FEMA has authority to extend the RPA deadline when the request is justified based on extenuating circumstances beyond the applicant’s or the recipient’s control. Recipients are responsible for providing technical advice and assistance to all eligible applicants, ensuring all potential applicants are aware of available PA, and submitting documents necessary for the award of grants. FEMA established programmatic deadlines across all COVID-19 declarations, stating that RPAs must be submitted to FEMA no later than July 1, 2022. Here, the RPA was submitted six months after the deadline. Neither the COVID-19-related staff shortages nor lack of knowledge of the PA program constitute extenuating circumstances beyond the Applicant’s or Recipient’s control to justify an RPA extension.

FEMA finds that the Applicant did not submit the RPA within the programmatic deadline, and neither the Applicant nor the Recipient demonstrated extenuating circumstances beyond either’s control to justify extending the RPA deadline.

44 C.F.R. § 206.202(b)-(c), (f)(2). PAPPG, at 130. FP 104-22-0002. Tri-County Emergency Med SVC, FEMA-4485-DR-TX, at 2.