Notice of Funding Opportunity for Disparate Treatment of Puerto Rico Residents in Federal Programs

National Council on Disability

Disparate Treatment of Puerto Rico Residents in Federal Programs

Overview Information

Notice of Funding Opportunity

NCD-20-02 

May 11, 2020 – Announcement of Funding Opportunity for a Cooperative Agreement

Authority: Section 401, Title IV of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Application materials are available at: ncd.gov and grants.gov

You may also request application materials by writing to:                                

Amy Nicholas

Attorney Advisor

National Council on Disability

1331 F Street, NW Suite 850

Washington, DC 20004 or by e-mail request: anicholas@ncd.gov

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5:00 p.m. local time): June 15, 2020

Late applications will not be considered.

Deliver all materials via email to:

Anicholas@ncd.gov

Maximum amount available for this project: $50,000.00

All potential applicants are eligible to apply

Cost sharing is not required

The estimated period of performance is 8 months

Project Summary 

To examine what it means to be a citizen with a disability residing in Puerto Rico. The report will examine the disparate treatment of citizens with disabilities residing in Puerto Rico utilizing various federal programs in contrast to their counterparts residing in the states (and disabled citizens in other U.S. territories). The report will discuss Puerto Ricans with disabilities’ employment and poverty rates; educational attainment; access to healthcare, housing, transportation, and access and participation within the community; access to durable medical equipment, repairs, and medical supplies; and any additional costs incurred because of an individual’s disability that would not be incurred by a person with a disability residing in the states. The report will discuss the impact the Jones Act[1] has on the availability and cost of durable medical equipment, with a comparison of costs of that equipment on the mainland. The report will discuss in detail the disparate treatment of citizens with disabilities residing in Puerto Rico under certain federal programs in contrast to their counterparts residing on the mainland (and disabled citizens in other U.S. territories), such as Social Security Insurance (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and public housing. The final report will include recommendations born from the research findings and interviews from this report.

Agency Contact:  

Amy Nicholas, Attorney Advisor, National Council on Disability, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004, telephone (202) 272-2008, e-mail: anicholas@ncd.gov

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 1

Anticipated Funding Amount: $50,000.00

This funding opportunity is contingent on fiscal year 2020 federal funding availability

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted by the following date (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): June 15 2020.

Proposal Review Information

Review Criteria: National Council on Disability approved criteria. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions: Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Background Narrative:

NCD’s role is to advise the President, Congress, and other policymakers on disability practices that enhance equal opportunity for people with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society. NCD fulfills this role in part by releasing reports which evaluate the efficacy and legality of federal programs in relation to disability rights laws. In 2019, NCD held a Council meeting in Puerto Rico. The first day of the two-day event consisted of a town hall meeting where over 100 Puerto Ricans with disabilities discussed respective concerns and obstacles they faced residing in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico residents are American citizens yet are not afforded equal federal benefits as Puerto Ricans or other disabled citizens who live in the states. Topics discussed included the lack of services and the differing treatment citizens with disabilities on the island are faced with simply because of where they live. NCD’s Chair assured the residents of Puerto Rico that the town hall meeting was just the beginning of NCD’s discussion regarding the disparate treatment of people with disabilities. This report is intended to address the concerns expressed at the town hall meeting and provide recommendations and guidance to the President, Congress and federal agencies to improve living conditions and economic outcomes for people with disabilities residing in Puerto Rico.

Substantive Topics

Research and report in detail all federal benefit programs available to Puerto Rican residents with disabilities and describe in detail how they differ from the same or similar benefits available to people with disabilities residing in the states and other U.S. territories. For example, SSI, SSDI, SNAP, Medicaid, Section 8 housing, and housing vouchers. The preceding is not an exhaustive list. Programs exclusively available to people with disabilities in the states should also be included in this report. This report will also research and report in detail the impact the Jones Act has on the availability, pricing, and inventory of durable medical equipment (DME) and medical supplies in Puerto Rico.

Key Questions to Be Answered

The following questions should be addressed regarding the disparate treatment of federal programs such as Social Security Insurance (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and public housing. This is not an exhaustive list of programs:

How does eligibility differ?

How does the benefits coverage differ?

What are the differences in funding? (Look at monetary as well as human resources)

If a monetary benefit, is cost of living considered?

What is the availability of accessible transportation on the island?

What type of paratransit service is available on the island? If available, How does the service compare to paratransit programs in the states?

Of the managed-care companies on the island, how many of them provide transportation?

Do the requirements of the Jones Act inflate the price for durable medical equipment and medical supplies in comparison to the average prices of the same equipment on the mainland?

Are there enough DME dealer’s in Puerto Rico to support the needs of the disability community? If not, why not?

What is the average cost of medical supplies in Puerto Rico compared to the United States? (Prescription and nonprescription). For example, hearing aids, bathtub lifts, wheelchair van conversions.

The questions posed in this section are not intended to be an exhaustive list of topics to be researched and discussed in the report.

[1] 48 U.S.C. selects Social Security insurance §731

Miscellaneous

• Unrestricted