(a) In order to receive Federal funding under this subpart, each State Developmental Disabilities Council must prepare and submit a State plan which meets the requirements of sections 124 and 125 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15024 and 15025), and the applicable regulation. Development of the State plan and its periodic updating are the responsibility of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. As provided in section 124(d) of the Act, the Council shall provide opportunities for public input and review (in accessible formats and plain language requirements), and will consult with the Designated State Agency to determine that the plan is consistent with applicable State laws, and obtain appropriate State plan assurances.

(b) Failure to comply with the State plan requirements may result in the loss of Federal funds as described in section 127 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15027). The Secretary, or his or her designee, must provide reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing to the Council and the Designated State Agency before withholding any payments for planning, administration, and services.

(c) The State plan must be submitted through the designated system by AIDD which is used to collect quantifiable and qualifiable information from the State Councils on Developmental Disabilities. The plan must:

(1) Identify the agency or office in the State designated to support the Council in accordance with section 124(c)(2) and 125(d) of the Act. The Designated State Agency shall provide required assurances and support services requested from and negotiated with the Council.

(2) For a year covered by the State plan, include for each area of emphasis under which a goal or goals have been identified, the measures of progress the Council has established or is required to apply in its progress in furthering the purpose of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act through advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities.

(3) Provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Council in accordance with section 125 of the Act and describe the membership of such Council. The non-State agency members of the Council shall be subject to term limits to ensure rotating membership.

(d) The State plan must be updated during the five-year period when substantive changes are contemplated in plan content, including changes under paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(e) The State plan may provide for funding projects to demonstrate new approaches to direct services that enhance the independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion into the community of individuals with developmental disabilities. Direct service demonstrations must be short-term, with a strategy to locate on-going funding from other sources after five years. Any State desiring to receive assistance beyond five years, under this subtitle, shall include in the State plan the information listed in paragraphs (e)(1) through (3) of this section, and AIDD reserves the right as the overseeing agency to deny the continuation of the demonstration project beyond five years.

(1) The estimated period for the project's continued duration;

(2) Justifications of why the project cannot be funded by the State or other sources and should receive continued funding; and

(3) Provide data outcomes showing evidence of success.

(f) The State plan may provide for funding of other demonstration projects or activities, including but not limited to outreach, training, technical assistance, supporting and educating communities, interagency collaboration and coordination, coordination with related councils, committees and programs, barrier elimination, systems design and redesign, coalition development and citizen participation, and informing policymakers. Demonstrations must be short-term, with a strategy to locate on-going funding from other sources after five years. Any State desiring to receive assistance beyond five years, under this subtitle, shall include in the State plan the information listed in paragraphs (f)(1) through (3) of this section, and AIDD reserves the right as the overseeing agency to deny the continuation of the demonstration project beyond five years.

(1) The estimated period for the project's continued duration;

(2) Justifications on why the project cannot be funded by the State or other resources and should receive continued funding; and

(3) Provide data showing evidence of success.

(g) The State plan must contain assurances that are consistent with section 124 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15024).

(a) The Council shall issue a public notice about the availability of the proposed State plan or State plan amendment(s) for comment. The notice shall be published in formats accessible to individuals with developmental disabilities and the general public (e.g. public forums, Web sites, newspapers, and other current technologies) and shall provide a 45-day period for public review and comment. The Council shall take into account comments submitted within that period, and respond in the State plan to significant comments and suggestions. A summary of the Council's responses to State plan comments shall be submitted with the State plan and made available for public review. This document shall be made available in accessible formats upon request.

(b) The State plan or amendment must be submitted to AIDD 45 days prior to the fiscal year for which it is applicable.

(c) Failure to submit an approvable State plan or amendment prior to the Federal fiscal year for which it is applicable may result in the loss of Federal financial participation. Plans received during a quarter of the Federal fiscal year are approved back to the first day of the quarter so costs incurred from that point forward are approvable. Costs resulting from obligations incurred during the period of the fiscal year for which an approved plan is not in effect are not eligible for Federal financial participation.

(d) The Secretary, or his or her designee, must approve any State plan or plan amendment provided it meets the requirements of the Act and this regulation.

(a) The Governor or appropriate State financial officer must submit financial status reports (AIDD-02B) on the programs funded under this subpart semiannually.

(b) By January 1 of each year, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall submit to AIDD, an Annual Program Performance Report through the system established by AIDD. In order to be accepted by AIDD, reports must meet the requirements of section 125(c)(7) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15025) and the applicable regulations, include the information on its program necessary for the Secretary, or his or her designee, to comply with section 105(1), (2), and (3) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15005), and any other information requested by AIDD. Each Report shall contain information about the progress made by the Council in achieving its goals including:

(1) A description of the extent to which the goals were achieved;

(2) A description of the strategies that contributed to achieving the goals;

(3) To the extent to which the goals were not achieved, a description of factors that impeded the achievement;

(4) Separate information on the self-advocacy goal described in section 124(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15024);

(5) As appropriate, an update on the results of the comprehensive review and analysis of the extent to which services, supports, and other assistance are available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, including the extent of unmet needs for services, supports, and other assistance for those individuals and their families, in the State as required in section 124(c)(3) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15024);

(6) Information on individual satisfaction with Council supported or conducted activities;

(7) A description of the adequacy of health care and other services, supports, and assistance that individuals with developmental disabilities in Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) receive;

(8) To the extent available, a description of the adequacy of health care and other services, supports, and assistance received by individuals with developmental disabilities served through home and community-based waivers (authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act);

(9) An accounting of the funds paid to the State awarded under the DD Council program;

(10) A description of resources made available to carry out activities to assist individuals with developmental disabilities directly attributable to Council actions;

(11) A description of resources made available for such activities that are undertaken by the Council in collaboration with other entities; and

(12) A description of the method by which the Council will widely disseminate the annual report to affected constituencies and the general public and will assure that the report is available in accessible formats.

(c) Each Council must include in its Annual Program Performance Report information on its achievement of the measures of progress.

(a) Based on section 124(c)(5)(J) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15024(c)(5)(J)), the State plan must assure fair and equitable arrangements to protect the interest of all institutional employees affected by actions under the plan to provide community living activities. The State must inform employees of the State's decision to provide for community living activities. Specific arrangements for the protection of affected employees must be developed through negotiations between the appropriate State authorities and employees or their representatives.

(b) Fair and equitable arrangements must include procedures that provide for the impartial resolution of disputes between the State and an employee concerning the interpretation, application, and enforcement of protection arrangements. To the maximum extent practicable, these arrangements must include provisions for:

(1) The preservation of rights and benefits;

(2) Guaranteeing employment to employees affected by action under the plan to provide alternative community living arrangements; and

(3) Employee training and retraining programs.

(a) The Designated State Agency shall provide the required assurances and other support services as requested and negotiated by the Council. These include:

(1) Provision of financial reporting and other services as provided under section 125(d)(3)(D) of the Act; and

(2) Information and direction, as appropriate, on procedures on the hiring, supervision, and assignment of staff in accordance with State law.

(b) If the State Council on Developmental Disabilities requests a review by the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) of the Designated State Agency, the Council must provide documentation of the reason for change, and recommend a new preferred Designated State Agency by the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable).

(c) After the review is completed by the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable), and if no change is made, a majority of the non-State agency members of the Council may appeal to the Secretary, or his or her designee, for a review of the Designated State Agency if the Council's independence as an advocate is not assured because of the actions or inactions of the Designated State agency.

(d) The following steps apply to the appeal of the Governor's (or State legislature, if applicable) designation of the Designated State Agency.

(1) Prior to an appeal to the Secretary, or his or her designee, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, must give a 30 day written notice, by certified mail, to the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) of the majority of non-State members' intention to appeal the designation of the Designated State Agency.

(2) The appeal must clearly identify the grounds for the claim that the Council's independence as an advocate is not assured because of the action or inactions of the Designated State Agency.

(3) Upon receipt of the appeal from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Secretary, or his or her designee, will notify the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable), by certified mail, that the appeal has been received and will be acted upon within 60 days. The Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) shall within 10 working days from the receipt of the Secretary's, or his or her designated person's, notification provide written comments to the Secretary, or his or her designee, (with a copy sent by registered or certified mail to the Council) on the claims in the Council's appeal. Either party may request, and the Secretary, or his or her designee, may grant, an opportunity for an informal meeting with the Secretary, or his or her designee, at which representatives from both parties will present their views on the issues in the appeal. The meeting will be held within 20 working days of the submission of written comments by the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable). The Secretary, or his or her designee, will promptly notify the parties of the date and place of the meeting.

(4) The Secretary, or his or her designee, will review the issue(s) and provide a final written decision within 60 days following receipt of the appeal from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. If the determination is made that the Designated State Agency should be redesignated, the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) must provide written assurance of compliance within 45 days from receipt of the decision.

(5) Anytime during this appeals process the State Council on Developmental Disabilities may withdraw such request if resolution has been reached with the Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) on the Designated State Agency. The Governor (or State legislature, if applicable) must notify the Secretary, or his or her designee, in writing of such a decision.

(e) The Designated State Agency may authorize the Council to contract with State agencies other than the Designated State Agency to perform functions of the Designated State Agency.

(a) Under this subpart, Federal funding is available for costs resulting from obligations incurred under the approved State plan for the necessary expenses of administering the plan, which may include the establishment and maintenance of the State Council, and all programs, projects, and activities carried out under the State plan.

(b) Expenditures which are not allowable for Federal financial participation are:

(1) Costs incurred by institutions or other residential or non-residential programs which do not comply with the Congressional findings with respect to the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities in section 109 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15009).

(2) Costs incurred for activities not provided for in the approved State plan; and

(3) Costs not allowed under other applicable statutes, Departmental regulations, or issuances of the Office of Management and Budget.

(c) Expenditure of funds that supplant State and local funds are not allowed. Supplanting occurs when State or local funds previously used to fund activities under the State plan are replaced by Federal funds for the same purpose. However, supplanting does not occur if State or local funds are replaced with Federal funds for a particular activity or purpose in the approved State plan if the replaced State or local funds are then used for other activities or purposes in the approved State plan.

(d) For purposes of determining aggregate minimum State share of expenditures, there are three categories of expenditures:

(1) Expenditures for projects or activities undertaken directly by the Council and Council staff to implement State plan activities, as described in section 126(a)(3) of the Act, require no non-Federal aggregate of the necessary costs of such activities.

(2) Expenditures for projects whose activities or products target individuals with developmental disabilities who live in urban or rural poverty areas, as determined by the Secretary, or his or her designee, but not carried out directly by the Council and Council staff, as described in section 126(a)(2) of the Act, shall have non-Federal funding of at least 10 percent in the aggregate of the necessary costs of such projects.

(3) All other projects not directly carried out by the Council and Council staff shall have non-Federal funding of at least 25 percent in the aggregate of the necessary costs of such projects.

(e) The Council may vary the non-Federal funding required on a project-by-project, activity-by-activity basis (both poverty and non-poverty activities), including requiring no non-Federal funding from particular projects or activities as the Council deems appropriate so long as the requirement for aggregate non-Federal funding is met.

The Department will disapprove any State plan or plan amendment only after the following procedures have been complied with:

(a) The State plan has been submitted to AIDD for review. If after contacting the State on issues with the plan with no resolution, a detailed written analysis of the reasons for recommending disapproval shall be prepared and provided to the State Council and State Designated Agency.

(b) Once the Secretary, or his or her designee, has determined that the State plan, in whole or in part, is not approvable, notice of this determination shall be sent to the State with appropriate references to the records, provisions of the statute and regulations, and all relevant interpretations of applicable laws and regulations. The notification of the decision must inform the State of its right to appeal in accordance with subpart E of this part.

(c) The Secretary's, or his or her designee's, decision has been forwarded to the State Council and its Designated State Agency by certified mail with a return receipt requested.

(d) A State has filed its request for a hearing with the Secretary, or his or her designee, within 21 days of the receipt of the decision. The request for a hearing must be sent by certified mail to the Secretary, or his or her designee. The date of mailing the request is considered the date of filing if it is supported by independent evidence of mailing. Otherwise the date of receipt shall be considered the date of filing.