US CODE COLLECTION
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TITLE 7 > CHAPTER 51 > Sec. 2028. | Prev | Next |
Sec. 2028. - Puerto Rico block grant
(a) Appropriations; payment
From the sums appropriated under this chapter, the Secretary shall, subject to the provisions of this section, pay to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico - for fiscal year 2000, $1,268,000,000; for fiscal year 2001, the amount required to be paid under clause (i) for fiscal year 2000, as adjusted by the change in the Food at Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, for the most recent 12-month period ending in June; and for fiscal year 2002, the amount required to be paid under clause (ii) for fiscal year 2001, as adjusted by the percentage by which the thrifty food plan is adjusted for fiscal year 2002 under section 2012(o)(4) of this title; to finance 100 percent of the expenditures for food assistance provided to needy persons and 50 percent of the administrative expenses related to the provision of the assistance. The payments to the Commonwealth for any fiscal year shall not exceed the expenditures by that jurisdiction during that year for the provision of the assistance the provision of which is included in the plan of the Commonwealth approved under subsection (b) of this section and 50 per centum of the related administrative expenses. The Secretary shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, pay to the Commonwealth for the applicable fiscal year, at such times and in such manner as the Secretary may determine, the amount estimated by the Commonwealth pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv) of this section, reduced or increased to the extent of any prior overpayment or current underpayment which the Secretary determines has been made under this section and with respect to which adjustment has not already been made under this subsection. (b) Plan for provision of assistance; approval; noncompliance
In order to receive payments under this chapter for any fiscal year, the Commonwealth shall have a plan for that fiscal year approved by the Secretary under this section. By July 1 of each year, if the Commonwealth wishes to receive payments, it shall submit a plan for the provision of the assistance described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section for the following fiscal year which - designates the agency or agencies directly responsible for the administration, or supervision of the administration, of the program for the provision of such assistance; assesses the food and nutrition needs of needy persons residing in the Commonwealth; describes the program for the provision of such assistance, including the assistance to be provided and the persons to whom such assistance will be provided, and any agencies designated to provide such assistance, which program must meet such requirements as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe for the purpose of assuring that assistance is provided to the most needy persons in the jurisdiction; estimates the amount of expenditures necessary for the provision of the assistance described in the program and related administrative expenses, up to the amount provided for payment by subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section; and includes such other information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove any plan submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) no later than August 1 of the year in which it is submitted. The Secretary shall approve any plan which complies with the requirements of subparagraph (A). If a plan is disapproved because it does not comply with any of the requirements of that paragraph the Secretary shall, except as provided in subparagraph (B)(ii), notify the appropriate agency in the Commonwealth that payments will not be made to it under subsection (a) of this section for the fiscal year to which the plan applies until the Secretary is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply, and until the Secretary is so satisfied, the Secretary will make no payments. The Secretary may suspend the denial of payments under subparagraph (B)(i) for such period as the Secretary determines appropriate and instead withhold payments provided for under subsection (a) of this section, in whole or in part, for the fiscal year to which the plan applies, until the Secretary is satisfied that there is no longer any failure to comply with the requirements of subparagraph (A), at which time such withheld payments shall be paid. The Commonwealth shall provide for a biennial audit of expenditures under its program for the provision of the assistance described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section, and within 120 days of the end of each fiscal year in which the audit is made, shall report to the Secretary the findings of such audit. Within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year, the Commonwealth shall provide the Secretary with a statement as to whether the payments received under subsection (a) of this section for that fiscal year exceeded the expenditures by it during that year for which payment is authorized under this section, and if so, by how much, and such other information as the Secretary may require. If the Secretary finds that there is a substantial failure by the Commonwealth to comply with any of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B), or to comply with the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) of the section in the administration of a plan approved under subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section, the Secretary shall, except as provided in subparagraph (C)(ii), notify the appropriate agency in the Commonwealth that further payments will not be made to it under subsection (a) of this section until the Secretary is satisfied that there will no longer be any such failure to comply, and until the Secretary is so satisfied, the Secretary shall make no further payments. The Secretary may suspend the termination of payments under subparagraph (C)(i) for such period as the Secretary determines appropriate, and instead withhold payments provided for under subsection (a) of this section, in whole or in part, until the Secretary is satisfied that there will no longer be any failure to comply with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) and subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section, at which time such withheld payments shall be paid. Upon a finding under subparagraph (C)(i) of a substantial failure to comply with any of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) and subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section, the Secretary may, in addition to or in lieu of any action taken under subparagraphs (C)(i) and (C)(ii), refer the matter to the Attorney General with a request that injunctive relief be sought to require compliance by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and upon suit by the Attorney General in an appropriate district court of the United States and a showing that noncompliance has occurred, appropriate injunctive relief shall issue. (c) Review; technical assistance
The Secretary shall provide for the review of the programs for the provision of the assistance described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section for which payments are made under this chapter. The Secretary is authorized as the Secretary deems practicable to provide technical assistance with respect to the programs for the provision of the assistance described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section. (d) Penalty for violations
Whoever knowingly and willfully embezzles, misapplies, steals, or obtains by fraud, false statement, or forgery, any funds, assets, or property provided or financed under this section shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both, but if the value of the funds, assets or property involved is not over $200, the penalty shall be a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both |
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