Due Date of Initial Application Requirements for State Home Construction Grants

This final rule amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations concerning the calendar date by which VA must receive an initial application for a State Home Construction Grant in order for the application to be included on the priority list for the award of grants during the next fiscal year. We require that initial application materials must be received by VA no later than April 15, instead of August 15, of the year before the fiscal year in which the application would be considered for inclusion on the priority list for the award of grants. We require certification of State matching funds to be submitted no later than August 1, instead of August 15, in order for the project to be placed in priority group 1 of the priority list for the next fiscal year. The purpose of these changes is to ensure that VA has sufficient time to process all applications received and timely prepare the priority list, so that we can accurately notify States that VA intends to select and fund particular projects. We also make technical revisions to conform our regulations to these revisions.