§ 1231 — Joint Funding Of Programs

(1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into arrangements with other Federal agencies to jointly carry out projects of common interest, to transfer to such agencies funds appropriated under any applicable program, and to receive and use funds from such agencies, for projects of common interest. (2) Funds transferred or received pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be used only in accordance with the statutes authorizing the appropriation of such funds, and shall be made available by contract or grant only to recipients eligible to receive such funds under such statutes. (3) If the Secretary enters into an agreement under this subsection for the administration of a project, the agency administering the project shall use such agency’s procedures to award contracts or grants and to administer such awards, unless the parties to the agreement specify the use of procedures of another agency that is a party to the agreement. (4) If the Secretary has entered into an agreement authorized under this subsection and the Secretary and the heads of the other agencies participating in the agreement determine that joint funding is necessary to address a special need consistent with the purposes and authorized activities of each program that provides funding under the joint project, the Secretary and the heads of the other participating agencies may develop a single set of criteria for the jointly funded project and require each applicant for such project to submit a single application for review by the participating agencies. (b) The Secretary may develop the criteria for, and require the submission of, joint applications under two or more applicable programs under which funds are awarded on a competitive basis, and may jointly review and approve such applications separately from other applications under such programs, when the Secretary determines that such joint awards are necessary to address a special need consistent with the purposes and authorized activities of each such program. Any applicant for such a joint award shall meet the eligibility requirements of each such program. (c) The Secretary may not construe the provisions of this section to take precedence over a limitation on joint funding contained in an applicable statute. (1) The Secretary shall provide notice to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate of each joint funding agreement made with other Federal agencies not later than 60 days after the making of such agreements. (2) Such notice shall include— (A) a description of the purpose and objectives of the joint funding arrangement; (B) the amounts and sources, by program, of the funds dedicated to such arrangement; and (C) the criteria developed to govern the award of contracts and grants.