Section 3035.240  Award of Grants, Accountability and Recordkeeping

a)         The LAB will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State as to which grant applications shall be approved, based upon the criteria in Section 3035.230.

b)         Grant awards will be made upon appropriation of funds.  For grants under this Subpart, the State Library shall make a lump sum payment upon the signing of the grant contract with the Secretary of State.

c)         The Secretary of State shall make his or her final decision upon each recommendation as soon as possible within 60 days after the recommendation is presented to the Secretary.

d)         The final approved grant applications and the funding determination shall constitute the Adult Literacy Grant Program, which shall be a public record, as shall be the grant applications, whether approved or not, and shall be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140] and the rules of the Secretary of State found at 2 Ill. Adm. Code 551.

e)         Approved grant applicants shall submit to the State Library, Office of the Secretary of State, such reports as deemed necessary by the Illinois State Library staff to assure project accountability.  Reports to be submitted include:

1)         Mid-term reports due January 15 stating the progress of the project; accomplishments to date; problems encountered; objectives met and unmet; changes implemented; and percentage of completion of the project to date.

2)         Quarterly financial reports showing expenditures made from grant funds by line item due October 15, January 15 and April 15.

3)         Mid-term statistical reports due January 15.

4)         Final financial report and final statistical and narrative report due July 15 evaluating the degree to which the grantee achieved the goals and objectives of the project.

f)          The decision of the Secretary of State upon any grant application shall be a final decision for the purpose of the Administrative Review Law [735 ILCS 5/Art. III].

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 9666, effective June 23, 2008)