Report 2017-129 Recommendation 17 Responses

Report 2017-129: Department of Rehabilitation: Its Inadequate Guidance and Oversight of the Grant Process Led to Inconsistencies and Perceived Bias in Its Evaluations and Awards of Some Grants (Release Date: July 2018)

Recommendation #17 To: Rehabilitation, Department of

To comply with federal and state requirements, and to ensure consistency and fairness in its grant process, Rehabilitation should revise and formalize the policies and procedures in its grant manual to incorporate the rules adopted by regulation and to address the recommendations in this report. The grant manual should specify that any deviations from the required grant process must be for good cause and be documented.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

In 2019 and 2022, the Department withdrew its rulemaking packages after consultation with the Office of Administrative Law about the proposed sections related to the development of requests for applications. The Department expects to notice proposed regulations in October 2023 without the proposed sections related to RFA development and submit them to the Office of Administrative Law for approval by July 2024. Regarding the recommendation to promulgate regulations for development of requests for applications, by September 29, 2023, the Department will submit a request to the Principal Auditor for further discussion.

The final GSM will be published by December 2024.

Estimated Completion Date: December 2024

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The Department received written and public comment, including the public hearing on this rulemaking package and is not in the process of completing the rulemaking file to submit to the Office of Administrative Law in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. The Department expects approval of this rulemaking package in December 2022.

The final GSM will be published after the regulations are adopted. In the interim, the Department published an Interim GSM on October 29, 2018, for use until the regulatory process has concluded.

Estimated Completion Date: December 2022

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The Department revised its Grant Solicitation Manual (GSM) based on community input and the recommendations in the audit report. The Department went through the rulemaking process and in December 2019 discovered that it was necessary to revise the proposed regulations.

The Department has completed a draft of the proposed text for the grant regulations. Consistent with the Department's mission statement and core principles of partnership and transparency, the Department is engaging with its advisory bodies to obtain their input on the proposed concepts and approach before finalizing the proposed text and commencing the rulemaking process, including publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking and public comment period. The anticipated engagements include, but may not be limited to, the State Rehabilitation Council, Blind Advisory Council, State Independent Living Centers, and Assistive Technology Advisory Committee at their regularly scheduled public meetings.