Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2012 - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to direct, coordinate, and assist federal agencies in implementing: (1) a common application and reporting system and uniform administrative rules for federal financial assistance programs; and (2) an interagency process for addressing ways to streamline and simplify federal financial assistance administrative procedures and reporting requirements for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations (non-federal entities), improved interagency and intergovernmental coordination of information collection and data sharing, and improvements in the timeliness, completeness, and quality of information received by agencies from recipients of federal financial assistance. Authorizes the Director to exempt any federal agency or federal financial assistance program from the requirements of this Act if the Director determines that the agency does not have a significant number of federal financial assistance programs.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6420 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6420
To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial
assistance programs, simplify Federal financial assistance application
and reporting requirements, and improve the delivery of services to the
public.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2012
Mr. Clarke of Michigan (for himself, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr.
Lewis of Georgia, and Mr. Davis of Illinois) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial
assistance programs, simplify Federal financial assistance application
and reporting requirements, and improve the delivery of services to the
public.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Financial Assistance
Management Improvement Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) there are over 600 different Federal financial
assistance programs to implement domestic policy;
(2) while the assistance described in paragraph (1) has
been directed at critical problems, some Federal administrative
requirements may be duplicative, burdensome, or conflicting,
thus impeding cost-effective delivery of services at the local
level;
(3) the Nation's State, local, and tribal governments and
private, nonprofit organizations are dealing with increasingly
complex problems which require the delivery and coordination of
many kinds of services; and
(4) streamlining and simplifying Federal financial
assistance administrative procedures and reporting requirements
will improve the delivery of services to the public.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal
financial assistance programs;
(2) simplify Federal financial assistance application and
reporting requirements;
(3) improve the delivery of services to the public; and
(4) facilitate greater coordination among those responsible
for delivering such services.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' means any
agency as defined under section 551(1) of title 5, United
States Code.
(3) Federal financial assistance.--The term ``Federal
financial assistance'' has the meaning given that term under
section 7501(a) of title 31, United States Code, under which
Federal financial assistance is provided, directly or
indirectly, to a non-Federal entity.
(4) Local government.--The term ``local government'' has
the meaning given that term under section 7501(a) of title 31,
United States Code.
(5) Non-federal entity.--The term ``non-Federal entity''
means a State, local government, or nonprofit organization.
(6) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means any corporation, trust, association,
cooperative, or other organization that--
(A) is operated primarily for scientific,
educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes
in the public interest;
(B) is not organized primarily for profit; and
(C) uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or
expand the operations of the organization.
(7) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, any other territory or possession of the United
States, and any instrumentality thereof, any multi-State,
regional, or interstate entity which has governmental
functions, and any federally recognized Indian tribe.
(8) Tribal government.--The term ``tribal government''
means an Indian tribe, as that term is defined in section
7501(a) of title 31, United States Code.
(9) Uniform administrative rule.--The term ``uniform
administrative rule'' means a Governmentwide uniform rule for
any generally applicable requirement established to achieve
national policy objectives that applies to multiple Federal
financial assistance programs across Federal agencies.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR.
(a) In General.--The Director, in consultation with agency heads
and representatives of non-Federal entities, shall direct, coordinate,
and assist Federal agencies in implementing--
(1) a common application and reporting system, including--
(A) a common application or set of common
applications, wherein a non-Federal entity can apply
for Federal financial assistance from multiple Federal
financial assistance programs that serve similar
purposes and are administered by different Federal
agencies;
(B) a common system, including electronic
processes, wherein a non-Federal entity can apply for,
manage, and report on the use of funding from multiple
Federal financial assistance programs that serve
similar purposes and are administered by different
Federal agencies; and
(C) uniform administrative rules for Federal
financial assistance programs across different Federal
agencies; and
(2) an interagency process for addressing--
(A) ways to streamline and simplify Federal
financial assistance administrative procedures and
reporting requirements for non-Federal entities;
(B) improved interagency and intergovernmental
coordination of information collection and sharing of
data pertaining to Federal financial assistance
programs, including appropriate information sharing
consistent with section 552a of title 5, United States
Code; and
(C) improvements in the timeliness, completeness,
and quality of information received by Federal agencies
from recipients of Federal financial assistance.
(b) Lead Agency and Working Groups.--The Director may designate a
lead agency to assist the Director in carrying out the responsibilities
under this section. The Director may use interagency working groups to
assist in carrying out such responsibilities.
(c) Review of Plans and Reports.--Upon the request of the Director,
agencies shall submit to the Director, for the Director's review,
information and other reporting regarding agency implementation of this
Act.
(d) Exemptions.--The Director may exempt any Federal agency or
Federal financial assistance program from the requirements of this Act
if the Director determines that the Federal agency does not have a
significant number of Federal financial assistance programs. The
Director shall maintain a list of exempted agencies which shall be
available to the public through the website of the Office of Management
and Budget.
(e) Report on Recommended Changes in Law.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit
to Congress a report containing recommendations for changes in law to
improve the effectiveness, performance, and coordination of Federal
financial assistance programs.
(f) Deadline.--All actions required under this section shall be
carried out not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the Director or
any Federal agency from gathering, or to exempt any recipient of
Federal financial assistance from providing, information that is
required for review of the financial integrity or quality of services
of an activity assisted by a Federal financial assistance program.
SEC. 7. JUDICIAL REVIEW.
There shall be no judicial review of compliance or noncompliance
with any of the provisions of this Act. No provision of this Act shall
be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable by any administrative or judicial action.
SEC. 8. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a means to deviate from
the statutory requirements relating to applicable Federal financial
assistance programs.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SUNSET.
This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act
and shall cease to be effective 8 years after such date of enactment.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
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