US Dept of Justice Office of Justice Programs 8/10/2022

Further, before making any subaward for the purchase of body armor,the JAG award recipient must collect a completed mandatory wear certification from the proposed subrecipient.Any such certifications must be maintained by the JAG award recipient and made available to OJP upon request. Apart from the JAG Program, BJA provides funds under the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership(BVP) Program. The BVP Program provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies for the purchase of ballistic-resistant and stab-resistant body armor. For more information on the BVP Program, including eligibility and an application, refer to the BVP web page.JAG award recipients should note, however,that funds may not be used as any part of the 50 percent match required by the BVP Program. *A mandatory wear concept and issues paper and a model policy are available from the BVP Customer Support Center,which can be contacted at vests(a),usdoi.gov or toll free at 1-877-758-3787.Additional information and FAQs related to the mandatory wear policy and certifications can be found in the JAG FAQs. Interoperable Communications—Units of local government(including any subrecipients)that are using FY 2022 JAG funds for emergency communications activities should comply with the SAFECOM Guidance for Emergency Communication Grants(SAFECOM Guidance), including provisions on technical standards that ensure and enhance interoperable communications.The SAFECOM Guidance is an essential resource for entities applying for federal financial assistance for emergency communications projects. It provides general information on eligible activities,technical standards, and other terms and conditions that are common to most federal emergency communications programs. Specifically,the SAFECOM Guidance provides guidance to applicants on: • Recommendations for planning, coordinating, and implementing projects. • Emergency communications activities that can be funded through federal grants. • Best practices, policies, and technical standards that help to improve interoperability. • Resources to help grant recipients comply with technical standards and grant requirement SAFECOM Guidance is recognized as the primary guidance on emergency communications grants by the Administration, Office of Management and Budget, and federal grant program offices. CISA updates the document every year in close coordination with federal,state, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders and partners. SAFECOM Guidance is applicable to all federal grants funding emergency communications.The most recent version of the SAFECOM Guidance is available at https://www.cisa.qov/safecom/fundinq. Additionally, emergency communications projects funded with FY 2022 JAG funds should support the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan(SCIP)and be coordinated with the full-time statewide interoperability coordinator(SWIC)in the state of the project.As the central coordination point for a state's interoperability effort, the SWIC plays a critical role and can serve as a valuable resource. SWICs are responsible for the implementation of SCIP through coordination and collaboration with the emergency response community. CISA maintains a list of SWICs for each state and territory. Contact ecd( cisa.dhs.gov for more information.All communications equipment purchased with FY 2022 JAG Program funding should be identified during the quarterly performance measurement reporting. DNA Testing of Evidentiary Materials and Uploading DNA Profiles to a Database—If JAG Program funds are to be used for DNA testing of evidentiary materials, any resulting eligible DNA profiles must be uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS),the national DNA database operated by the FBI, by a government DNA lab with access to CODIS. No profiles generated with JAG funding may be entered into any other nongovernmental DNA database without prior written approval from BJA(exceptions include forensic genealogy). Additionally, award recipients utilizing JAG funds for forensic genealogy testing must adhere to the DOJ Interim Policy Forensic Genealogical DNA Analysis and Searching available at https://www.iustice.qov/olp/paqe/file/1204386/download. For more information about DNA testing as it pertains to JAG, please refer to the JAG FAQs. Entry of Records into State Repositories—As appropriate and to the extent consistent with law, a special condition will be imposed that would require the following:Any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance under JAG that is likely to generate court dispositions or other records relevant to NICS determinations, including any dispositions or records that involve any noncitizen or migrant who is undocumented in the United States(18 U.S.C. §922(g)(5)(A), must have a system in place to ensure that all such NICS-relevant Page 12 of 23 O-BJA-2022-171368