(a) In general. Each State must submit a plan describing its identified goals under this program and how the funds will be used to accomplish those goals. The plan must include all of the elements specified in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(i). The plan will cover a four-year period. In years two through four of the plan, each State must submit information on any updates or changes to the plan, as well as updated demographic information.

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(b) Consultation and coordination. In developing and updating this plan, a State must consult and coordinate with the entities specified in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(c)(2).

(1) This consultation process must include at least one sexual assault victim service provider and one domestic violence victim service provider and may include other victim service providers.

(2) In determining what population specific organizations, representatives from underserved populations, and culturally specific organizations to include in the consultation process, States should consider the demographics of their State as well as barriers to service, including historical lack of access to services, for each population. The consultation process should involve any significant underserved and culturally specific populations in the State, including organizations working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and organizations that focus on people with limited English proficiency. If the State does not have any culturally specific or population specific organizations at the State or local level, the State may use national organizations to collaborate on the plan.

(3) States must invite all State or federally recognized tribes to participate in the planning process. Tribal coalitions and State or regional tribal consortia may help the State reach out to the tribes but cannot be used as a substitute for consultation with all tribes.

(4) States are encouraged to include survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the planning process. States that include survivors should address safety and confidentiality considerations in recruiting and consulting with such survivors.

(5) States should include probation and parole entities in the planning process.

(6) As provided in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(c)(3), States must coordinate the plan with the State plan for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. § 10407), the State Victim Assistance Formula Grants under the Victims of Crime Act (42 U.S.C. § 10603), and the Rape Prevention and Education Program (42 U.S.C. §§ 280b-1b). The purposes of this coordination process are to provide greater diversity of projects funded and leverage efforts across the various funding streams.

(7) Although all of the entities specified in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(c)(2) must be consulted, they do not all need to be on the “planning committee.” The planning committee must include the following, at a minimum:

(i) The State domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions as defined by 42 U.S.C. § 13925(a)(32) and (33) (or dual coalition)

(ii) A law enforcement entity or State law enforcement organization

(iii) A prosecution entity or State prosecution organization

(iv) A court or the State Administrative Office of the Courts

(v) Representatives from tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal coalitions

(vi) Population specific organizations representing the most significant underserved populations and culturally specific populations in the State other than tribes, which are addressed separately.

(8) The full consultation should include more robust representation than the planning committee from each of the required groups as well as all State and Federally recognized tribes.

(c) Documentation of consultation. As part of the implementation plan, the State must either submit or retain documentation of collaboration with all the entities specified in paragraph (b) of this section and in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(c)(2), as provided in this paragraph.

(1) States must retain all of the following documentation but are not required to submit it to OVW as part of the implementation plan:

(i) For in-person meetings, a sign-in sheet with name, title, organization, which of the required entity types (e.g., tribal government, population specific organization, prosecution, court, state coalition) the person is representing, phone number, email address, and signature;

(ii) For online meetings, the web reports or other documentation of who participated in the meeting;

(iii) For phone meetings, documentation of who was on the call, such as a roll call or minutes; and

(iv) For any method of document review that occurred outside the context of a meeting, information such as to whom the draft implementation plan was sent, how it was sent (for example, email versus mail), and who responded.

(2) States must submit all of the following documentation to OVW as part of the implementation plan:

(i) A summary of major concerns that were raised during the planning process and how they were addressed or why they were not addressed, which should be sent to the planning committee along with any draft implementation plan and the final plan;

(ii) Documentation of collaboration for each planning committee member that documents, at a minimum:

(A) Which category the participant represents of the entities listed in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(c)(2), such as law enforcement, state coalition, or population specific organization;

(B) Whether they were informed about meetings;

(C) Whether they attended meetings;

(D) Whether they were given drafts of the implementation plan to review;

(E) Whether they submitted comments on the draft;

(F) Whether they received a copy of the final plan and the summary of major concerns; and

(G) Any significant concerns with the final plan;

(iii) A description of efforts to reach tribes, if applicable;

(iv) An explanation of how the State determined which underserved and culturally specific populations to include.

(d) Equitable distribution. The implementation plan must describe, on an annual or four-year basis, how the State, in disbursing monies, will:

(1) Give priority to areas of varying geographic size with the greatest showing of need based on the range and availability of existing domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the population and geographic area to be served in relation to the availability of such programs in other such populations and geographic areas, including Indian reservations;

(2) Determine the amount of subgrants based on the population and geographic area to be served;

(3) Equitably distribute monies on a geographic basis including nonurban and rural areas of various geographic sizes;

(4) Recognize and meaningfully respond to the needs of underserved populations and ensure that monies set aside to fund linguistically and culturally specific services and funds for underserved populations are distributed equitably among culturally specific and other underserved populations; and

(5) Take steps to ensure that eligible applicants are aware of the STOP Program funding opportunity, including applicants serving different geographic areas and culturally specific and other underserved populations.

(e) Underserved populations. Each State may determine the methods it uses for identifying underserved populations within the State, which may include public hearings, needs assessments, task forces, and United States Census Bureau data. The implementation plan must include details regarding the methods used and the results of those methods. It must also include information on how the State plans to meet the needs of identified underserved populations, including, but not limited to, culturally specific populations, victims who are underserved because of sexual orientation or gender identity, and victims with limited English proficiency.

(f) Goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide. As required by 42 U.S.C. §§ 3796gg-1(i)(2)(G), State plans must include goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide.

(1) The plan must include available statistics on the rates of domestic violence homicide within the State.

(2) As part of the State’s consultation with law enforcement, prosecution, and victim service providers, the State and these entities should discuss and document the perceived accuracy of these statistics and the best ways to address domestic violence homicide.

(3) The plan must identify specific goals and objectives for reducing domestic violence homicide, based on these discussions, which include challenges specific to the State and how the plan can overcome them.

(g) Additional contents. State plans must also include the following:

(1) Demographic information regarding the population of the State derived from the most recent available United States Census Bureau data including population data on race, ethnicity, age, disability, and limited English proficiency.

(2) A description of how the State will reach out to community-based organizations that provide linguistically and culturally specific services.

(3) A description of how the State will address the needs of sexual assault victims, domestic violence victims, dating violence victims, and stalking victims, as well as how the State will hold offenders who commit each of these crimes accountable.

(4) A description of how the State will ensure that eligible entities are aware of funding opportunities, including projects serving underserved populations as defined by 42 U.S.C. § 13925(a).

(5) Information on specific projects the State plans to fund.

(6) An explanation of how the State coordinated the plan as described in paragraph (b)(6) and the impact of that coordination on the contents of the plan.

(7) If applicable, information about whether the State has submitted an assurance, a certification, or neither under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards (28 CFR part 115) and, if an assurance, how the State plans to spend STOP funds set aside for PREA compliance.

(8) A description of how the State will identify and select applicants for subgrant funding, including whether a competitive process will be used.

(h) Deadline. State plans will be due at application. If the Office on Violence Against Women determines the submitted plan is incomplete, the State will receive the award, but will not be able to access funding until the plan is completed and approved. The State will have 60 days from the award date to complete the plan. If the State does not complete it in that time, then the funds may be deobligated and the award closed.