(b) At a minimum, this list shall indicate:

(1) The names and addresses of all debarred. suspended, ineligible, and voluntarily excluded persons, in alphabetical order, with cross-references when more than one name is involved in a single action;

(2) The type of action;

(3) The cause for the action;

(4) The scope of the action;

(5) Any termination date for each listing; and

(6) The agency and name and telephone number of the agency point of contact for the action.

$44.505 Department of Veterans Affairs responsibilities.

(a) The agency shall provide GSA with current information concerning debarments, suspension, determinations of ineligibility, and voluntary exclusions it has taken. Until February 18, 1989, the agency shall also provide GSA and OMB with information concerning all transactions in which the Department of Veterans Affairs has granted exceptions under § 44.215 permitting participation by debarred, suspended, or voluntarily excluded per

sons.

(b) Unless an alternative schedule is agreed to by GSA, the agency shall advise GSA of the information set forth in § 44.500(b) and of the exceptions granted under § 44.215 within five working days after taking such actions.

(c) The agency shall direct inquiries concerning listed persons to the agency that took the action.

(d) Agency officials shall check the Nonprocurement List before entering covered transactions to determine whether a participant in a primary transaction is debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded (Tel. #).

(e) Agency officials shall check the Nonprocurement List before approving principals or lower tier participants where agency approval of the principal or lower tier participant is required under the terms of the transaction, to determine whether such principals or participants are debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded.

$ 44.510 Participants' responsibilities.

(a) Certification by participants in primary covered transactions. Each participant shall submit the certification in appendix A to this part for it and its principals at the time the participant submits its proposal in connection with a primary covered transaction, except that States need only complete such certification as to their principals. Participants may decide the method and frequency by which they determine the eligibility of their principals. In addition, each participant may, but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List for its principals (Tel. #). Adverse information on the certification will not necessarily result in denial of participation. However, the certification, and any additional information pertaining to the certification submitted by the participant, shall be considered in the administration of covered transactions.

(b) Certification by participants in lower tier covered transactions. (1) Each participant shall require participants in lower tier covered transactions to include the certification in appendix B to this part for it and its principals in any proposal submitted in connection with such lower tier covered transactions.

(2) A participant may rely upon the certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it and its principals are not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction by any Federal agency, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. Participants may decide the method and frequency by which they determine the eligiblity of their principals. In addition, a participant may, but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List for its principals and for participants (Tel. #).

(c) Changed circumstances regarding certification. A participant shall provide immediate written notice to Department of Veterans Affairs if at any time the participant learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances. Participants in lower tier covered transactions shall provide the same updated notice to the

participant to which it submitted its proposals.

Subpart F-Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Grants)

SOURCE: 55 FR 21688, 21700, May 25, 1990, unless otherwise noted.

$44.600 Purpose.

(a) The purpose of this subpart is to carry out the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 by requiring that

(1) A grantee, other than an individual, shall certify to the agency that it will provide a drug-free workplace;

(2) A grantee who is an individual shall certify to the agency that, as a condition of the grant, he or she will not engage in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance in conducting any activity with the grant.

(b) Requirements implementing the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 for contractors with the agency are found at 48 CFR subparts 9.4, 23.5, and 52.2.

$44.605 Definitions.

(a) Except as amended in this section, the definitions of § 44.105 apply to this subpart.

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(b) For purposes of this subpart(1) Controlled substance means a controlled substance in schedules through V of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812), and as further defined by regulation at 21 CFR 1308.11 through 1308.15;

(2) Conviction means a finding of guilt (including a plea of nolo contendere) or imposition of sentence, or both, by any judicial body charged with the responsibility to determine violations of the Federal or State criminal drug statutes;

(3) Criminal drug statute means a Federal or non-Federal criminal statute involving the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, use, or possession of any controlled substance;

(4) Drug-free workplace means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific grant at which employees of the grantee are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dis

pensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance;

(5) Employee means the employee of a grantee directly engaged in the performance of work under the grant, including:

(i) All direct charge employees;

(ii) All indirect charge employees, unless their impact or involvement is insignificant to the performance of the grant; and,

(iii) Temporary personnel and consultants who are directly engaged in the performance of work under the grant and who are on the grantee's payroll.

This definition does not include workers not on the payroll of the grantee (e.g., volunteers, even if used to meet a matching requirement; consultants or independent contractors not on the payroll; or employees of subrecipients or subcontractors in covered workplaces);

(6) Federal agency or agency means any United States executive department, military department, government corporation, government controlled corporation, any other establishment in the executive branch (including the Executive Office of the President), or any independent regulatory agency;

(7) Grant means an award of financial assistance, including a cooperative agreement, in the form of money, or property in lieu of money, by a Federal agency directly to a grantee. The term grant includes block grant and entitlement grant programs, whether or not exempted from coverage under the grants management government-wide common rule on uniform administrative requirements for grants and cooperative agreements. The term does not include technical assistance that provides services instead of money, or other assistance in the form of loans. loan guarantees, interest subsidies, insurance, or direct appropriations; or any veterans' benefits to individuals. i.e., any benefit to veterans, their families, or survivors by virtue of the service of a veteran in the Armed Forces of the United States;

(8) Grantee means a person who applies for or receives a grant directly from a Federal agency (except another Federal agency);

(9) Individual means a natural person; (10) State means any of the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, or any agency of a State, exclusive of institutions of higher education, hospitals, and units of local government. A State instrumentality will be considered part of the State government if it has a written determination from a State government that such State considers the instrumentality to be an agency of the State government.

$44.610 Coverage.

(a) This subpart applies to any grantee of the agency.

(b) This subpart applies to any grant, except where application of this subpart would be inconsistent with the international obligations of the United States or the laws or regulations of a foreign government. A determination of such inconsistency may be made only by the agency head or his/her designee.

(c) The provisions of subparts A, B, C, D and E of this part apply to matters covered by this subpart, except where specifically modified by this subpart. In the event of any conflict between provisions of this subpart and other provisions of this part, the provisions of this subpart are deemed to control with respect to the implementation of drug-free workplace requirements concerning grants.

$44.615 Grounds for suspension of payments, suspension or termination of grants, or suspension or debarment.

A grantee shall be deemed in violation of the requirements of this subpart if the agency head or his or her official designee determines, in writing, that

(a) The grantee has made a false certification under § 44.630;

(b) With respect to a grantee other than an individual

(1) The grantee has violated the certification by failing to carry out the requirements of paragraphs (A)(a)–(g) and/or (B) of the certification (Alternate I to appendix C) or

(2) Such a number of employees of the grantee have been convicted of violations of criminal drug statutes for violations occurring in the workplace as to indicate that the grantee has failed to make a good faith effort to provide a drug-free workplace.

(c) With respect to a grantee who is an individual

(1) The grantee has violated the certification by failing to carry out its requirements (Alternate II to appendix C); or

(2) The grantee is convicted of a criminal drug offense resulting from a violation occurring during the conduct of any grant activity.

§ 44.620 Effect of violation.

(a) In the event of a violation of this subpart as provided in § 44.615, and in accordance with applicable law, the grantee shall be subject to one or more of the following actions:

(1) Suspension of payments under the grant;

(2) Suspension or termination of the grant; and

(3) Suspension or debarment of the grantee under the provisions of this part.

(b) Upon issuance of any final decision under this part requiring debarment of a grantee, the debarred grantee shall be ineligible for award of any grant from any Federal agency for a period specified in the decision, not to exceed five years (see § 44.320(a)(2) of this part).

§ 44.625 Exception provision.

The agency head may waive with respect to a particular grant, in writing, a suspension of payments under a grant, suspension or termination of a grant, or suspension or debarment of a grantee if the agency head determines that such a waiver would be in the public interest. This exception authority cannot be delegated to any other official.

grant, as provided in appendix C to this part.

(2) Grantees are not required to make a certification in order to continue receiving funds under a grant awarded before March 18, 1989, or under a nocost time extension of such a grant. However, the grantee shall make a onetime drug-free workplace certification for a non-automatic continuation of such a grant made on or after March 18, 1989.

(b) Except as provided in this section, all grantees shall make the required certification for each grant. For mandatory formula grants and entitlements that have no application process, grantees shall submit a one-time certification in order to continue receiving awards.

(c) A grantee that is a State may elect to make one certification in each Federal fiscal year. States that previously submitted an annual certification are not required to make a certification for Fiscal Year 1990 until June 30, 1990. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, this certification shall cover all grants to all State agencies from any Federal agency. The State shall retain the original of this statewide certification in its Governor's office and, prior to grant award, shall ensure that a copy is submitted individually with respect to each grant, unless the Federal agency has designated a central location for

submission.

(d)(1) The Governor of a State may exclude certain State agencies from the statewide certification and authorize these agencies to submit their own certifications to Federal agencies. The statewide certification shall name any State agencies so excluded.

(2) A State agency to which the statewide certification does not apply, or a State agency in a State that does not have a statewide certification, may elect to make one certification in each Federal fiscal year. State agencies that previously submitted a State agency certification are not required to make a certification for Fiscal Year 1990 until June 30, 1990. The State agency shall retain the original of this State agency-wide certification in its central office and, prior to grant award, shall ensure that a copy is submitted indi

vidually with respect to each grant, unless the Federal agency designates a central location for submission.

(3) When the work of a grant is done by more than one State agency, the certification of the State agency di-2 rectly receiving the grant shall be deemed to certify compliance for all workplaces, including those located in other State agencies.

(e)(1) For a grant of less than 30 days: performance duration, grantees shall have this policy statement and program in place as soon as possible, but in any case by a date prior to the date on which performance is expected to be completed.

(2) For a grant of 30 days or more performance duration, grantees shall have this policy statement and program in place within 30 days after award.

(3) Where extraordinary circumstances warrant for a specific grant, the grant officer may determine a different date on which the policy statement and program shall be in place.

§ 44.635 Reporting of and employee sanctions for convictions of criminal drug offenses.

(a) When a grantee other than an individual is notified that an employee has been convicted for a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace, it shall take the following actions:

(1) Within 10 calendar days of receiving notice of the conviction, the grantee shall provide written notice, including the convicted employee's position title, to every grant officer, or other designee on whose grant activity the convicted employee was working, unless a Federal agency has designated a central point for the receipt of such notifications. Notification shall include the identification number(s) for each of the Federal agency's affected grants.

(2) Within 30 calendar days of receiving notice of the conviction, the grantee shall do the following with respect to the employee who was convicted.

(i) Take appropriate personnel action against the employee, up to and including termination, consistent with requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or

2

quire the employee to particiisfactorily in a drug abuse asor rehabilitation program apor such purposes by a Federal, r local health, law enforceother appropriate agency. grantee who is an individual convicted for a violation of a drug statute occurring during uct of any grant activity shall le conviction, in writing, withendar days, to his or her Fedacy grant officer, or other desnless the Federal agency has ed a central point for the resuch notices. Notification shall the identification number(s) of the Federal agency's afants.

1 by the Office of Management and ider control number 0991-0002)

art G-Limited Denial of Participation

: 58 FR 60385, Nov. 16, 1993, unless › noted.

General.

Facility Directors are authororder a limited denial of paron affecting any participant or tor and its affiliates except and manufactured home manurs. In each case, even if the ofor violation is of a criminal, ent or other serious nature, the 1 to order a limited denial of pation shall be discretionary the best interests of the Govern

Causes for a limited denial of ticipation.

Jauses. A limited denial of parion shall be based upon adequate ce of any of the following causes: regularities in a participant's or ctor's performance in the VA uaranty program;

Denial of participation in proadministered by the Department ising and Urban Development or epartment of Agriculture, Farmme Administration;

Failure to satisfy contractual obons or to proceed in accordance contract specifications;

(4) Failure to proceed in accordance with VA requirements or to comply with VA regulations;

(5) Construction deficiencies deemed by VA to be the participant's responsibility;

(6) Falsely certifying in connection with any VA program, whether or not the certification was made directly to VA;

(7) Commission of an offense or other cause listed in § 44.305;

(8) Violation of any law, regulation, or procedure relating to the application for guaranty, or to the performance of obligations incurred pursuant to a commitment to guaranty;

(9) Making or procuring to be made any false statement for the purpose of influencing in any way an action of the Department;

(10) Imposition of a limited denial of participation by any other VA field facility;

(b) Indictment. A criminal indictment or information shall constitute adequate evidence for the purpose of limited denial of participation actions.

(c) Limited denial of participation. Imposition of a limited denial of participation by a VA field facility shall, at the discretion of any other VA field facility, constitute adequate evidence for a concurrent limited denial of participation. Where such a concurrent limited denial of participation is imposed, participation may be restricted on the same basis without the need for an additional conference or further hearing. $44.710 Scope and period of a limited denial of participation.

(a) Scope and Period. The scope of a limited denial of participation shall be as follows:

(1) A limited denial of participation extends only to participation in the VA Loan Guaranty Program and shall be effective only within the geographic jurisdiction of the office or offices imposing it.

(2) The sanction may be imposed for a period not to exceed 12 months except for unresolved construction deficiencies. In cases involving construction deficiencies, the builder may be excluded for either a period not to exceed 12 months or for an indeterminate period which ends when the deficiency