(a) Allowance. Step 2 + 3 and Step 3 grant agreements will include an allowance for facilities planning and design of the project and Step 7 agreements will include an allowance for facility planning in accordance with appendix B of this subpart.

(b) Advance of allowance to potential grant applicants. (1) After application by the State (see § 35.2040(d)), the Regional Administrator will award a grant to the State in the amount of the reserve under § 35.2020(e) to advance allowances to potential grant applicants for facilities planning and project design.

(2) The State may request that the right to receive payments under the grant be assigned to specified potential grant applicants.

(3) The State may provide advances of allowance only to small communities, as defined by the State, which would otherwise be unable to complete an application for a grant under § 35.2040 in the judgment of the State.

(4) The advance shall not exceed the Federal share of the estimate of the allowance for such costs which a grantee would receive under paragraph (a) of this section.

(5) In the event a Step 2 + 3, Step 3 or Step 7 grant is not awarded to a recipient of an advance, the State may seek repayment of the advance on such terms and conditions as it may determine. When the State recovers such advances they shall be added to its most recent grant for advances of allowance.

[49 FR 6234, Feb. 17, 1984, as amended at 55 FR 27095, June 29, 1990]