(a) The State or Tribal Organization must successfully complete its plan preparation under this section before submitting a grant application for an Operation and Maintenance Project. The State or Tribal Organization may be required to undertake some or all of the following requirements of this section. After submitting all necessary plans and specifications to the VCGS and obtaining approval for the State or Tribal Organization to solicit for the Operation and Maintenance Project contract bids, the State or Tribal Organization shall:

(1) Obtain bids and determine the successful bidder;

(2) Establish procedures for determining that costs are reasonable and necessary and can be allocated in accordance with 2 CFR part 200 and submit documentation of such determinations to VA; and

(3) Comply with the uniform requirements for grants-in-aid to State, Tribal and local governments prescribed by 2 CFR part 200.

(b) Depending on the scope of the project, the VCGS will work with the State or Tribal Organization to determine which of the following will be required prior to submission of an application. As determined by VA, these may include:

(1) A boundary and site survey comprising a survey and legal description of the existing State or Tribal cemetery site;

(2) Project drawings indicating the cemetery section(s) to be impacted by the Operation and Maintenance Project, gravesite section layout with permanent section monument markers and lettering system, and the total number of gravesites to be impacted;

(3) Project specifications (to be used for bid purposes), which shall include the invitation for bid, cover or title sheet, index, general requirements, form of bid bond, form of agreement, performance and payment bond forms, and detailed descriptions of materials and workmanship for the work to be performed to meet VA's national shrine standards;

(4) A detailed estimate of the total cost of the work to be performed under the contract; or

(5) A site Environmental Assessment meeting the provisions of §39.34(b) to determine if an Environmental Impact Statement is necessary for compliance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4332), as a result of the work to be performed on the headstones and markers, gravesites, or turf conditions.

(c) If VA determines that the project's plans and specifications comply with the terms and conditions prescribed by VA, VA will send the State or Tribal Organization a written letter of approval indicating that the project's plans and specifications comply with the terms and conditions as prescribed by VA. This does not constitute approval of the contract documents. It is the responsibility of the State or Tribal Organization to ascertain that all State and Federal requirements have been met and that the drawings and specifications are acceptable for bid purposes.

(The Office of Management and Budget has approved the information collection requirement in this section under control number 2900-0559)

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 2408)

[75 FR 34005, June 16, 2010, as amended at 77 FR 4477, Jan. 30, 2012; 80 FR 43322, July 22, 2015]