(a) After receiving concurrence from the Commissioner, ACYF, the responsible HHS official may suspend financial assistance in whole or in part without prior notice and an opportunity to show cause if it is determined that immediate suspension is necessary because of a serious risk of:

(1) Substantial injury to property or loss of project funds; or

(2) Violation of a Federal, State, or local criminal statute; or

(3) If staff or participants' health and safety are at risk.

(b) The notice of summary suspension will be given to the grantee as required by § 1303.5 of this part, or by some other means showing the date of receipt, and shall become effective on delivery or on the date delivery is refused or the material is returned unclaimed.

(c) The notice must include the following items:

(1) The effective date of the suspension;

(2) The grounds for the suspension;

(3) The extent of the terms and conditions of any full or partial suspension;

(4) A statement prohibiting the grantee from making any new expenditures or incurring any new obligations in connection with the suspended portion of the program; and

(5) A statement advising the grantee that it has an opportunity to show cause at an informal meeting why the suspension should be rescinded. The request for an informal meeting must be made by the grantee in writing to the responsible HHS official no later than five workdays after the effective date of the notice of summary suspension as described in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) If the grantee requests in writing the opportunity to show cause why the suspension should be rescinded, the responsible HHS official will fix a time and place for an informal meeting for this purpose. This meeting will be held within five workdays after the grantee's request is received by the responsible HHS official. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the responsible HHS official may proceed to deny refunding or initiate termination proceedings at any time even though financial assistance of the grantee has been suspended in whole or in part.

(e) Notice of summary suspension must also be furnished by the grantee to its delegate agencies within two workdays of its receipt of the notice from ACYF by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by any other means showing dates of transmittal and receipt or return as undeliverable or unclaimed. Delegate agencies affected by the summary suspension have the right to participate in the informal meeting as set forth in paragraph (d) of this section.

(f) The effective period of a summary suspension of financial assistance may not exceed 30 days unless:

(1) The conditions creating the summary suspension have not been corrected; or

(2) The parties agree to a continuation of the summary suspension for an additional period of time; or

(3) The grantee, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, requests an opportunity to show cause why the summary suspension should be rescinded, in which case it may remain in effect in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section; or

(4) Termination or denial of refunding proceedings are initiated in accordance with § 1303.14 or § 1303.15.

(g) Any summary suspension that remains in effect for more than 30 days is subject to the requirements of § 1303.13 of this part. The only exceptions are where there is an agreement under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, or the circumstances described in paragraph (f)(4) or (h)(1) of this section exist.

(h)(1) If the grantee requests an opportunity to show cause why a summary suspension should be rescinded, the suspension of financial assistance will continue in effect until the grantee has been afforded such opportunity and a decision has been made by the responsible HHS official.

(2) If the suspension continues for more than 30 days, the suspension remains in effect even if it is appealed to the Departmental Appeals Board.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of these or other regulations, if a denial of refunding occurs or a termination action is instituted while the summary suspension is in effect, the suspension shall merge into the later action and funding shall not be available until the action is rescinded or a decision favorable to the grantee is rendered.

(i) The responsible HHS official must consider any timely material presented in writing, any material presented during the course of the informal meeting, as well as any other evidence that the grantee has adequately corrected the deficiency which led to the summary suspension.

(j) A decision must be made within five work days after the conclusion of the informal meeting with the responsible HHS official. If the responsible HHS official concludes, after considering the information provided at the informal meeting, that the grantee has failed to show cause why the suspension should be rescinded, the responsible HHS official may continue the suspension, in whole or in part and under the terms and conditions specified in the notice of suspension.

(k) New obligations incurred by the grantee during the suspension period will not be allowed unless the granting agency expressly authorizes them in the notice of suspension or by an amendment to the notice. Necessary and otherwise allowable costs which the grantee could not reasonably avoid during the suspension period will be allowed if they result from obligations properly incurred by the grantee before the effective date of the suspension and not in anticipation of suspension, denial of refunding or termination.

(l) The responsible HHS official may appoint an agency to serve as an interim grantee to operate the program until either the grantee's summary suspension is lifted or a new grantee is selected in accordance with subpart B of this part.

(m) At the discretion of the funding agency, third-party in-kind contributions applicable to the suspension period may be allowed in satisfaction of cost sharing or matching requirements.

(n) The responsible HHS official may modify the terms, conditions and nature of the summary suspension or rescind the suspension action at any time upon receiving satisfactory evidence that the grantee has adequately corrected the deficiency which led to the suspension and that the deficiency will not occur again. Suspension partly or fully rescinded may, at the discretion of the responsible HHS official, be reimposed with or without further proceedings.