The regulations in this subpart apply to the award of project grants under section 318(c) of the Act for venereal disease prevention and control programs, and under section 318(b) of the Act with respect to public information and education activities which are integral to a balanced, comprehensive venereal disease control program.

As used in this subpart:

Venereal disease means gonorrhea, syphilis, or any other disease which can be sexually transmitted and which the Secretary determines is or may be amenable to control with assistance provided under this authority and which is of national significance.

Venereal disease control program means a program designed to carry out activities or to provide services to systematically detect and prevent venereal disease as distinguished from those activities or services which are designed to diagnose or treat venereal disease patients or suspects.

An applicant must be a State agency or a political subdivision of a State which has legal responsibility for disease control under the laws of the State.

All information obtained by program personnel in connection with the examination, care, and treatment of an individual in this program shall be held confidential. It shall not be disclosed without the individual's consent except as may be required by the law of a State or political subdivision of a State or as may be necessary to provide services to the individual. Information may be disclosed in summary, statistical, or other form, or for clinical or research purposes, but only if the disclosure does not identify particular individuals.

(a) The initial application must include a description of the following:

(1) The nature and extent of the venereal disease problem in the area.

(2) The need for project grant support.

(3) The immediate (1-year budget period) and long-range (2-5 year project period) objectives of the project in specific and measurable terms.

(4) The activities to be carried out to meet the objectives. The following program elements must be included and described:

(i) Venereal disease surveillance.

(ii) Casefinding and case followup.

(iii) Interstate epidemiologic referral and followup.

(iv) Public venereal disease information and education.

(v) Professional (including appropriate allied health personnel) venereal disease education, training, and clinical skills improvement activities, including efforts to assure high quality clinical services in public venereal disease clinics.

(5) At the option of the applicant, special studies or demonstrations to evaluate or test venereal disease prevention and control strategies and activities.

(6) The manner in which the applicant intends to conduct and evaluate the project, including a system for analysis of morbidity data so that control activities can be efficiently evaluated and targeted.

(7) The diagnostic and treatment services that will be provided.

(8) A budget and justification for the grant funds requested. Since public information and education activities are authorized separately from other control program activities, funds requested for this purpose must be itemized and justified separately in the narrative part of the application.

(b) An application for a continuation grant must be submitted for each funding period. This continuation application must include the following:

(1) A budget and justification for the grant funds requested.

(2) A summary of the progress achieved during the previous budget period.

(3) A description of any changes in the information shown in the project application.

(a) Within the limits of funds available, the Secretary may award a grant to assist in meeting the cost of a venereal disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will consult with the State health authority.

(b) Priorities for funding will be based on the following factors:

(1) The relative extent of the venereal disease problem in the area served by the applicant.

(2) The design of the venereal disease prevention and control program.

(3) The general quality of the applicant's plan of operation and objectives in accordance with the requirements in these regulations. Emphasis will be placed on determining the extent to which services are coordinated among health care providers in the area served and integrated into a cohesive plan for delivery of service to groups having the highest incidence of venereal disease.

(4) The capacity of the applicant to make effective use of Federal funds.

(5) The commitment of the applicant to the control of venereal disease as reflected in the commitment of applicant resources to the program.

Grant funds awarded under this subpart may be used only for programs approved under section 318(c), and with respect to public information and education, those programs approved under section 318(b) of the Act. Unless specifically approved, grant funds shall not be used for performing diagnostic tests (other than gonorrhea screening tests), maintaining central registries, purchasing data processing equipment, or providing diagnostic and treatment facilities and services. The applicant must provide assurances, however, that these services will be available as needed as an adjunct to control program activities supported with grant funds. To obtain special approval for grant support of such activities, the grantee shall justify the exception to the satisfaction of the Secretary that funds for this purpose are necessary for the proper conduct of the program and are otherwise unavailable. Support of these services will generally be approved only in the following situations:

(a) Special studies or demonstrations, (b) the support of developmental or start-up activity, or (c) the support of an essential service which will result in a savings to a detection or prevention activity supported by the grant. Unless otherwise approved, exceptions based on paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section are only allowed during one funding period. The grantee is expected to support these activities in subsequent funding periods.