Requesting Prior Approval

A major equipment purchase may occur only if
both
 of the following conditions are met:
  • The purchase is specifically authorized in the grant agreement, and
  • TxDOT and the NHTSA have approved the purchase, determining it to be in the best interest of the program.
Before initiating the acquisition of equipment, the intended purchaser must obtain written notice from the TRF-BTS Director stating that both TxDOT and the NHTSA Regional Administrator have formally approved the equipment purchase. (This procedure is required by 23 C.F.R. §1300.31(d) and NHTSA
Highway Safety Grants Program Resources Guide
. The approval may be part of the approval of the Highway Safety Plan (HSP) or part of a separate written request describing how the equipment would support the State’s Highway Safety Program.
To request approval for equipment (unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater) a subgrantee must:
  1. Ensure that the grant contains necessary provisions and that there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of the equipment.
  2. Submit an Equipment Request through eGrants for approval to the Project Manager. The Equipment Request is located under “Supplemental Approvals,” and can be found under “Examine Related Items.”
  3. Select “Create New” under “Supplemental.” Select “I Agree” when prompted “Are you sure you want to create a Supplemental Report?”
  4. Click on “View, Edit and Complete Forms” and choose “Equipment.”
  5. Complete and save the form.
  6. Complete the checklist request process by changing the status of the form (found under “Change the Status”) to “SR Submitted.” Once the status of the request has been changed to “SR Submitted,” the request will be electronically forwarded to the appropriate project manager for review.
When making the equipment purchase, the purchaser should also obtain the expected service life and warranty of the equipment from the vendor or the manufacturer.