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Federal Register
/Vol. 66, No. 11/Wednesday, January 17, 2001/Notices
IV. Audit Issues
A. What could the Federal agenciesdo to improve your understanding of theSingle Audit process?B. Have you used the Single AuditClearinghouse to obtain information onsubrecipient audits?C. Do you believe that single auditsprovide appropriate audit coverage foryour programs and the programs whereyou are a pass-through entity?
V. Electronic Processing
A. What electronic processing systemsdo you currently use for your Federalgrants? Please note any systems you usedue to Federal agency requirements, aswell as any systems or technologiesyour organization uses for otheractivities.B. What is the likelihood that yourorganization would utilize an on-lineapplication or financial reportingsystem?C. How can the agencies best prepareyour organization for the future use of electronic processing option for yourgrants?
DATES
:
Comments in response to thisnotice must be received on or beforeMarch 19, 2001. Each Federal agencywill submit an implementation plan toOMB and Congress before May 20, 2001and report annually thereafter.
ADDRESSES
:
General comments on thisnotice, and those relating to more thanone Federal agency, should beaddressed to: Attn: PL 106
–
107Comments, Department of Health andHuman Services, 200 IndependenceAvenue, SW, Room 517
–
D, Washington,DC 20201. Comments may also betransmitted by E-mail(PL106107@os.dhhs.gov) or by fax, (202)690
–
8772. Comments that are specific toa particular Federal agency or programshould be directed to the agency
’
scontact listed at the end of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Forgeneral questions regarding this notice,please contact Rodd Clay, Office of Grants Management, Department of Health and Human Services by E-mail(rclay@os.dhhs.gov) or phone at (202)690
–
8723; for the hearing impairedonly: TDD 202
–
690
–
6415. For agency-specific issues, please contact theagency
’
s contact listed at the end of thisnotice. Additional informationregarding the agencies
’
reform effortsmay be found at the Chief FinancialOfficers (CFO) Council
’
s GrantsManagement Committee home page(
http://www.financenet.gov/fed/cfo/ grants/grants.htm
).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
I. Purpose
This interim/draft plan of action is being presented for public comment. Itwas developed jointly by the Federalgrant-making agencies listed in SectionX, below, to meet the requirements of the Financial Assistance ImprovementAct of 1999 (Public Law 106
–
107,henceforth
‘‘
the Act
’’
). It sets out broadgoals and objectives; describes anongoing, coordinated interagency effortto implement the Act in consultationwith non-Federal entities; and detailsaccomplishments in some areas. TheFederal agencies will refine this plan asthe interagency, consultative effortidentifies additional specific FederalGovernment actions needed to achievethe purposes of the Act. As this planevolves into more specific actions, theFederal agencies, after consultationswith affected constituencies, willsubmit updated information to Congressin the annual implementation reportsrequired by the Act. This plan and thecomments received will help theagencies to meet the requirements of theAct.
II. Background
Federal programs providing financialassistance comprise a large and diverseenterprise with widely varying purposesand recipient communities. The Catalogof Federal Domestic Assistance listshundreds of programs in more than 25Federal grant-making agencies withapproximately $300 billion in annualexpenditures. The programs stimulate orsupport a wide variety of publicpurposes in areas such as health, socialservices, law enforcement, agriculture,housing, community and regionaldevelopment, education and training,and research.
III. Statutory Requirement
In enacting Public Law 106
–
107,Congress expressed concern that somerequirements related to the award andadministration of Federal financialassistance may be duplicative, burdensome, or conflicting, thusimpeding the cost-effective delivery of services. Congress further found thatState, local, and tribal governments andprivate, nonprofit organizations mustdeal with increasingly complexproblems that require the delivery andcoordination of many kinds of servicesand result in complex grantadministration. To address theseconcerns, the Act requires each Federalagency to develop and implement aplan, with the direction, coordinationand assistance of the Director of theOffice of Management and Budget(OMB), in consultation withrepresentatives of non-Federal entities,that:
•
Streamlines and simplifies theapplication, administrative, andreporting procedures for Federalfinancial assistance programsadministered by the agency;
•
Demonstrates active participation inan interagency process to:
—
Streamline and simplifyadministrative procedures andreporting requirements for non-Federal entities receiving Federalfinancial assistance;
—
Improve interagency andintergovernmental coordination of information collection and sharingof data pertaining to Federalprograms providing financialassistance; and
—
Improve the timeliness,completeness, and quality of information received by Federalagencies from financial assistancerecipients;
•
Demonstrates appropriate agencyuse, or plans for use, of a commonapplication and reporting system thatincludes:
—
A common application or set of common applications, whereby anon-Federal entity can apply forFederal financial assistance frommultiple Federal programs thatserve similar purposes and areadministered by different Federalagencies;
—
A common system, includingelectronic processes, whereby anon-Federal entity can apply for,manage, and report on the use of financial assistance funding frommultiple Federal programs thatserve similar purposes and areadministered by different Federalagencies; and
—
Uniform administrative rules forFederal financial assistanceprograms across different Federalagencies;
•
Designates a lead agency official forcarrying out the responsibilities of theagency under the Act;
•
Allows applicants the option toelectronically apply for, and report onthe use of, funds from programs of theagency that provides financialassistance;
•
Ensures that recipients of financialassistance provide timely, complete,and high quality information inresponse to Federal reportingrequirements; and
•
Establishes, in cooperation withrecipients of financial assistance,specific annual goals and objectives tofurther the purposes of the Act andmeasure annual performance as part of
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