Federal participation, no match requirement.

4. Please clarify whether the 5-page limit for each section is per project, or aggregate for the entire application.

Response: It is per application so it would not be per project. If you have three projects, in your application you would still have to adhere to the page limit per application.

5. What are the roles you are looking for in the key contacts form? You mentioned them quickly

Response: Those three roles are the Authorized Designated Official, also known as the

ADO which is the authorized signer. The next role is the Principal Investigator or

Program Director, known as the PI or PD which is the program or project manager and then also a Financial Official who is also internally probably known as the grants manager. Those are the three roles.

6. Is the 35 pages single spaced or double spaced for the application?

Response: There is no formatting requirement, as far as the line spacing is concerned, as long as our applicants stay within the required page limit.

7. Due to some projects that are reimbursable at 100% vs 85%, is it allowable to submit two basic grants – one for 85% projects and one for 100% projects? Or should they be combined into one grant application?

Response: The NOFO does not limit the number of applications, it only states that two separate applications should be submitted, one for 85% Federal participating projects and one for 100% Federally participating projects.

8. A request was made to provide an example of the Title VI complaint log.

Response: Mr. Finkle will provide a copy/sample via email. Please email Mr.

Finkle, Lester.Finkle@dot.gov.

9. Will applications be considered that would improve road skill testing sites?

Response: Yes, applications will be accepted, but as the NOFA states it is lowest priority for funding recommendations. The Notice of Funding Opportunity has references to skills testing locations on page 4, Section A, 3) i) Projects Eligible for 85 percent federal funding C) Operation and Maintenance (O&M) projects and page 7, Section D) under 7) funding Restrictions v) Expenses related to the improvement of real property.

mailto:Lester.Finkle@dot.gov

10. Does the approval letter for the Title VI Program Plan have to be included with the grant application?

Response: No, it does not. Mr. Finkle is doing a parallel effort, so he will provide you with the approval letter. You do not need to submit that with the application so long as you’ve coordinated and Mr. Finkle has it in his records.

11. On Page 6 under section B, applications requesting funding that provide training technical assistance, refers to CDL stakeholders including states, courts and law enforcement. Would FMCSA also be regarded as a stakeholder?

Response: FMCSA grant awards cannot be used to train or support FMCSA employees.

FMCSA is a stakeholder in that we are the grantor of the award/cooperative agreement., who has oversight and monitoring responsibilities. FMCSA cannot receive a direct benefit from an award. A grant award is not to be used to replace a contract. A grant award cannot provide FMCSA a “product” or “service” from the activities of the award, it must be for a public purpose.

12. Would technical assistance projects that would include providing some type of technical solutions for FMCSA to use in the CDL program, be an eligible type of project?

Response: Technical solutions that could be utilized by FMCSA for the SDLAs for compliance are not eligible. However, technical solutions that could be utilized by

SDLAs that could be deployed at a National level for improving their compliance would be eligible as described under NOFO section entitled: CDLPI High Priority/Emerging

Issues Cooperative Agreement and Grants.

13. Second clarification, concerning the reference to doing the CDL performance reviews, I noticed that the three components are the same as were done in the reviews from 2000 to

2010. I wanted a clarification, it's only states that could apply for this in partnership with the vendor of their choice, is that correct?

Response: As stated in the NOFO under that priority, applications must be from a State to be eligible.

14. I’ve read 26 U.S.C Section 1400Z-1, which describes that a “qualified opportunity zone” is a low-income zone, but can’t determine if a project would fall within a qualified opportunity zone?

Response: The following link provides additional resources on the “Qualified

Opportunity Zone” https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx

15. Does this grant cover the purchase of tablets that facilitate face-to-face communication between deaf/hard-of-hearing and hearing people?

Response: Technology that supports communication with the deaf and hard of hearing community would be considered an eligible cost.

https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx