I. INTRODUCTION:

To aid communities in reducing deaths and injuries on Illinois roads, the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE) established the State Agency Non-Enforcement Program (SANEP) grant program. This program is designed to enable state agencies to increase public awareness and knowledge about highway safety issues; promote safe and healthy driving behavior among underage and adult individuals; provide law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial education and training; and/or increase the awareness of the consequences associated with a driving arrest and other sanctions.

Funding for these types of programs is limited; current/past funding of a program does not guarantee future funding. Program applicants must provide clear data supporting the community need and specific ways this program and funding will improve problem areas. Program applicants must also demonstrate how their request will help meet the Illinois Department of Transportation’s performance targets. Supplemental materials to aid in the development of the application narrative and budget can be found under the “Resources” tab at https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/safety/grants/resources (email DOT.TSgrants@illinois.gov if unable to access).

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025. Dates of operation are from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Applicants may have the potential for agreement renewal. This is at the grantor's discretion.

Updated policies and program specifications are listed below for each program.

II. PROJECT GOAL:

The goal of the SANEP is to develop and implement effective highway safety programs in Illinois using the strategies of prevention, education, training, and public awareness.

III. GRANT PROPOSAL GUIDANCE:

The SANEP offers grant funds for state agencies to address highway safety issues. The programs main emphasis should be on the education, prevention, training, and public awareness of highway safety issues to reduce serious injuries and fatalities.

Program applicants must provide clear data supporting the need for the program. Applicants must demonstrate specific ways this program will improve the established problem and how the project will help IDOT meet the performance measures established in the Highway Safety Plan. All expenses must be justified and thoroughly explained in the budget narrative.


IV. EXAMPLE PROJECTS:

• Develop and implement statewide peer-to-peer teen safety programming with topics including, but not limited to, using seat belts, driving within the speed limit, anti-impaired driving or underage alcohol and/or cannabis use, anti-distracted driving, Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), and the crash risk associated with driving with passengers;

• Public education and awareness campaigns designed to inform motorists, youth, and the general public of State traffic laws applicable to the following highway safety issues: seat belt/child safety seat use, impaired driving, illegal transportation; pedestrian/bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, speed/aggressive driving, and distracted driving;

• Use data-driven approaches to evaluate and address highway safety issues;

• Provide training, technical assistance, and education to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges regarding one or more of the following: SFST, ARIDE, DRE, DUI Courts, and/or forensic phlebotomy;

• Assist with the development, implementation or expansion of “No-refusal” search warrant and/or e-search warrant programs;

• Development and support of Alcohol, Oral Fluid, and Toxicology programs.

V. PROJECT FUNDING GUIDANCE:

Funding for these types of programs is limited; current/past funding of a program does not guarantee future funding. Program applicants must provide clear data supporting the community need and specific ways this program and funding will improve problem areas. Program applicants must also demonstrate how their request will help meet IDOT’s performance targets.

1. The purchase of child passenger safety seats is prohibited in this program unless the grantee is providing Child Passenger Safety certification classes.
2. Conducting cannabis compliance checks and motorcycle helmet compliance checks are prohibited.
3. Bicycles and Bicycle helmets are unallowable purchases.

VI. UPDATED POLICIES AND GUIDANCE FOR SFY 2024:

INDIRECT COSTS
Due to Rules contained in the State Finance Act, IDOT can only pay for direct grant related expenses on behalf of the State Agency. IDOT cannot pay for indirect costs and cannot pay the State Agency directly for expenditures.

EMPLOYEES PERCENTAGE OF WORK
Full-time employees at your agency that work a percentage of their time on a grant, shall be paid based on that percentage. Percentage of time must be a round number like 50%.

PART-TIME EMPLOYEES
Part-time employees shall be paid on an hourly rate.

FRINGE FOR NON-ENFORCEMENT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES:
Fringe can be paid for non-enforcement staff members based on their percentage of work. Example: If a staff member works 50% for the grant, IDOT will reimburse up to the fringe rate for 50% of the fringe cost.

PROGRAMMATIC INCOME/IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS:
Program Income will no longer be collected unless the grantee submits a proposal to the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering and then received written approval for the collection and use of program income/in-kind contributions.

If approved, program income/in-kind contributions funds must be treated as federal dollars and must abide by all state and federal guidelines. These funds are to be expended in the grant year they were collected.

INVENTORY CONTROL:
Any items purchased over $1,000, are required to be tracked and monitored by both the grantees agency and IDOT. This inventory will be monitored throughout the grant program. This inventory list must contain name of item, location of item, and unique identifier number for each item. How this is established is up to the grantees discretion but must have the required information described above.

If equipment above $1,000 is replaced with a new item and the previous was purchased with federal funds, the previous item will need to be turned into IDOT or disposed of properly. IDOT must be informed of what was disposed of and when. Then inventory control lists must reflect this change. If it is not returned or disposed of properly the new item will not be reimbursed.

The Safety Grant Administrator will inspect annually any item purchased more than $1,000. Equipment purchased with grant funds of $5,000.00 or more will have the BSPE 36 Major Equipment Inventory Inspection form completed and put in the project file.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES EXPLANATION:

Equipment: (2 CFR 200.439)
Equipment means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals $1,000 or more. Equipment with a purchase price of over $5,000 requires prior approval from the State Highway Safety Office and NHTSA.

Examples: Golf Cart, Seat Belt Convincer, Internet server, etc.

Equipment Monitoring:
All pieces of equipment will be monitored until disposed of. Grantees are required to keep detailed information on where the equipment is and must present it when requested by IDOT. Equipment is only to be disposed of when it is no longer useful and IDOT must be informed of the disposal.

Supplies: (2 CFR 200.94)
Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. Tangible personal property with a purchase price less than $1,000 per unit. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than the $1,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. See also §§200.20 Computing devices and 200.33 Equipment. Generally, supplies include any materials that are expendable or consumed during the course of the project.

Examples: Pens, Pencils, Printer Paper, laptop under $1,000, calculator, tablet, etc.


 
TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES FOR GRANTEES:

Personal Cell Phone and Data:

The Illinois Department of Transportation will not provide salary stipends, expense reimbursements, payments on behalf of grantees, or any reimbursement (via Purchasing Card or direct bill) to cover costs associated with use of personal cell phones, data plans, or other equipment with cellular connectivity used while performing business related activities.
Personal/Home Internet:
The Illinois Department of Transportation will not provide salary stipends, expense reimbursements, payments on behalf of grantees, or any reimbursement (via Purchasing Card or direct bill) to cover costs associated with use of personal/home Internet services used while performing business related activities.

Computers/Laptop/Tablet Purchases:

If computers/laptops/tablets were approved in the grantees budget they still need prior approval from the Grantor before making the purchase. Computing devices/laptops/computers have a limit of $999 dollars.

If the grantee is replacing a computing device and the previous computing device was purchased with federal funds it must be returned to the Grantor after the new computing device is received.

Any purchase request over $999 requires justification with required documentation submitted to their Safety Grant Administrator prior to purchase. After reviewing the Safety Grant Administrator will deem it allowable or denied.

Criteria for Approval Determination of a computing device:
● Computer charges must meet the same fundamental standards as all other charges to federal awards:
● They must be reasonable
● There must be an informed, prudent decision regarding the cost, utility, and value to the project
● They must be allowable
● They must be directly allocable
● The primary/principle use of the computer and related costs must be directly allocable to the purpose, goals, and activities of the funded projects.
● They must be necessary for the project
● Computers must be essential for project activities; and use should be sufficiently tracked to be adequately justified in the event of audit.

Please see Purchasing Computing Devices with Federal Funds (applicable Uniform Guidance Sections 2 CFR Part 200.20 and 200.453) for further explanation.