Eligibility Requirements of Health or Educational Applicants for Personal Property

There are four facts that must be established in order to find health or educational applicants eligible:

1. The operation is in conformance with the definitions of one of the categories of eligible institutions;
2. The operation is either tax-supported or tax-exempt;
3. Schools, colleges, universities, school systems and health applicants are either approved or accredited;
4. All required documents are completed (see section 'Determination of Eligibility') and signed by the executive head of the organization including the U.S. General Services Administration Assurance of Compliance form.

In addition, the following nondiscrimination assurance information may be required concerning nonprofit, tax-exempt, private elementary and secondary schools:

1. The institution's admissions policy and recruiting procedures;
2. The grade structures of the institution;
3. The student enrollment by grade and race;
4. The racial composition of the faculty;
5. Information regarding the communication of the desegregation policy to pupils, parents, and the general public;
6. Any other information the school believes would be of assistance in determining the school's eligibility to participate in Federal financial assistance.

Approved organizations are required to update eligibility records periodically depending on the regulation under which they qualify. Volunteer fire departments and grant supported organizations are normally required to update as often as grants are reviewed or awarded or, at least, annually.

APPROVAL OR ACCREDITATION OF HEALTH OR EDUCATIONAL APPLICANTS

All health applicants and schools, colleges and universities (except schools for the physically handicapped) must show that they are either approved or accredited as explained in the definitions of this brochure.

In the case of an applicant school, college or university lacking evidence of formal approval or accreditation, the following type of information may be accepted in lieu thereof: (1) a letter from the county superintendent of public schools, State Department of Education or State Board of Regents stating that the institution meets the academic or instructional standards prescribed for public schools, colleges, or universities in the state, or that students will be accepted for transfer to accredited or approved institutions at the same academic level; (2) a letter from an accredited or approved institution to the effect that students from the applicant institution have been and are accepted as if coming from an accredited or approved institution.

In the case of an applicant health institution, hospital, clinic, or health center, evidence of licensing must be submitted, or a statement from the Department of Health, indicating that the organization meets the medical and professional standards in services prescribed for approved or licensed public health institutions within the State will be acceptable in lieu of licensing. Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals is acceptable in lieu of licensing by the Department of Health.

Eligibility Requirements for Public Agencies

Surplus personal property may be donated through the FLSASP to any public agency in the State, provided it is used by the public agency to carry out or to promote for the residents of a given political area one or more public purposes. Specific public pur poses include, but are not limited to:

Conservation, Economic Development, State Government, Parks and Recreation, Public Health, Public Education, Fire Protection, City Government, County Government, Public Safety (includes Police & Sheriffs' Depts., Civil Defense, Vol. FireDepts., etc.) Indian tribe, band, group, pueblo, or community located on a State reservation.

Determination of Eligibility

The FL SASP is responsible for determining that an applicant is eligible as a public agency or a nonprofit educational or health institution or organization to participate in the program and receive excess or surplus personal property. The FL SASP is required to maintain a complete and current record for each eligible organization. This record must include the following:

1. Application: The applicant shall provide the legal name and address of the organization.
2. Status of applicant as a public agency or a nonprofit educational or health institution: Evidence should be included in the application that the organization is a public agency or has been determined to be nonprofit and tax-exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.
3. Details concerning the applicant's public program activities.
4. Evidence that the applicant is approved, accredited, or licensed, when it is a requirement of one or more of the applicant's programs.
5. Authorization by the governing board, chief administrator, or his/her designee of the applicant's activity, authorizing one or more representatives to act for the organization, to obligate any necessary funds of the organization for this purpose, and to sign the program's invoice/issue sheet, including terms, conditions, reservations, and restrictions that the U.S. General Services Administration may establish on the use and disposal of property received in this program.
6. Assurance: The applicant must complete the Assurance of Compliance form indicating that the organization will comply with the U.S. General Services Administration regulation on nondiscrimination as set forth in Subpart 101-6.2 of the Federal Property Management regulations.
7. Needs & Resources: In order for the FL SASP to give fair and equitable consideration to the relative needs and resources of donees within the state, and their ability to utilize the property, the FL SASP may require each applicant, at the time it submits its application for eligibility, to provide a statement on the types and kinds of property required. The FL SASP may also request such financial information as may be needed to evaluate the relative financial needs and resources of the applicant.

MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY

Organizations are required to update eligibility records as required by the FL SASP/Federal Property Assistance Bureau depending on the regulation under which they qualify. Volunteer fire departments and grant supported organizations are normally required to update as often as grants are renewed or awarded or, at least, annually. The Bureau notifies eligible organizations when updates are required.

For Eligibility Applications or information, call (904) 964-5601.

SERVICE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Some organizations that do not otherwise meet eligibility requirements and which are of special interest to the Department of Defense may be authorized to obtain military surplus property only from the Bureau's Federal Surplus Property Distribution Centers. Such organization include:

• Military & Maritime Academies
• Boy Scouts of America
• Girl Scouts of America
• Naval Sea Cadet Corps
• Campfire Girls
• Boys Clubs of America
• Civil Air Patrol
• American Red Cross
• Little League Baseball

INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS

Types of organizations which normally do not meet the Federal definitions of eligibility under "education","health" or "public agency", include:

• Churches
• Sunday Schools or Sabbath Schools
• YMCAs*
• Short Courses
• Veterans Organizations, Unions
• Individuals
• Church Conferences, Synagogues or Dioceses
• Camps
• Civic Clubs

This is not a complete list, but it indicates some of the organizations that normally do not meet the surplus property regulations governing eligibility.

*Occasionally a YMCA operates a hospital or school. Such a hospital or school may become eligible if it meets all of the requirements of an educational or health institution. However, the parent organization cannot be certified.