us-tx/regs
34 Tex. Admin. Code § 16.208 — Grant Application Review
(a)
The grant application review process shall consist of the following:
(1) initial screening;
(2) director review or, if required, peer review; and
(3) council review and approval.
(b)
Initial screening.
(1) The director shall review each grant application to determine whether the grant application complies with the requirements contained in this subchapter and the relevant NOFA published by the council. Grant applications that do not meet these requirements may not be eligible for a grant award and will not be submitted for further review under this section. The council may participate in the initial screening of any grant application.
(2) Following the initial screening, the director shall submit each grant application that meets the requirements described in subsection (b)(1) of this section for review under subsection (c) of this section.
(c)
Director review or peer review.
(1) Each grant application that is submitted for review under subsection (b)(2) of this section shall be reviewed by the director or a peer review panel.
(A) If the total amount of the grant is greater than $750,000, the grant application shall be reviewed by a peer review panel.
(B) If the total amount of the grant is $750,000 or less, the grant application may be reviewed by the director or a peer review panel.
(2) Applications shall be scored based on the application's merit and the criteria in the relevant NOFA published by the council. The reviewer shall submit this information to the director.
(3) Scores, rankings and other information submitted for the council's consideration are recommendations and are advisory only.
(4) For each NOFA, the director will determine the number of members that will serve on the peer review panels for any grant applications subject to peer review.
(d)
Council review and approval.
(1) Upon completion of the evaluation described in subsection (c) of this section, the director shall compile a ranked order list of grant applications and submit it to the council for consideration. If an application is reviewed by more than one person, the final evaluation score is determined by averaging together all reviewers' scores.
(2) For each application, the director shall submit to council members:
(A) the grant application's final overall evaluation score;
(B) the grant application's ranking;
(C) a summary of the grant application;
(D) other information submitted by the reviewers for the council's consideration; and
(E) any other information required for the council's consideration of the grant application.
(3) In making grant award decisions, the council:
(A) shall ensure that grant funds are allocated fairly and spent to remediate the opioid crisis in this state by using efficient and cost-effective methods in accordance with the opioid strategies approved by the council under Government Code, §403.509(a)(1) and §16.201 of this subchapter, and the grant issuance plan adopted by the council under §16.202 of this subchapter; and
(B) may consider factors including:
(i) a grant applicant's experience;
(ii) a grant project's estimated timeline;
(iii) matching funds or sustainability plan, if any;
(iv) cost effectiveness, efficacy and overall impact of the grant project;
(v) geographic location of the grant project;
(vi) community partnerships; and
(vii) any additional factors listed in the relevant NOFA published by the council.
(4) The council shall vote on grant applications in accordance with Government Code, Chapter 403, Subchapter R. The council may determine the voting procedures for grant applications and may vote on multiple grant applications at one time.
(5) All grant funding decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.
(6) The approval of a grant award shall not obligate the council to make any additional, supplemental, or other grant award.
Source Note: The provisions of this §16.208 adopted
to be effective July 10, 2023, 48 TexReg 3700; amended to be effective
October 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 6330; amended to be effective April 8,
2026, 51 TexReg 2254.
Source: official text