26-0343-17 Local Agency Mini Grant Enforcement Program

I. Program Overview The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE), announces funding availability under the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Mini Grant Enforcement Program. This Mini Grant supports high-visibility, data-driven traffic enforcement conducted by local and county law enforcement agencies to reduce traffic crashes, fatalities, and serious injuries on Illinois roadways during periods of historically associated with increased travel and elevated crash risk. This Mini Grant is a scaled-down version of the year-long STEP grant. All enforcement funded under this NOFO shall be conducted as High-Visibility Enforcement (HVE) and aligned with the Fatal Four traffic safety enforcement priorities. The program supports HVE activities conducted between May 15, 2026, and September 8, 2026. II. Program Goal To increase high-visibility enforcement of traffic safety laws in Illinois, with emphasis on violations most frequently associated with serious injury and fatal crashes. III. Eligibility To be eligible for funding under this NOFO, applicant agencies must: - Be a local or county law enforcement agency with traffic enforcement authority that does not have an active full-year FFY26 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant. - Be in compliance with the Illinois Traffic Stop Study. - Demonstrate the capability to conduct high-visibility, data-driven traffic enforcement consistent with the Fatal Four priorities and contributory crash-causing violations. - Agree to conduct all grant-funded enforcement as High-Visibility Enforcement (HVE). - Agree to participate in at least one (1) mandatory campaign during the grant period. - Conduct pre- and post-campaign enforcement activities. (i.e., news releases; media events; community education; social media; etc.) - Comply with all campaign media, enforcement, financial, and performance reporting requirements established by IDOT/BSPE. - Create meaningful public participation and engagement to ensure diverse views are heard and considered. IV. Program Priorities and Emphasis Areas A. Fatal Four Enforcement Focus 1. Grant-funded enforcement activities shall emphasize the following Fatal Four violations: - Impaired Driving - Occupant Protection - Distracted Driving - Speeding 2. Officers/deputies are also expected to enforce contributory crash-causing violations, including but not limited to: - Failure to yield - Following too closely - Improper Lane usage - Disobeying traffic control devices - Move Over (Scott’s Law) B. Move Over (Scott’s Law) IDOT/BSPE strongly encourages agencies to incorporate Move Over (Scott’s Law) enforcement and enforcement contacts into grant-funded activities when violations are observed. V. High-Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Requirements A. Definition For purposes of this NOFO, High-Visibility Enforcement (HVE) is defined as data-driven, proactive traffic enforcement designed to create both actual and perceived enforcement presence, combined with coordinated public information and education messaging. B. Enforcement Expectations • Officers/deputies shall initiate enforcement action for all observed Fatal Four and other contributory crash-causing violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code and/or applicable local law or ordinance. • All mandatory and optional enforcement funded under the Mini Grant Program shall be conducted as HVE. C. Desired Performance Outputs Agencies shall strive to achieve the following averages during HVE patrols: - A minimum of one (1) enforcement contact per 60 minutes of patrol time. - A minimum of two (2) traffic stops per 60 minutes of patrol time. D. Time-of-Day Requirement • By the end of the grant period, a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of all funded HVE hours shall be worked between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. • Agencies must conduct nighttime enforcement during any mandatory campaigns funded under this NOFO. VI. Impaired Driving Enforcement Requirements A. Time of Day • STEP-funded impaired driving focused patrols shall be scheduled between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. • With prior approval, agencies may conduct impaired driving patrols outside these hours when participating officers have successfully completed ARIDE and/or are certified Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). B. Training Requirements Any officer/deputy conducting grant-funded impaired driving focused enforcement must meet SFST training requirements. Approved training includes: - Graduation from an ILETSB-accredited basic academy that includes SFST; - Completion of the 24-hour NHTSA DWI Detection and SFST Course; or - Completion of an ILETSB- and NHTSA-approved SFST refresher course at least once every four (4) years. SFST training must be delivered by certified instructors. Agencies shall maintain training documentation and provide verification upon request. Officers who have completed ARIDE and/or are certified DREs satisfy this requirement. VII. Campaign Requirements A. Mandatory Campaigns Each mandatory campaign includes a primary public safety message identified and emphasized in IDOT’s media packet provided to the grantee. Enforcement activities must remain consistent with the Fatal Four and contributory crash-causing violation emphasis. Participation in at least one (1) mandatory campaign is required. • Memorial Day Campaign: May 15 – May 26, 2026 (through 6:00 a.m.) • Independence Day Campaign: June 19 – July 6, 2026 (through 6:00 a.m.) • Labor Day Campaign: August 14 – September 8, 2026 (through 6:00 a.m.) B. Optional Campaign The optional campaign includes a primary public safety message identified in IDOT’s media packet provided to the grantee. Enforcement activities must remain consistent with the Fatal Four and contributory crash-causing violation emphasis. Agencies may elect to participate in the following optional campaign if the participation requirement in Section VII.A has been satisfied: • Speed Awareness Campaign: July 7 – August 1, 2026 (through 6:00 a.m.) VIII. Reporting Requirements Agencies receiving STEP funding shall comply with the following reporting requirements: - BSPE 205 – Mobilizations Data Collection Form: Due within fourteen (14) days following the end of a campaign. - BSPE 500 – Claim for Reimbursement: Due within forty-five (45) days following the end of a campaign. - BoBS 2832 – Periodic Reporting Form: ONE (1) report is required and due within thirty (30) days from the end of the Mini Grant Program. Due dates will vary based on campaigns each agency by campaign participation. IX. Allowable Costs and Financial Administration A. Personnel • Salary and wages are allowable. o Hire-back will be calculated at time-and-a-half. o Double time is not allowable. o Compensatory time is allowable, at the discretion of the agency, and shall be earned at the same rate as hire-back reimbursement. • Indirect Costs - Calculated by applying the current negotiated indirect cost rate (ICR) percentage to the approved or projected base. X. SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GRANT PAYMENTS IDOT/NHTSA funded grants are reimbursement grants meaning reimbursements are issued after expenditures are incurred. Due to the time it takes to review, approve and process reimbursement requests as well as the time it takes the Illinois Comptroller to issue payments, grantees should be prepared to fund sixty (60) days of operations prior to receiving reimbursement. XI. REIMBURSEMENT A. Claims for reimbursement submitted by the Grantee will be for expenses that have been incurred to complete the scope of services/responsibilities in the Agreement. If the Grantee’s claims for reimbursement are deemed by the Grantor or auditors to not be sufficiently documented for supplies and equipment purchased or other services rendered, the Grantor may require further records and supporting documents to verify the amounts, recipients and uses of all funds invoiced pursuant to the Agreement. Furthermore, if any of the deliverables or milestones in the Agreement are not satisfactorily completed, the Grantee will refund payments made under the Agreement to the extent that such payments were made for any such incomplete or unsatisfactory deliverable. The Grantee shall submit all claims for reimbursement on the STEP Claim for Reimbursement form (BSPE 500). Claims for reimbursement are due within thirty (30) days of the end of the service period being reimbursed. The Grantee may request an extension of time to submit claims for reimbursement, along with required supporting documentation. Extension requests must be submitted to the Grantor in writing. The grantor must provide a written approval or denial of a time extension. Final claims for reimbursement and all reports, including final reports, are due to the Grantor by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026. Claims submitted to the Grantor by the November 2, 2026, due date will be reviewed and processed immediately for payment. If the Grantee cannot meet the November 2, 2026, deadline for submitting any final claims for reimbursement, the Grantee may request a time extension for submitting these documents. Time extension requests must be submitted to the Grantor in writing. Grantor must provide a written approval or denial of any time extension requests. Any approved time extension will be limited in nature to ensure the Grantor is able to request federal reimbursement. Any expenditure made prior to the Agreement start date is the responsibility of the Grantee. The Grantee must submit the BSPE 500 claim form and supporting documentation to the Grantor pursuant to the Agreement via email at: DOT.BSPE.Claims@illinois.gov If issues arise in submitting the BSPE 500 claim form, please contact the Grantor Contact listed in the Agreement or the assigned BSPE staff as assigned by BSPE. B. All claims and supporting documents shall be signed and dated electronically by either the project director or the authorized representative of the Grantee. The claim must include: 1. The Agreement Number. 2. Requests for reimbursement must be requested on the Grantor’s designated BSPE 500 claim form. 3. Back up documentation, which may include invoices and receipts for expenditures, must be submitted with each claim. C. Review and Approval 1. Upon submittal of a claim, the assigned Grantor Contact listed in the Agreement or the assigned BSPE staff as assigned by BSPE reviews and checks: a. Mathematical accuracy of the claim. b. That requested reimbursement is consistent with items included in the approved budget. c. That total amount requested for reimbursement is proportional to the total amount budgeted. d. That expenditures for each line item are less than or equal to the budgeted amounts and are allowable. e. Completion of the work. 2. Failure to provide a complete claim may delay or prevent reimbursement. If there are problems with the claim, the assigned Grantor Contact listed in the Agreement or the assigned BSPE staff as assigned by BSPE will contact the Grantee to resolve the issue so that payment can be made, assuming all expenses are allowable. This may include submission of a new or corrected claim by the Grantee. 3. The assigned Grantor Contact listed in the Agreement or the assigned BSPE staff as assigned by BSPE will review and approve or reject the claim within thirty (30) days of the Grantee’s submittal. If rejected, the claim will not be processed for payment until revisions are approved by the Grantee. D. Manager Approval Once a claim is approved for payment, the Grantor’s Finance Unit processes the claim for payment by the Comptroller. E. Send Payment Once approved, the Comptroller forwards payment either via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) or by mailing a check to the Grantee’s Remittance Address listed on the Agreement. F. Indirect Cost Rate Eligibility 1. Indirect cost rate shall be referred to as indirect cost rate or rate(s) throughout the language of the Agreement. 2. The Grantee is only eligible to receive an indirect cost rate if requested on the grant application, and the following stipulations are met: a. The Grantee has a finalized indirect cost rate for the corresponding fiscal year wherein the expenses are allowable under the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or other applicable agreement between the agency and an appropriate third party; If this is the first time for negotiating an indirect cost rate, the Grantee has the option to request a 15% provisional De Minimis rate until the rate is finalized. b. The Grantee is eligible to claim a provisional rate at the commencement of the Agreement should the rate for the corresponding fiscal year not yet be finalized; c. The Grantee adheres to the requirements for receiving an indirect cost rate including, but not limited to, have appropriate approval to receive indirect cost funds and finalizing the indirect cost rate that has been provisionally offered in a timely manner (timeliness is at the discretion of the Grantor). 3. Indirect Cost Rates are based on the Grantee’s fiscal year, therefore, other restrictions and deadlines may apply. The Grantee must work with the Grantor’s Support Services Manager to determine such additional restrictions. The Grantor’s Support Services Manager may be reached by emailing DOT.TSgrants@illinois.gov. 4. The Grantee acknowledges that provisional rates are not guaranteed for the duration of the Agreement. The rate shall be finalized prior to the end of the Agreement on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. a. Indirect cost rates finalized at a differing rate from the provisional rate may result in having an amendment to the Agreement. b. Any overpayment of indirect costs on reimbursement submittals from the Grantee paid under the provisional rate shall be deducted by the Grantor from the total amount owed on remaining reimbursement submittals once the rate is finalized even in the event that the amendment has not been issued or executed. The Grantee will be responsible for repaying to the Grantor any indirect cost overpayment that cannot be recouped from remaining reimbursement submittals. c. If provisional indirect cost rates are not finalized by September 8, 2026, the Grantor may recollect all indirect costs that were issued under the provisional rate. These funds will be recollected through remaining reimbursement submittals, or if no further expenditures are submitted for reimbursement, the Grantor will issue a recollection statement to the Grantee. 5. The Grantee is fully aware and in understanding of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act as listed in Article XXII subsection 22.11 of the Agreement. 6. The Grantee acknowledges that the rate may be denied, altered, or otherwise amended outside the scope of rate requirements listed in Part III subsection VI of the Agreement. 7. All state university grant recipients shall adhere to the 20% on-campus/10% off-campus rate as per the memorandum issued January 24, 2020, to Grantor grant and program staff from the Grantor's Acting Chief Financial Officer. XII. CERTS AND ASSURANCES Grantees shall also follow the NHTSA Certs and Assurances that will be included in the Agreement. The NHTSA Certs and Assurances document is also attached under the Question Submission Information section in this NOFO posting. Any agency that issues a sub-award via grant, contract, or any other means of distributing the funds in order to assist the agency receiving funds directly from IDOT are required to have all such sub-awardees sign the NHTSA Certs and Assurances. The signed certs and assurances must then be submitted to the Grantor Contact listed in Exhibit C of the Agreement. XIII. APPLICATION SCORING CRITERIA The grant applicant agency’s risk levels and project proposal information. There are 100 points in total. The grant applications will be scored as follows: • Risk Level – 30 points • Problem Identification – 25 points • Traffic Stop Study – 5 points • Location of Planned Enforcement – 25 points • Personnel – 5 points • Additional Activities – 10 points XIV. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 OPPORTUNITIES NOTE: Some of these funding line-items may be unallowable for this specific grant program NOFO. Rather, this is guidance regarding all BSPE-issued FFY 2026 Mini Enforcement Program and FFY 2027 NHTSA program grants. All grant applicants should review the allowable grant budget line-items in previous sections to determine which of the below information’s guidance and requirements are applicable. A. EMPLOYEES PERCENTAGE OF WORK Full-time employees that work a percentage of their time on a grant, shall be paid on an hourly rate instead of a percentage of the overall salary. Percentages of time is not acceptable. B. EMPLOYEES WITH MONTHLY OR ANNUAL SALARIES Full-time employees that work on this grant cannot be paid their monthly or annual salaries. NHTSA requires all salaries to be broken down by hourly rates. C. PART-TIME EMPLOYEES Part-time employees shall be paid on an hourly rate. Percentages of time is not acceptable. Part-time grant funded personnel will not be eligible for leave time reimbursement. D. EMPLOYEE RAISES Special Note Regarding Personnel (Salaries and Wages): 1) All salaries are to be broken down into an hourly rate; no annual or monthly salary amounts are allowed per NHTSA requirement. 2) All applicant employees listed under Salary and Wages are eligible for a standard 4% annual cost of living raise so long as the applicant agency approves such pay increases. Other raise requests will require the agency policy regarding raises and may be denied or not funded the full requested amount. 3) Unless otherwise approved by BSPE, agencies should adhere to the FFY2027 Pay Raise Information document. This FFY2027 Pay Raise Information document is attached under the Question Submission Information section in this NOFO posting. E. FRINGE FOR NON-ENFORCEMENT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES Fringe can be paid for non-enforcement staff members based on their hours of work associated with the specific grant. Example: If a staff member works five hours for the grant, IDOT will reimburse up to the fringe rate for the five hours worked at the hourly rate. F. TRAVEL Special Note Regarding Travel: All applicants should adhere to the budget guidance and refer to the FFY2027 Travel Information document for all requirements regarding regular travel or travel that may not yet have a selected destination or dates, in-state or otherwise. All grantees, whether performing routine travel or otherwise, shall adhere to the information within their awarded budget as well as the FFY2027 Travel Information document. This FFY2027 Travel Information document is attached under the Question Submission Information section in this NOFO posting. G. PROGRAMMATIC INCOME/IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS Program Income will no longer be collected unless the grant applicant submits a proposal to BSPE and then received written approval for the collection and use of program income/in-kind contributions. If approved, program income/in-kind contributions funds must be treated as federal dollars and must abide by all state and federal guidelines. These funds are to be expended in the grant year they were collected. H. INVENTORY CONTROL 1. Any items purchased over $1,000, are required to be tracked and monitored by both the Grantee's agency and IDOT. This inventory will be monitored throughout the grant program. This inventory list must contain name of item, location of item, and unique identifier number for each item. How this is established is up to the Grantee's discretion but must have the required information described above. 2. If equipment above $1,000 is replaced with a new item and the previous was purchased with federal funds, the previous item will need to be turned into IDOT or disposed of properly. IDOT must be informed of what was disposed of and when. Then inventory control lists must reflect this change. If it is not returned or disposed of properly the new item will not be reimbursed. 3. The Safety Grant Administrator will inspect annually any item purchased more than $1,000. Equipment purchased with grant funds of $10,000.00 or more will have the BSPE 36 Major Equipment Inventory Inspection form completed and put in the project file. 4. Equipment Monitoring: a. All pieces of equipment will be monitored until disposed of. Grantees are required to keep detailed information on where the equipment is and must present it when requested by IDOT. Equipment is only to be disposed of when it is no longer useful and IDOT must be informed of the disposal. I. TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES FOR GRANTEES 1. Personal/Home Internet: a. The Illinois Department of Transportation will not provide salary stipends, expense reimbursements, payments on behalf of grantees, or any reimbursement (via Purchasing Card or direct bill) to cover costs associated with use of personal/home internet services used while performing business related activities. 2. Computers/Laptop/Tablet Purchases: a. If computers/laptops/tablets are approved in the Grantee's budget, prior approval from the Grantor Contact listed in Exhibit C of the Agreement is required before making the purchase. Computing devices/laptops/computers have a limit of $999 dollars. b. If the Grantee is replacing a computing device and the previous computing device was purchased with federal funds, it must be returned to the Grantor after the new computing device is received. c. Any purchase request over $999 requires justification with required documentation submitted to their Safety Grant Administrator prior to purchase. After reviewing, the Grantor Contact listed in Exhibit C of the Agreement will deem it allowable or denied.   d. Computer charges must meet the same fundamental standards as all other charges to federal awards. Criteria for approval determination of a computing device include: i. They must be reasonable. ii. There must be an informed, prudent decision regarding the cost, utility, and value to the project. iii. They must be allowable. iv. They must be directly allocable. v. The primary/principal use of the computer and related costs must be directly allocable to the purpose, goals, and activities of the funded projects. vi. They must be necessary for the project. vii. Computers must be essential for project activities and use should be sufficiently tracked to be adequately justified in the event of audit. J. LINE-ITEM/BUDGET REVISIONS/AMENDMENTS TRANSFERS Grantor requires the Grantee to provide prior written notification of any intended line-item transfers or other updates to the Agreement budget, regardless of dollar amount. Grantees must submit the intended updates to the Grantor Contact listed in Exhibit C of the Agreement using the Budget Revision Request & Approval BSPE 02 form. No changes to the budget are allowed without prior approval from the Grantor. Non-approved changes will not be eligible for reimbursement.

A state may use these grant funds only for highway safety purposes. Encourage states to address national priorities for reducing highway deaths and injuries through occupant protection programs, state traffic safety information system improvements, impaired driving countermeasures, passage of effective laws to reduce distracted driving, implementation of motorcyclist safety programs, racial profiling data, and the implementation of graduated driving licensing laws.

The grants funding opportunities under this NOFO may be funded both by the State of Illinois and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Therefore, the Grantee shall have an acceptable accounting system in existence capable of identifying the federal-related costs separately from their general operating costs. The Grantee shall also adhere to all Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L. 117-58, previously referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)) rules and regulations under the criteria specific to their particular grant safety program. Funding Sections 402 and all 405 sections in addition to 1906 funds depending on the specific grant objectives. Any questions regarding the IIJA rules and regulations must be sent electronically to DOT.TSgrants@illinois.gov. Allowable Budget Items: Personnel and Indirect Costs.

All applicants must provide documentation that there is an acceptable accounting system in place that is capable of identifying project related costs separate from general operating costs. 2 CFR 200 Please see Question Submission Information section for the IDOT University Indirect Cost Policy Memo as referenced in the Citation Governing Indirect Cost Restriction section.

A Highway Safety Grant application is not considered complete until all required documents are received. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline of April 4, 2026. Everything must be submitted in Euna to be considered for funding.

GATA Compliance: Aaron Link DOT.TSgrants@illinois.gov

This grant program is only available to law enforcement (non-state) agencies that do NOT have an FFY26 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant.

Information posted in this Notice of Funding Opportunity is also posted on the IDOT Traffic Safety website for ease of use at: https://idot.illinois.gov/programs-and-projects/safety-programs/safety-grants.html.

Awards should be issued prior to the grant start date.

This NOFO is restricted by policies set forth in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL P.L. 177-58)

I. The Grantee shall submit the Mobilizations Data Collection BSPE 205 (BSPE 205) form within two (2) calendar weeks or fourteen (14) calendar days after completion of each campaign. All BSPE 205 Mobilizations Data Collection forms shall be submitted electronically to DOT.BSPEDATA@illinois.gov. II. The Grantee shall submit all claim requests on the STEP Claim for Reimbursement BSPE 500 (BSPE 500) claim form. The BSPE 500 claim form must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of each campaign. III. The Grantee shall submit the Grantee Required Reporting BoBS 2832 (BoBS 2832) form one (1) time thirty (30) days after the completion of the last campaign available in this NOFO. The last campaign date is September 30, 2026; therefore all BoBS 2832 forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2026. IV. In addition, the Grantee's assigned Safety Grant Administrator or Grantor Contact listed in Exhibit C of the Agreement may have one (1) monitoring meeting with the Grantee.

Aaron Link Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering 2300 South Dirksen Parkway Springfield, Illinois 62764 Aaron.Link@Illinois.gov