(a) The Grant Contract shall include an Approved Budget that reflects the amount of the Grant Award funds to be spent for each Project Year.
(b) All expenses charged to a Grant Award must be budgeted and reported in the appropriate budget category.
(c) Actual expenditures under each category should not exceed budgeted amounts authorized by the Grant Contract as reflected on the Approved Budget for each Grant Award.
(d) Recipients may make transfers between or among lines within budget categories listed on the Approved Budget so long as the transfer fits within the Scope of Work and the total Approved Budget; is beneficial to the achievement of the Scope of Work; and is an efficient, effective use of Grant Award funds.
(e) Except as provided herein, all budget changes or transfers require Institute approval.
  (1) The Grant Recipient may make budget changes or transfers without prior approval from the Institute for expenses not specified in the equipment category if:
    (A) The total dollar amount of all changes of any single line item (individually and in the aggregate) within budget categories other than equipment is 10% or less of the total budget for the applicant grant year;
    (B) The transfer will not increase or decrease the total grant budget; and
    (C) The transfer will not materially change the nature, performance level, or Scope of Work.
  (2) The Institute may reverse one or more budget changes or transfers under paragraph (1) of this subsection if the Institute determines that the Grant Recipient made multiple individual budget changes or transfers within the same category that, if considered together, would require Institute approval.
(f) A Grant Recipient awarded a Grant Award for a multiyear project that fails to expend the total Project Year budget may carry forward the unexpended budget balance to the next Project Year.
  (1) If the amount of the unexpended balance for a budget line item in a Project Year exceeds twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total budget line item amount for that year, Institute approval is required before the Grant Recipient may carry forward the unexpended balance to the next Project Year.
  (2) For a budget carry forward requiring Institute approval, the Grant Recipient must provide justification for why the total Grant Award amount should not be reduced by the unexpended balance.

Source Note: The provisions of this §703.25 adopted to be effective December 7, 2016, 41 TexReg 9527; amended to be effective March 8, 2017, 42 TexReg 1029; amended to be effective September 11, 2019, 44 TexReg 4873; amended to be effective September 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 4863