Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 75—UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR HHS AWARDS
§ 75.1   Acronyms.
The following acronyms apply to this part:
§ 75.2   Definitions.
These are the definitions for terms used in this part. Different definitions may be found in Federal statutes or regulations that apply more specifically to particular program or activities. These definitions could be supplemented by additional instructional information provided in in governmentwide standard information collections.
Acquisition cost means the cost of the asset including the cost to ready the asset for its intended use. Acquisition cost for equipment, for example, means the net invoice price of the equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Acquisition costs for software includes those development costs capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in transit insurance, freight, and installation may be included in or excluded from the acquisition cost in accordance with the non-Federal entity's regular accounting practices.
Advance payment means a payment that a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity makes by any appropriate payment mechanism, including a predetermined payment schedule, before the non-Federal entity disburses the funds for program purposes.
Allocation means the process of assigning a cost, or a group of costs, to one or more cost objective(s), in reasonable proportion to the benefit provided or other equitable relationship. The process may entail assigning a cost(s) directly to a final cost objective or through one or more intermediate cost objectives.
Audit finding means deficiencies which the auditor is required by § 75.516(a) to report in the schedule of findings and questioned costs.
Auditee means any non-Federal entity that expends Federal awards which must be audited under subpart F-of this part.
Auditor means an auditor who is a public accountant, or a Federal, state, local government, or Indian Tribe audit organization, which meets the general standards specified for external auditors in generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS). The term auditor does not include internal auditors of nonprofit organizations.
Awardee (see Non-Federal entity ).
Budget means the financial plan for the project or program that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity approves during the Federal award process or in subsequent amendments to the Federal award. It may include the Federal and non-Federal share or only the Federal share, as determined by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.
Capital assets means tangible or intangible assets used in operations having a useful life of more than one year which are capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Capital assets include:
(1) Land, buildings (facilities), equipment, and intellectual property (including software) whether acquired by purchase, construction, manufacture, lease-purchase, exchange, or through capital leases; and
(2) Additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life (not ordinary repairs and maintenance).
Capital expenditures means expenditures to acquire capital assets or expenditures to make additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations, or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number means the number assigned to a Federal program in the CFDA.
CFDA program title means the title of the program under which the Federal award was funded in the CFDA.
Central service cost allocation plan means the documentation identifying, accumulating, and allocating or developing billing rates based on the allowable costs of services provided by a state, local government, or Indian tribe on a centralized basis to its departments and agencies. The costs of these services may be allocated or billed to users.
Claim means, depending on the context, either:
(1) A written demand or written assertion by one of the parties to a Federal award seeking as a matter of right:
(i) The payment of money in a sum certain;
(ii) The adjustment or interpretation of the terms and conditions of the Federal award; or
(iii) Other relief arising under or relating to a Federal award.
(2) A request for payment that is not in dispute when submitted.
Class of Federal awards means a group of Federal awards either awarded under a specific program or group of programs or to a specific type of non-Federal entity or group of non-Federal entities to which specific provisions or exceptions may apply.
Closeout means the process by which the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the Federal award have been completed and takes actions as described in § 75.381.
Cluster of programs means a grouping of closely related programs that share common compliance requirements. The types of clusters of programs are research and development (R&D), student financial aid (SFA), and other clusters. “Other clusters” are as defined by OMB in the compliance supplement or as designated by a state for Federal awards the state provides to its subrecipients that meet the definition of a cluster of programs. When designating an “other cluster,” a state must identify the Federal awards included in the cluster and advise the subrecipients of compliance requirements applicable to the cluster, consistent with § 75.352(a). A cluster of programs must be considered as one program for determining major programs, as described in § 75.518, and, with the exception of R&D as described in § 75.501(c), whether a program-specific audit may be elected.
Cognizant agency for audit means the Federal agency designated to carry out the responsibilities described in § 75.513(a). The cognizant agency for audit is not necessarily the same as the cognizant agency for indirect costs. A list of cognizant agencies for audit may be found at the FAC Web site.
Cognizant agency for indirect costs means the Federal agency responsible for reviewing, negotiating, and approving cost allocation plans or indirect cost proposals developed under this part on behalf of all Federal agencies. The cognizant agency for indirect cost is not necessarily the same as the cognizant agency for audit. For assignments of cognizant agencies see the following:
(1) For IHEs: Appendix III to part 75 C.11.
(2) For nonprofit organizations: Appendix IV to part 75 C.2.a.
(3) For state and local governments: Appendix V to part 75 F.1.
(4) For Indian tribes: Appendix VII to part 75 D.1.
Commercial organization means an organization, institution, corporation, or other legal entity, including, but not limited to, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and limited liability companies, that is organized or operated for the profit or benefit of its shareholders or other owners. The term includes small and large businesses and is used interchangeably with “for-profit organization.”
Compliance supplement means appendix XI to part 75 (previously known as the Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement).
Computing devices means machines used to acquire, store, analyze, process, and publish data and other information electronically, including accessories (or “peripherals”) for printing, transmitting and receiving, or storing electronic information. See also Supplies and Information technology systems.
Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this part does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward (see Subaward ).
Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined in Contract.
Cooperative agreement means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302-6305:
(1) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal Government or pass-through entity's direct benefit or use;
(2) Is distinguished from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
(3) The term does not include:
(i) A cooperative research and development agreement as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a; or
(ii) An agreement that provides only:
(A) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual;
(B) A subsidy;
(C) A loan;
(D) A loan guarantee; or
(E) Insurance
Cooperative audit resolution means the use of audit follow-up techniques which promote prompt corrective action by improving communication, fostering collaboration, promoting trust, and developing an understanding between the Federal agency and the non-Federal entity. This approach is based upon:
(1) A strong commitment by Federal agency and non-Federal entity leadership to program integrity;
(2) Federal agencies strengthening partnerships and working cooperatively with non-Federal entities and their auditors; and non-Federal entities and their auditors working cooperatively with Federal agencies;
(3) A focus on current conditions and corrective action going forward;
(4) Federal agencies offering appropriate relief for past noncompliance when audits show prompt corrective action has occurred; and
(5) Federal agency leadership sending a clear message that continued failure to correct conditions identified by audits which are likely to cause improper payments, fraud, waste, or abuse is unacceptable and will result in sanctions.
Corrective action means action taken by the auditee that:
(1) Corrects identified deficiencies;
(2) Produces recommended improvements; or
(3) Demonstrates that audit findings are either invalid or do not warrant auditee action.
Cost allocation plan means central service cost allocation plan or public assistance cost allocation plan.
Cost objective means a program, function, activity, award, organizational subdivision, contract, or work unit for which cost data are desired and for which provision is made to accumulate and measure the cost of processes, products, jobs, capital projects, etc. A cost objective may be a major function of the non-Federal entity, a particular service or project, a Federal award, or an indirect (Facilities & Administrative (F&A)) cost activity, as described in subpart E of this part. See also Final cost objective and Intermediate cost objective.
Cost sharing or matching means the portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute). This may include the value of allowable third party in-kind contributions, as well as expenditures by the recipient. See also § 75.306.
Cross-cutting audit finding means an audit finding where the same underlying condition or issue affects Federal awards of more than one Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.
Departmental Appeals Board means the independent office established in the Office of the Secretary with delegated authority from the Secretary to review and decide certain disputes between recipients of HHS funds and HHS awarding agencies under 45 CFR part 16 and to perform other review, adjudication and mediation services as assigned.
Disallowed costs means those charges to a Federal award that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity determines to be unallowable, in accordance with the applicable Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
Equipment means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. See also Capital assets, Computing devices, General purpose equipment, Information technology systems, Special purpose equipment, and Supplies.
Excess property means property acquired in whole or in part under the control of any Federal awarding agency that, as determined by the head of the awarding agency or his/her delegate, is no longer required for the agency's needs or the discharge of its responsibilities.
Expenditure report means:
(1) For non-construction awards, the SF-425 Federal Financial Report (FFR) (or other OMB-approved equivalent report);
(2) For construction awards, the SF-271 “Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement” (or other OMB-approved equivalent report).
Expenditures means charges made by a non-Federal entity to a project or program for which a Federal award was received.
(1) The charges may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and is consistently applied.
(2) For reports prepared on a cash basis, expenditures are the sum of:
(i) Cash disbursements for direct charges for property and services;
(ii) The amount of indirect expense charged;
(iii) The value of third-party in-kind contributions applied; and
(iv) The amount of cash advance payments and payments made to subrecipients.
(3) For reports prepared on an accrual basis, expenditures are the sum of:
(i) Cash disbursements for direct charges for property and services;
(ii) The amount of indirect expense incurred;
(iii) The value of third-party in-kind contributions applied; and
(iv) The net increase or decrease in the amounts owed by the non-Federal entity for:
(A) Goods and other property received;
(B) Services performed by employees, contractors, subrecipients, and other payees;
(C) Programs for which no current services or performance are required such as annuities, insurance claims, or other benefit payments.
Federal agency means an “agency” as defined at 5 U.S.C. 551(1) and further clarified by 5 U.S.C. 552(f).
Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC) means the clearinghouse designated by OMB as the repository of record where non-Federal entities are required to transmit the reporting packages required by subpart F of this part. The mailing address of the FAC is Federal Audit Clearinghouse, Bureau of the Census, 1201 E. 10th Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47132 and the web address is: http://harvester.census.gov/sac/ . Any future updates to the location of the FAC may be found at the OMB Web site.
Federal award has the meaning, depending on the context, in either paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition:
(1)(i) The Federal financial assistance that a non-Federal entity receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in § 75.101; or
(ii) The cost-reimbursement contract under the Federal Acquisition Regulations that a non-Federal entity receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in § 75.101.
(2) The instrument setting forth the terms and conditions. The instrument is the grant agreement, cooperative agreement, other agreement for assistance covered in paragraph (2) of Federal financial assistance, or the cost-reimbursement contract awarded under the Federal Acquisition Regulations.
(3) Federal award does not include other contracts that a Federal agency uses to buy goods or services from a contractor or a contract to operate Federal Government owned, contractor operated facilities (GOCOs).
(4) See also definitions of Federal financial assistance, grant agreement, and cooperative agreement.
Federal award date means the date when the Federal award is signed by the authorized official of the Federal awarding agency.
Federal awarding agency means the Federal agency that provides a Federal award directly to a non-Federal entity.
Federal financial assistance means:
(1) Assistance that non-Federal entities receive or administer in the form of:
(i) Grants;
(ii) Cooperative agreements;
(iii) Non-cash contributions or donations of property (including donated surplus property);
(iv) Direct appropriations;
(v) Food commodities; and
(vi) Other financial assistance (except assistance listed in paragraph (b) of this section).
(2) For § 75.202 and subpart F of this part, Federal financial assistance also includes assistance that non-Federal entities receive or administer in the form of:
(i) Loans;
(ii) Loan Guarantees;
(iii) Interest subsidies; and
(iv) Insurance.
(3) Federal financial assistance does not include amounts received as reimbursement for services rendered to individuals as described in § 75.502(h) and (i).
Federal interest means, for purposes of § 75.343 or when used in connection with the acquisition or improvement of real property, equipment, or supplies under a Federal award, the dollar amount that is the product of the:
(1) Federal share of total project costs; and
(2) Current fair market value of the property, improvements, or both, to the extent the costs of acquiring or improving the property were included as project costs.
Federal program means:
(1) All Federal awards which are assigned a single number in the CFDA.
(2) When no CFDA number is assigned, all Federal awards to non-Federal entities from the same agency made for the same purpose must be combined and considered one program.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of this definition, a cluster of programs. The types of clusters of programs are:
(i) Research and development (R&D);
(ii) Student financial aid (SFA); and
(iii) “Other clusters,” as described in the definition of Cluster of Programs
Federal share means the portion of total project costs that are paid by Federal funds.
Final cost objective means a cost objective which has allocated to it both direct and indirect costs and, in the non-Federal entity's accumulation system, is one of the final accumulation points, such as a particular award, internal project, or other direct activity of a non-Federal entity. See also Cost objective and Intermediate cost objective.
Fixed amount awards means a type of grant agreement under which the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity provides a specific level of support without regard to actual costs incurred under the Federal award. This type of Federal award reduces some of the administrative burden and record-keeping requirements for both the non-Federal entity and Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity. Accountability is based primarily on performance and results. See §§ 75.201(b) and 75.353.
Foreign organization means an entity that is:
(1) A public or private organization located in a country other than the United States and its territories that is subject to the laws of the country in which it is located, irrespective of the citizenship of project staff or place of performance;
(2) A private nongovernmental organization located in a country other than the United States that solicits and receives cash contributions from the general public;
(3) A charitable organization located in a country other than the United States that is nonprofit and tax exempt under the laws of its country of domicile and operation, and is not a university, college, accredited degree-granting institution of education, private foundation, hospital, organization engaged exclusively in research or scientific activities, church, synagogue, mosque or other similar entities organized primarily for religious purposes; or
(4) An organization located in a country other than the United States not recognized as a Foreign Public Entity.
Foreign public entity means:
(1) A foreign government or foreign governmental entity;
(2) A public international organization, which is an organization entitled to enjoy privileges, exemptions, and immunities as an international organization under the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288-288f);
(3) An entity owned (in whole or in part) or controlled by a foreign government; or
(4) Any other entity consisting wholly or partially of one or more foreign governments or foreign governmental entities.
General purpose equipment means equipment which is not limited to research, medical, scientific or other technical activities. Examples include office equipment and furnishings, modular offices, telephone networks, information technology equipment and systems, air conditioning equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, and motor vehicles. See also Equipment and Special Purpose Equipment.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) has the meaning specified in accounting standards issued by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).
Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), also known as the Yellow Book, means generally accepted government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, which are applicable to financial audits.
Grant agreement means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302, 6304:
(1) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity's direct benefit or use;
(2) Is distinguished from a cooperative agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
(3) Does not include an agreement that provides only:
(i) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual;
(ii) A subsidy;
(iii) A loan;
(iv) A loan guarantee; or
(v) Insurance.
Grantee (see Recipient )
HHS awarding agency means any organization component of HHS that is authorized to make and administer awards.
Hospital means a facility licensed as a hospital under the law of any state or a facility operated as a hospital by the United States, a state, or a subdivision of a state.
Improper payment:
(1) Means any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount (including overpayments and underpayments) under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements; and
(2) Includes any payment to an ineligible party, any payment for an ineligible good or service, any duplicate payment, any payment for a good or service not received (except for such payments where authorized by law), any payment that does not account for credit for applicable discounts, and any payment where insufficient or lack of documentation prevents a reviewer from discerning whether a payment was proper.
Indian tribe means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. Chapter 33), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)). See annually published Bureau of Indian Affairs list of Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services.
Indirect cost rate proposal means the documentation prepared by a non-Federal entity to substantiate its request for the establishment of an indirect cost rate as described in appendix III through appendix VII, and appendix IX of this part.
Indirect (Facilities and Administration or F&A) costs means costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect (F&A) costs. Indirect (F&A) cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.
Information technology systems means computing devices, ancillary equipment, software, firmware, and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. See also Computing devices and Equipment.
Institution of Higher Education (IHE) is defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001.
Intangible property means property having no physical existence, such as trademarks, copyrights, patents and patent applications and property, such as loans, notes and other debt instruments, lease agreements, stock and other instruments of property ownership (whether the property is tangible or intangible).
Intermediate cost objective means a cost objective that is used to accumulate indirect costs or service center costs that are subsequently allocated to one or more indirect cost pools or final cost objectives. See also Cost objective and Final cost objective.
Internal control over compliance requirements for Federal awards means a process implemented by a non-Federal entity designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of the following objectives for Federal awards:
(1) Transactions are properly recorded and accounted for, in order to:
(i) Permit the preparation of reliable financial statements and Federal reports;
(ii) Maintain accountability over assets; and
(iii) Demonstrate compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award;
(2) Transactions are executed in compliance with:
(i) Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award that could have a direct and material effect on a Federal program; and
(ii) Any other Federal statutes and regulations that are identified in the Compliance Supplement; and
(3) Funds, property, and other assets are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized use or disposition.
Internal controls means a process, implemented by a non-Federal entity, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories:
(1) Effectiveness and efficiency of operations;
(2) Reliability of reporting for internal and external use; and
(3) Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Loan means a Federal loan or loan guarantee received or administered by a non-Federal entity, except as used in the definition of Program income.
(1) The term “direct loan” means a disbursement of funds by the Federal Government to a non-Federal borrower under a contract that requires the repayment of such funds with or without interest. The term includes the purchase of, or participation in, a loan made by another lender and financing arrangements that defer payment for more than 90 days, including the sale of a Federal Government asset on credit terms. The term does not include the acquisition of a federally guaranteed loan in satisfaction of default claims or the price support loans of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
(2) The term “direct loan obligation” means a binding agreement by a Federal awarding agency to make a direct loan when specified conditions are fulfilled by the borrower.
(3) The term “loan guarantee” means any Federal Government guarantee, insurance, or other pledge with respect to the payment of all or a part of the principal or interest on any debt obligation of a non-Federal borrower to a non-Federal lender, but does not include the insurance of deposits, shares, or other withdrawable accounts in financial institutions.
(4) The term “loan guarantee commitment” means a binding agreement by a Federal awarding agency to make a loan guarantee when specified conditions are fulfilled by the borrower, the lender, or any other party to the guarantee agreement.
Local government means any unit of government within a state, including a:
(1) County;
(2) Borough;
(3) Municipality;
(4) City;
(5) Town;
(6) Township;
(7) Parish;
(8) Local public authority, including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937;
(9) Special district;
(10) School district;
(11) Intrastate district;
(12) Council of governments, whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under state law; and
(13) Any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-, regional, or intra-state or local government.
Major program means a Federal program determined by the auditor to be a major program in accordance with § 75.518 or a program identified as a major program by a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with § 75.503(e).
Management decision means the evaluation by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity of the audit findings and corrective action plan and the issuance of a written decision to the auditee as to what corrective action is necessary.
Micro-purchase means a purchase of supplies or services using simplified acquisition procedures, the aggregate amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold. Micro-purchase procedures comprise a subset of a non-Federal entity's small purchase procedures. The non-Federal entity uses such procedures in order to expedite the completion of its lowest-dollar small purchase transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The micro-purchase threshold is set by the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR Subpart 2.1 (Definitions). It is $3,000 except as otherwise discussed in subpart 2.1 of that regulation, but this threshold is periodically adjusted for inflation.
Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.
Non-Federal entity means a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or nonprofit organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.
Nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization, not including IHEs, that:
(1) Is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest;
(2) Is not organized primarily for profit; and
(3) Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operations of the organization.
Obligations, when used in connection with a non-Federal entity's utilization of funds under a Federal award, obligations means orders placed for property and services, contracts and subawards made, and similar transactions during a given period that require payment by the non-Federal entity during the same or a future period.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) means the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget.
Oversight agency for audit means the Federal awarding agency that provides the predominant amount of funding directly to a non-Federal entity not assigned a cognizant agency for audit. When there is no direct funding, the Federal awarding agency which is the predominant source of pass-through funding must assume the oversight responsibilities. The duties of the oversight agency for audit and the process for any reassignments are described in § 75.513(b).
Participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.
Pass-through entity means a non-Federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal program.
Performance goal means a target level of performance expressed as a tangible, measurable objective, against which actual achievement can be compared, including a goal expressed as a quantitative standard, value, or rate. In some instances ( e.g., discretionary research awards), this may be limited to the requirement to submit technical performance reports (to be evaluated in accordance with agency policy).
Period of performance means the time during which the non-Federal entity may incur new obligations to carry out the work authorized under the Federal award. The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must include start and end dates of the period of performance in the Federal award (see §§ 75.210(a)(5) and 75.352(a)(1)(v)).
Personal property means property of any kind except real property. It may be tangible, having physical existence, or intangible, such as copyrights, patents, or securities.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) means information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual. Some information that is considered to be PII is available in public sources such as telephone books, public Web sites, and university listings. This type of information is considered to be Public PII and includes, for example, first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general educational credentials. The definition of PII is not anchored to any single category of information or technology. Rather, it requires a case-by-case assessment of the specific risk that an individual can be identified. Non-PII can become PII whenever additional information is made publicly available, in any medium and from any source, that, when combined with other available information, could be used to identify an individual.
Principal Investigator/Program Director (PI/PD) means the individual (s) designated by the recipient to direct the project or program being supported by the grant. The PI/PD is responsible and accountable to officials of the recipient organization for the proper conduct of the project, program, or activity.
Prior approval means written approval by an authorized HHS official evidencing prior consent before a recipient undertakes certain activities or incurs specific costs.
Program income means gross income earned by the non-Federal entity that is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of the Federal award during the period of performance except as provided in § 75.307(f). (See Period of performance. ) Program income includes but is not limited to income from fees for services performed, the use or rental or real or personal property acquired under Federal awards, the sale of commodities or items fabricated under a Federal award, license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights, and principal and interest on loans made with Federal award funds. Interest earned on advances of Federal funds is not program income. Except as otherwise provided in Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award, program income does not include rebates, credits, discounts, and interest earned on any of them. See also §§ 75.307, 75.407 and 35 U.S.C. 200-212 (applies to inventions made under Federal awards).
Project costs means total allowable costs incurred under a Federal award and all required cost sharing and voluntary committed cost sharing, including third-party contributions.
Project period (see Period of performance ).
Property means real property or personal property.
Protected Personally Identifiable Information (Protected PII) Protected PII means an individual's first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of types of information, including, but not limited to, social security number, passport number, credit card numbers, clearances, bank numbers, biometrics, date and place of birth, mother's maiden name, criminal, medical and financial records, educational transcripts. This does not include PII that is required by law to be disclosed. (See also Personally Identifiable Information (PII)).
Questioned cost means a cost that is questioned by the auditor because of an audit finding:
(1) Which resulted from a violation or possible violation of a statute, regulation, or the terms and conditions of a Federal award, including for funds used to match Federal funds;
(2) Where the costs, at the time of the audit, are not supported by adequate documentation; or
(3) Where the costs incurred appear unreasonable and do not reflect the actions a prudent person would take in the circumstances.
Real property means land, including land improvements, structures and appurtenances thereto, but excludes moveable machinery and equipment.
Recipient means an entity, usually but not limited to non-Federal entities, that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal awarding agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program. The term recipient does not include subrecipients. See also Non-Federal entity.
Research is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. “Development” is the systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes.
Research and Development (R&D) means all research activities, both basic and applied, and all development activities that are performed by HHS award recipients. The term research also includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function.
Simplified acquisition threshold means the dollar amount below which a non-Federal entity may purchase property or services using small purchase methods. Non-Federal entities adopt small purchase procedures in order to expedite the purchase of items costing less than the simplified acquisition threshold. The simplified acquisition threshold is set by the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR subpart 2.1 and in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1908. As of the publication of this part, the simplified acquisition threshold is $150,000, but this threshold is periodically adjusted for inflation. See also Micro-purchase.
Special purpose equipment means equipment which is used only for research, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. Examples of special purpose equipment include microscopes, x-ray machines, surgical instruments, and spectrometers. See also Equipment and General purpose equipment.
State means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentality thereof exclusive of local governments.
Student Financial Aid (SFA) means Federal awards under those programs of general student assistance, such as those authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, (20 U.S.C. 1070-1099d), which are administered by the U.S. Department of Education, and similar programs provided by other Federal agencies. It does not include Federal awards under programs that provide fellowships or similar Federal awards to students on a competitive basis, or for specified studies or research.
Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.
Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.
Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. See also Computing devices and Equipment.
Surplus property (see Excess property )
Suspension of award activities means an action by the HHS awarding agency requiring the recipient to cease all activities on the award pending corrective action by the recipient. It is a separate action from suspension under HHS regulations (2 CFR part 376) implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689.
Termination means the ending of a Federal award, in whole or in part at any time prior to the planned end of period of performance.
Third-party in-kind contributions means the value of non-cash contributions ( i.e., property or services) that:
(1) Benefit a federally assisted project or program; and
(2) Are contributed by non-Federal third parties, without charge, to a non-Federal entity under a Federal award.
Total Costs ( see § 75.402).
Unliquidated obligations means, for financial reports prepared on a cash basis, obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity that have not been paid (liquidated). For reports prepared on an accrual expenditure basis, these are obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity for which an expenditure has not been recorded.
Unobligated balance means the amount of funds authorized under a Federal award that the non-Federal entity has not obligated. The amount is computed by subtracting the cumulative amount of the non-Federal entity's unliquidated obligations and expenditures of funds under the Federal award from the cumulative amount of the funds that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity authorized the non-Federal entity to obligate.
Voluntary committed cost sharing means cost sharing specifically pledged on a voluntary basis in the proposal's budget or the Federal award on the part of the non-Federal entity and that becomes a binding requirement of Federal award.
Working capital advance means a procedure whereby funds are advanced to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs for a given initial period.
§ 75.100   Purpose.
(a)(1) This part establishes uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for Federal awards to non-Federal entities, as described in § 75.101. HHS awarding agencies must not impose additional or inconsistent requirements, except as provided in §§ 75.102 and 75.210, or unless specifically required by Federal statute, regulation, or Executive Order.
(2) This part provides the basis for a systematic and periodic collection and uniform submission by Federal agencies of information on all Federal financial assistance programs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It also establishes Federal policies related to the delivery of this information to the public, including through the use of electronic media. It prescribes the manner in which General Services Administration (GSA), OMB, and Federal agencies that administer Federal financial assistance programs are to carry out their statutory responsibilities under the Federal Program Information Act (31 U.S.C. 6101-6106).
(b) Administrative requirements. Subparts B through D of this part set forth the uniform administrative requirements for grant and cooperative agreements, including the requirements for HHS awarding agency management of Federal grant programs before the Federal award has been made, and the requirements HHS awarding agencies may impose on non-Federal entities in the Federal award.
(c) Cost principles. Subpart E of this part establishes principles for determining the allowable costs incurred by non-Federal entities under Federal awards. The principles are for the purpose of cost determination and are not intended to identify the circumstances or dictate the extent of Federal Government participation in the financing of a particular program or project. The principles are designed to provide that Federal awards bear their fair share of cost recognized under these principles except where restricted or prohibited by statute.
(d) Single audit requirements and audit follow-up. Subpart F of this part is issued pursuant to the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, (31 U.S.C. 7501-7507). It sets forth standards for obtaining consistency and uniformity among Federal agencies for the audit of non-Federal entities expending Federal awards. These provisions also provide the policies and procedures for HHS awarding agencies and pass-through entities when using the results of these audits.
(e) For OMB guidance to Federal awarding agencies on Challenges and Prizes, please see M-10-11 Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government, issued March 8, 2010, or its successor.
§ 75.101   Applicability.
(a) General applicability to Federal agencies. The requirements established in this part apply to Federal agencies that make Federal awards to non-Federal entities. These requirements are applicable to all costs related to Federal awards.
(b)(1) Applicability to different types of Federal awards. The following table describes what portions of this part apply to which types of Federal awards. The terms and conditions of Federal-awards (including this part) flow down to subawards to subrecipients unless a particular section of this part or the terms and conditions of the Federal award specifically indicate otherwise. This means that non-Federal entities must comply with requirements in this part regardless of whether the non-Federal entity is a recipient or subrecipient of a Federal award. Pass-through entities must comply with the requirements described in subpart D of this part, §§ 75.351 through 75.353, but not any requirements in this part directed towards Federal awarding agencies unless the requirements of this part or the terms and conditions of the Federal award indicate otherwise. This table must be read along with the other provisions in this section
(2) Federal award of cost-reimbursement contract under the FAR to a non-Federal entity. When a non-Federal entity is awarded a cost-reimbursement contract, only subpart D of this part §§ 75.351 through 75.353 (in addition to any FAR related requirements for subaward monitoring), subpart E of this part and subpart F of this part are incorporated by reference into the contract. However, when the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) are applicable to the contract, they take precedence over the requirements of this part except for subpart F of this part when they are in conflict. In addition, costs that are made unallowable under 10 U.S.C. 2324(e) and 41 U.S.C. 4304(a) as described in the FAR subpart 31.2 and subpart 31.603 are always unallowable. For requirements other than those covered in subpart D of this part, §§ 75.351 through 75.353, subpart E of this part and subpart F of this part, the terms of the contract and the FAR apply.
(3) With the exception of subpart F of this part, which is required by the Single Audit Act, in any circumstances where the provisions of Federal statutes or regulations differ from the provisions of this part, the provision of the Federal statutes or regulations govern. This includes, for agreements with Indian tribes, the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education and Assistance Act (ISDEAA), as amended, 25 U.S.C. 450-458ddd-2.
(c) HHS awarding agencies may apply subparts A through E of this part to Federal agencies (see § 75.217), for-profit entities, foreign public entities, or foreign organizations, except where the HHS awarding agency determines that the application of these subparts would be inconsistent with the international obligations of the United States or the statutes or regulations of a foreign government.
(d) Except for §§ 75.202 and 75.351 through 75.353 of subpart D of this part, the requirements in subpart C of this part, subpart D of this part, and subpart E of this part do not apply to the following programs:
(1) The block grant awards authorized by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (including Community Services), except to the extent that subpart E of this part apply to subrecipients of Community Services Block Grant funds pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 9916(a)(1)(B);
(2) Federal awards to local education agencies under 20 U.S.C. 7702-7703b, (portions of the Impact Aid program);
(3) Payments under the Department of Veterans Affairs' State Home Per Diem Program (38 U.S.C. 1741); and
(4) Federal awards authorized under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, as amended:
(i) Child Care and Development Block Grant (42 U.S.C. 9858)
(ii) Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund (42 U.S.C. 9858)
(e) Except for § 75.202, the guidance in subpart C of this part does not apply to the following programs:
(1) Entitlement Federal awards to carry out the following programs of the Social Security Act:
(i) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (title IV-A of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 601-619);
(ii) Child Support Enforcement and Establishment of Paternity (title IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 651-669b);
(iii) Foster Care and Adoption Assistance (title IV-E of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 670-679c);
(iv) Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (titles I, X, XIV, and XVI-AABD of the Act, as amended);
(v) Medical Assistance (Medicaid) (title XIX of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1396-1396w-5) not including the State Medicaid Fraud Control program authorized by § 1903(a)(6)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(a)(6)(B)); and
(vi) Children's Health Insurance Program (title XXI of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1397aa-1397mm).
(2) A Federal award for an experimental, pilot, or demonstration project that is also supported by a Federal award listed in paragraph (e)(1) of this section;
(3) Federal awards under subsection 412(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and subsection 501(a) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-422, 94 Stat. 1809), for cash assistance, medical assistance, and supplemental security income benefits to refugees and entrants and the administrative costs of providing the assistance and benefits (8 U.S.C. 1522(e));
(4) Entitlement awards under the following programs of The National School Lunch Act:
(i) National School Lunch Program (section 4 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1753),
(ii) Commodity Assistance (section 6 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1755),
(iii) Special Meal Assistance (section 11 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1759a),
(iv) Summer Food Service Program for Children (section 13 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1761), and
(v) Child and Adult Care Food Program (section 17 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1766).
(5) Entitlement awards under the following programs of The Child Nutrition Act of 1966:
(i) Special Milk Program (section 3 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1772),
(ii) School Breakfast Program (section 4 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1773), and
(iii) State Administrative Expenses (section 7 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1776).
(6) Entitlement awards for State Administrative Expenses under The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (section 16 of the Act, 7 U.S.C. 2025).
(7) Non-discretionary Federal awards under the following non-entitlement programs:
(i) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966) 42 U.S.C. 1786;
(ii) The Emergency Food Assistance Programs (Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983) 7 U.S.C. 7501 note; and
(iii) Commodity Supplemental Food Program (section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973) 7 U.S.C. 612c note.
§ 75.102   Exceptions.
(a) With the exception of subpart F of this part, OMB may allow exceptions for classes of Federal awards or non-Federal entities subject to the requirements of this part when exceptions are not prohibited by statute. However, in the interest of maximum uniformity, exceptions from the requirements of this part will be permitted only in unusual circumstances. Exceptions for classes of Federal awards or non-Federal entities will be published on the OMB Web site at www.whitehouse.gov/omb .
(b) Exceptions on a case-by-case basis for individual non-Federal entities may be authorized by the HHS awarding agency or cognizant agency for indirect costs, except where otherwise required by law or where OMB or other approval is expressly required by this part.
(c) The HHS awarding agency may apply more restrictive requirements to a class of Federal awards or non-Federal entities when approved by OMB, or when required by Federal statutes or regulations, except for the requirements in subpart F of this part. An HHS awarding agency may apply less restrictive requirements when making fixed amount awards as defined in subpart A of this part, except for those requirements imposed by statute or in subpart F of this part.
(d) On a case-by-case basis, OMB will approve new strategies for Federal awards when proposed by the HHS awarding agency in accordance with OMB guidance (such as M-13-17) to develop additional evidence relevant to addressing important policy challenges or to promote cost-effectiveness in and across Federal programs. Proposals may draw on the innovative program designs discussed in M-13-17 to expand or improve the use of effective practices in delivering Federal financial assistance while also encouraging innovation in service delivery. Proposals submitted to OMB in accordance with M-13-17 may include requests to waive requirements other than those in subpart F of this part.
§ 75.103   Authorities.
This part is issued under the following authorities.
(a) Subpart B of this part through subpart D of this part are authorized under 31 U.S.C. 503 (the Chief Financial Officers Act, Functions of the Deputy Director for Management), 31 U.S.C. 1111 (Improving Economy and Efficiency of the United States Government), 41 U.S.C. 1101-1131 (the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act), Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1970, and Executive Order 11541 Prescribing the Duties of the Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council in the Executive Office of the President, the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, (31 U.S.C. 7501-7507), as well as The Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95-220 and Public Law 98-169, as amended, codified at 31 U.S.C. 6101-6106).
(b) Subpart E of this part is authorized under the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended; the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950, as amended (31 U.S.C. 1101-1125); the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (31 U.S.C. 503-504); Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1970; and Executive Order No. 11541 Prescribing the Duties of the Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council in the Executive Office of the President.
(c) Subpart F of this part is authorized under the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, (31 U.S.C. 7501-7507).
§ 75.104   Supersession.
As described in § 75.110, this part supersedes:
(a) The following OMB guidance documents and regulations under Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
(1) A-21, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions” (2 CFR part 220);
(2) A-87, “Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments” (2 CFR part 225) and also Federal Register notice 51 FR 552 (January 6, 1986);
(3) A-89, “Federal Domestic Assistance Program Information”;
(4) A-102, “Grant Awards and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments”;
(5) A-110, “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Awards and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations” (codified at 2 CFR 215);
(6) A-122, “Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations” (2 CFR part 230);
(7) A-133, “Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations”, and
(8) Those sections of A-50 related to audits performed under subpart F of this part.
(b) This part also supersedes HHS' regulations at 45 CFR parts 74 and 92.
§ 75.105   Effect on other issuances.
For Federal awards subject to this part, all administrative requirements, program manuals, handbooks and other non-regulatory materials that are inconsistent with the requirements of this part are superseded upon implementation of this part by the HHS awarding agency, except to the extent they are required by statute or authorized in accordance with the provisions in § 75.102.
§ 75.106   Agency implementation.
HHS is implementing the language in 2 CFR part 200 in these codified regulations.
§ 75.107   OMB responsibilities.
OMB will review HHS agency regulations and implementation of 2 CFR part 200, and will provide interpretations of policy requirements and assistance to ensure effective and efficient implementation. Any exceptions will be subject to approval by OMB. Exceptions will only be made in particular cases where adequate justification is presented.
§ 75.108   Inquiries.
Inquiries concerning 2 CFR part 200 may be directed to the Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, in Washington, DC. Inquiries concerning 45 CFR part 75 should be addressed to the HHS awarding agency, cognizant agency for indirect costs, cognizant or oversight agency for audit, or pass-through entity as appropriate.
§ 75.109   Review date.
OMB will review 2 CFR part 200 and HHS will review 45 part 75 at least every five years after December 26, 2013.
§ 75.110   Effective/Applicability date.
(a) The standards set forth in this part which affect administration of Federal awards issued by HHS agencies become effective December 26, 2014 unless different provisions are required by statute or approved by OMB. For the procurement standards in 45 CFR 75.326 through 75.335, non-Federal entities may continue to comply with the procurement standards in previous OMB guidance (superseded by this part as described in 45 CFR 75.104) for two additional fiscal years after this part goes into effect. If a non-Federal entity chooses to use the previous procurement standards for an additional two fiscal years before adopting the procurement standards in this part, the non-Federal entity must document this decision in their internal procurement policies.
(b) The standards set forth in subpart F of this part and any other standards which apply directly to HHS agencies will be effective December 26, 2013, and will apply to audits of fiscal years beginning on or after December 26, 2014.
§ 75.111   English language.
(a) All Federal financial assistance announcements and Federal award information must be in the English language. Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of U.S. dollars. If the HHS awarding agency receives applications in another currency, the HHS awarding agency will evaluate the application by converting the foreign currency to United States currency using the date specified for receipt of the application.
(b) Non-Federal entities may translate the Federal award and other documents into another language. In the event of inconsistency between any terms and conditions of the Federal award and any translation into another language, the English language meaning will control. Where a significant portion of the non-Federal entity's employees who are working on the Federal award are not fluent in English, the non-Federal entity must provide the Federal award in English and the language(s) with which employees are more familiar.
§ 75.112   Conflict of interest.
(a) HHS awarding agencies must establish conflict of interest policies for Federal awards. The non-Federal entity must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the respective HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with applicable HHS awarding agency's policy. As a general matter, HHS awarding agencies' conflict of interest policies must:
(1) Address conditions under which outside activities, relationships, or financial interests are proper or improper;
(2) Provide for advance notification of outside activities, relationships, or financial interests, and a process of review as appropriate; and
(3) Outline how financial conflicts of interest may be addressed.
(b) Agencies with Public Health Service (PHS) funded research will ensure that any conflict of interest policies are aligned with the requirements of 42 CFR part 50, subpart F.
§ 75.113   Mandatory disclosures.
The non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non-Federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in § 75.371, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2 CFR parts 180 and 376, and 31 U.S.C. 3321).
§ 75.200   Purpose.
(a) Sections 75.201 through 75.208 prescribe instructions and other pre-award matters to be used in the announcement and application process.
(b) Use of §§ 75.203, 75.204, 75.205, and 75.207, is required only for competitive Federal awards, but may also be used by the HHS awarding agency for non-competitive awards where appropriate or where required by Federal statute.
§ 75.201   Use of grant agreements (including fixed amount awards), cooperative agreements, and contracts.
(a) The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must decide on the appropriate instrument for the Federal award ( i.e., grant agreement, cooperative agreement, or contract) in accordance with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act (31 U.S.C. 6301-08).
(b) Fixed Amount Awards. In addition to the options described in paragraph (a) of this section, HHS awarding agencies, or pass-through entities as permitted in § 75.353, may use fixed amount awards (see § 75.2 Fixed amount awards ) to which the following conditions apply:
(1) The Federal award amount is negotiated using the cost principles (or other pricing information) as a guide. The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may use fixed amount awards if the project scope is specific and if adequate cost, historical, or unit pricing data is available to establish a fixed amount award based on a reasonable estimate of actual cost. Payments are based on meeting specific requirements of the Federal award. Accountability is based on performance and results. Except in the case of termination before completion of the Federal award, there is no governmental review of the actual costs incurred by the non-Federal entity in performance of the award. Some of the ways in which the Federal award may be paid include, but are not limited to:
(i) In several partial payments, the amount of each agreed upon in advance, and the “milestone” or event triggering the payment also agreed upon in advance, and set forth in the Federal award;
(ii) On a unit price basis, for a defined unit or units, at a defined price or prices, agreed to in advance of performance of the Federal award and set forth in the Federal award; or,
(iii) In one payment at Federal award completion.
(2) A fixed amount award cannot be used in programs which require mandatory cost sharing or match.
(3) The non-Federal entity must certify in writing to the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity at the end of the Federal award that the project or activity was completed or the level of effort was expended. If the required level of activity or effort was not carried out, the amount of the Federal award must be adjusted.
(4) Periodic reports may be established for each Federal award.
(5) Changes in principal investigator, project leader, project partner, or scope of effort must receive the prior written approval of the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity.
§ 75.202   Requirement to provide public notice of Federal financial assistance programs.
(a) The HHS awarding agency must notify the public of Federal programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA).
(1) The CFDA, or any OMB-designated replacement, is the single, authoritative, government-wide comprehensive source of Federal financial assistance program information produced by the executive branch of the Federal Government.
(2) The information that the HHS awarding agency must submit to GSA for approval by OMB is listed in paragraph (b) of this section. GSA must prescribe the format for the submission.
(3) The HHS awarding agency may not award Federal financial assistance without assigning it to a program that has been included in the CFDA as required in this section unless there are exigent circumstances requiring otherwise, such as timing requirements imposed by statute.
(b) For each program that awards discretionary Federal awards, non-discretionary Federal awards, loans, insurance, or any other type of Federal financial assistance, the HHS awarding agency must submit the following information to GSA:
(1) Program Description, Purpose, Goals and Measurement. A brief summary of the statutory or regulatory requirements of the program and its intended outcome. Where appropriate, the Program Description, Purpose, Goals, and Measurement should align with the strategic goals and objectives within the HHS awarding agency's performance plan and should support the HHS awarding agency's performance measurement, management, and reporting as required by Part 6 of OMB Circular A-11;
(2) Identification of whether the program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis or the Federal awards are prescribed by Federal statute, such as in the case of formula grants.
(3) Projected total amount of funds available for the program. Estimates based on previous year funding are acceptable if current appropriations are not available at the time of the submission;
(4) Anticipated Source of Available Funds: The statutory authority for funding the program and, to the extent possible, agency, sub-agency, or, if known, the specific program unit that will issue the Federal awards, and associated funding identifier ( e.g., Treasury Account Symbol(s));
(5) General Eligibility Requirements: The statutory, regulatory or other eligibility factors or considerations that determine the applicant's qualification for Federal awards under the program ( e.g., type of non-Federal entity); and
(6) Applicability of Single Audit Requirements as required by subpart F of this part.
§ 75.203   Notices of funding opportunities.
For competitive grants and cooperative agreements, the HHS awarding agency must announce specific funding opportunities by providing the following information in a public notice:
(a) Summary Information in Notices of Funding Opportunities. The HHS awarding agency must display the following information posted on the OMB-designated government-wide Web site for finding and applying for Federal financial assistance, in a location preceding the full text of the announcement:
(1) HHS Awarding Agency Name;
(2) Funding Opportunity Title;
(3) Announcement Type (whether the funding opportunity is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity or a modification of a previously announced opportunity);
(4) Funding Opportunity Number (required, if applicable). If the HHS awarding agency has assigned or will assign a number to the funding opportunity announcement, this number must be provided;
(5) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s);
(6) Key Dates. Key dates include due dates for applications or Executive Order 12372 submissions, as well as for any letters of intent or pre-applications. For any announcement issued before a program's application materials are available, key dates also include the date on which those materials will be released; and any other additional information, as deemed applicable by the relevant HHS awarding agency.
(b) The HHS awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The HHS awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the HHS awarding agency head or delegate.
(c) Full Text of Funding Opportunities. The HHS awarding agency must include the following information in the full text of each funding opportunity. For specific instructions on the content required in this section, refer to appendix I of this part.
(1) Full programmatic description of the funding opportunity.
(2) Federal award information, including sufficient information to help an applicant make an informed decision about whether to submit an application. (See also § 75.414(c)(4)).
(3) Specific eligibility information, including any factors or priorities that affect an applicant's or its application's eligibility for selection.
(4) Application Preparation and Submission Information, including the applicable submission dates and time.
(5) Application Review Information including the criteria and process to be used to evaluate applications. See also §§ 75.204 and 75.205.
(6) Federal Award Administration Information. See also § 75.210.
§ 75.204   HHS funding agency review of merit of proposals.
For competitive grants or cooperative agreements, unless prohibited by Federal statute, the HHS awarding agency must design and execute a merit review process for applications. This process must be described or incorporated by reference in the applicable funding opportunity (see appendix I to this part.) See also § 75.203.
§ 75.205   HHS awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.
(a) Review of OMB-designated repositories of governmentwide data. (1) Prior to making a Federal award, the HHS awarding agency is required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C. 2313 note to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of governmentwide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information as appropriate. See also suspension and debarment requirements at 2 CFR parts 180 and 376.
(2) In accordance 41 U.S.C. 2313, the HHS awarding agency is required to review the non-public segment of the OMB-designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) prior to making a Federal award where the Federal share is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, defined in 41 U.S.C. 134, over the period of performance. At a minimum, the information in the system for a prior Federal award recipient must demonstrate a satisfactory record of executing programs or activities under Federal grants, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards; and integrity and business ethics. The HHS awarding agency may make a Federal award to a recipient who does not fully meet these standards, if it is determined that the information is not relevant to the current Federal award under consideration or there are specific conditions that can appropriately mitigate the effects of the non-Federal entity's risk in accordance with § 75.207.
(b) In addition, for competitive grants or cooperative agreements, the HHS awarding agency must have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. This evaluation may incorporate results of the evaluation of the applicant's eligibility or the quality of its application. If the HHS awarding agency determines that a Federal award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the Federal award. Criteria to be evaluated must be described in the announcement of funding opportunity described in § 75.203.
(c) In evaluating risks posed by applicants, the HHS awarding agency may use a risk-based approach and may consider any items such as the following:
(1) Financial stability;
(2) Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in this part;
(3) History of performance. The applicant's record in managing Federal awards, if it is a prior recipient of Federal awards, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements, conformance to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards, and if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards;
(4) Reports and findings from audits performed under subpart F of this part or the reports and findings of any other available audits; and
(5) The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.
(d) In addition to this review, the HHS awarding agency must comply with the guidelines on government-wide suspension and debarment in 2 CFR part 180, and must require non-Federal entities to comply with these provisions. These provisions restrict Federal awards, subawards and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal programs or activities.
§ 75.206   Standard application requirements, including forms for applying for HHS financial assistance, and state plans.
(a) Paperwork clearances. The HHS awarding agency may only use application information collections approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and OMB's implementing regulations in 5 CFR part 1320, Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public. Consistent with these requirements, OMB will authorize additional information collections only on a limited basis.
(b) If applicable, the HHS awarding agency may inform applicants and recipients that they do not need to provide certain information otherwise required by the relevant information collection.
(c) Forms for applying for HHS financial assistance. HHS awarding agencies should use the Standard Form 424 (SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance) series (or its successor) and its program narrative whenever possible. Alternative mechanisms may be used for formula grant programs which do not require applicants to apply for funds on a project basis.
(1) Applicants shall use the SF-424 series or those forms and instructions prescribed by the HHS awarding agency.
(2) For Federal programs covered by Executive Order 12372, as amended by Executive Order 12416, the applicant shall complete the appropriate sections of the SF-424 indicating whether the application was subject to review by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC). The name and address of the SPOC for a particular State can be obtained from the HHS awarding agency or the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The SPOC shall advise the applicant whether the program for which application is made has been selected by that State for review. (See also 45 CFR part 100.)
(3) HHS awarding agencies that do not use the SF-424 series will indicate on the application form they prescribe whether the application is subject to review by the State under Executive Order 12372.
(4) This section does not apply to applications for subawards.
(5) Except where otherwise noted, or granted by HHS deviation, HHS awarding agencies shall direct applicants to apply for HHS financial assistance through Grants.gov, an OMB-designated Web site for Find and Apply.
(d) State plans. The statutes for some programs require States to submit plans before receiving grants. Under regulations implementing Executive Order 12372, States are allowed to simplify, consolidate and substitute plans. This section contains additional provisions for plans that are subject to regulations implementing Executive Order 12372.
(1) Requirements. A State need meet only Federal administrative or programmatic requirements for a plan that are in statutes or codified regulations.
(2) Assurances. In each plan, the State will include an assurance that the State will comply with all applicable Federal statutes and regulations in effect with respect to the periods for which it receives grant funding. For this assurance and other assurances required in this plan, the State may:
(i) Cite by number the statutory or regulatory provisions requiring the assurances and affirm that it gives the assurances required by those provisions,
(ii) Repeat the assurance language in the statutes or regulations, or
(iii) Develop its own language to the extent permitted by law.
(3) Amendments. A State will amend a plan whenever necessary to reflect:
(i) New or revised Federal statutes or regulations, or
(ii) A material change in any State law, organization, policy, or State agency operation. The State will obtain approval for the amendment and its effective date but need submit for approval only the amended portions of the plan.
§ 75.207   Specific award conditions.
(a) The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may impose additional specific award conditions as needed in accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, under the following circumstances:
(1) Based on the criteria set forth in § 75.205;
(2) When an applicant or recipient has a history of failure to comply with the general or specific terms and conditions of a Federal award;
(3) When an applicant or recipient fails to meet expected performance goals as described in § 75.210, or;
(4) When an applicant or recipient is not otherwise responsible.
(b) These additional Federal award conditions may include items such as the following:
(1) Requiring payments as reimbursements rather than advance payments;
(2) Withholding authority to proceed to the next phase until receipt of evidence of acceptable performance within a given period of performance;
(3) Requiring additional, more detailed financial reports;
(4) Requiring additional project monitoring;
(5) Requiring the non-Federal entity to obtain technical or management assistance; or
(6) Establishing additional prior approvals.
(c) The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must notify the applicant or non-Federal entity as to:
(1) The nature of the additional requirements;
(2) The reason why the additional requirements are being imposed;
(3) The nature of the action needed to remove the additional requirement, if applicable;
(4) The time allowed for completing the actions if applicable, and
(5) The method for requesting reconsideration of the additional requirements imposed.
(d) Any specific conditions must be promptly removed once the conditions that prompted them have been corrected.
§ 75.208   Certifications and representations.
Unless prohibited by Federal statutes or regulations, each HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity is authorized to require the non-Federal entity to submit certifications and representations required by Federal statutes, or regulations on an annual basis. Submission may be required more frequently if the non-Federal entity fails to meet a requirement of a Federal award.
(a) The funds governed under this part shall be administered in compliance with the standards set forth in 45 CFR part 87.
(b) For assurances under State plans, see § 75.206(d)(2).
§ 75.209   Pre-award costs.
For requirements on costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of the Federal award, see § 75.458.
§ 75.210   Information contained in a Federal award.
A Federal award must include the following information:
(a) General Federal award information. The HHS awarding agency must include the following general Federal award information in each Federal award:
(1) Recipient name (which must match the name associated with its unique entity identifier as defined in 2 CFR 25.315);
(2) Recipient's unique entity identifier ;
(3) Unique Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN);
(4) Federal Award Date (see § 75.2 Federal award date );
(5) Period of Performance Start and End Date;
(6) Amount of Federal Funds Obligated by this action,
(7) Total Amount of Federal Funds Obligated;
(8) Total Amount of the Federal Award;
(9) Budget Approved by the HHS Awarding Agency;
(10) Total Approved Cost Sharing or Matching, where applicable;
(11) Federal award project description (to comply with statutory requirements ( e.g., FFATA));
(12) Name of HHS awarding agency and contact information for awarding official,
(13) CFDA Number and Program Name;
(14) Identification of whether the award is R&D; and
(15) Indirect cost rate for the Federal award (including if the de minimis rate is charged per § 75.414).
(b) General terms and conditions. (1) HHS awarding agencies must incorporate the following general terms and conditions either in the Federal award or by reference, as applicable:
(i) Administrative requirements implemented by the HHS awarding agency as specified in this part.
(ii) National policy requirements. These include statutory, executive order, other Presidential directive, or regulatory requirements that apply by specific reference and are not program-specific. See § 75.300.
(iii) Recipient integrity and performance matters. If the total Federal share of the Federal award may include more than $500,000 over the period of performance, the HHS awarding agency must include the term and condition available in appendix XII. See also § 75.113.
(2) The Federal award must include wording to incorporate, by reference, the applicable set of general terms and conditions, The reference must be to the Web site at which the HHS awarding agency maintains the general terms and conditions.
(3) If a non-Federal entity requests a copy of the full text of the general terms and conditions, the HHS awarding agency must provide it.
(4) Wherever the general terms and conditions are publicly available, the HHS awarding agency must maintain an archive of previous versions of the general terms and conditions, with effective dates, for use by the non-Federal entity, auditors, or others.
(c) HHS awarding agency, program, or Federal award specific terms and conditions. The HHS awarding agency may include with each Federal award any terms and conditions necessary to communicate requirements that are in addition to the requirements outlined in the HHS awarding agency's general terms and conditions. Whenever practicable, these specific terms and conditions also should be shared on a public Web site and in notices of funding opportunities (as outlined in § 75.203) in addition to being included in a Federal award. See also § 75.206.
(d) Federal award performance goals. The HHS awarding agency must include in the Federal award an indication of the timing and scope of expected performance by the non-Federal entity as related to the outcomes intended to be achieved by the program. In some instances ( e.g., discretionary research awards), this may be limited to the requirement to submit technical performance reports (to be evaluated in accordance with HHS awarding agency policy). Where appropriate, the Federal award may include specific performance goals, indicators, milestones, or expected outcomes (such as outputs, or services performed or public impacts of any of these) with an expected timeline for accomplishment. Reporting requirements must be clearly articulated such that, where appropriate, performance during the execution of the Federal award has a standard against which non-Federal entity performance can be measured. The HHS awarding agency may include program-specific requirements, as applicable. These requirements should be aligned with agency strategic goals, strategic objectives or performance goals that are relevant to the program. See also OMB Circular A-11 Preparation, Submission and Execution of the Budget, Part 6 for definitions of strategic objectives and performance goals.
(e) Any other information required by the HHS awarding agency.
§ 75.211   Public access to Federal award information.
(a) In accordance with statutory requirements for Federal spending transparency ( e.g., FFATA), except as noted in this section, for applicable Federal awards the HHS awarding agency must announce all Federal awards publicly and publish the required information on a publicly available OMB-designated government-wide Web site (at time of publication, www.USAspending.gov ).
(b) All information posted in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) on or after April 15, 2011 will be publicly available after a waiting period of 14 calendar days, except for:
(1) Past performance reviews required by Federal Government contractors in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 42.15;
(2) Information that was entered prior to April 15, 2011; or
(3) Information that is withdrawn during the 14-calendar day waiting period by the Federal Government official.
(c) Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring the publication of information otherwise exempt under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), or controlled unclassified information pursuant to Executive Order 13556.
§ 75.212   Reporting a determination that a recipient is not qualified for a Federal award.
(a) If an HHS awarding agency does not make a Federal award to a non-Federal entity because the official determines that the non-Federal entity does not meet either or both of the minimum qualification standards as described in § 75.205(a)(2), the HHS awarding agency must report that determination to the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS), only if all of the following apply:
(1) The only basis for the determination described in paragraph (a) of this section is the non-Federal entity's prior record of executing programs or activities under Federal awards or its record of integrity and business ethics, as described in § 75.205(a)(2), ( i.e. , the entity was determined to be qualified based on all factors other than those two standards), and
(2) The total Federal share of the Federal award that otherwise would be made to the non-Federal entity is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold over the period of performance.
(b) The HHS awarding agency is not required to report a determination that a non-Federal entity is not qualified for a Federal award if it makes the Federal award to the non-Federal entity and includes specific award terms and conditions, as described in § 75.207.
(c) If an HHS awarding agency reports a determination that a non-Federal entity is not qualified for a Federal award, as described in paragraph (a) of this section, the HHS awarding agency also must notify the non-Federal entity that—
(1) The determination was made and reported to the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM, and include with the notification an explanation of the basis for the determination;
(2) The information will be kept in the system for a period of five years from the date of the determination, as required by section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313), then archived;
(3) Each HHS awarding agency that considers making a Federal award to the non-Federal entity during that five year period must consider that information in judging whether the non-Federal entity is qualified to receive the Federal award when the total Federal share of the Federal award is expected to include an amount of Federal funding in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold over the period of performance;
(4) The non-Federal entity may go to the awardee integrity and performance portal accessible through SAM (currently the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS)) and comment on any information the system contains about the non-Federal entity itself; and
(5) HHS awarding agencies will consider that non-Federal entity's comments in determining whether the non-Federal entity is qualified for the future Federal award.
(d) If an HHS awarding agency enters information into the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM about a determination that a non-Federal entity is not qualified for a Federal award and subsequently:
(1) Learns that any of that information is erroneous, the HHS awarding agency must correct the information in the system within three business days;
(2) Obtains an update to that information that could be helpful to other Federal awarding agencies, the HHS awarding agency is strongly encouraged to amend the information in the system to incorporate the update in a timely way.
(e) HHS awarding agencies shall not post any information that will be made publicly available in the non-public segment of the designated integrity and performance system that is covered by a disclosure exemption under the Freedom of Information Act. If the recipient asserts within seven calendar days to the HHS awarding agency that posted the information that some or all of the information made publicly available is covered by a disclosure exemption under the Freedom of Information Act, the HHS awarding agency that posted the information must remove the posting within seven calendar days of receiving the assertion. Prior to reposting the releasable information, the HHS awarding agency must resolve the issue in accordance with the agency's Freedom of Information Act procedures.
§ 75.213   Suspension and debarment.
Non-federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, 2 CFR parts 180 and 376. These regulations restrict awards, subawards and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities.
§ 75.214   Metric system of measurement.
The Metric Conversion Act, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, 15 U.S.C. 205, declares that the metric system is the preferred measurement system for United States trade and commerce. HHS awarding agencies will follow the provisions of Executive Order 12770.
§ 75.215   Disclosure of lobbying activities.
Recipients are subject to the restrictions on lobbying as set forth in 45 CFR part 93.
§ 75.216   Special provisions for awards to commercial organizations as recipients.
(a) This section contains provisions that apply to awards to commercial organizations. These provisions are in addition to other applicable provisions of this part, or they make exceptions from other provisions of this part for awards to commercial organizations.
(b) Prohibition against profit. Except for awards under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) programs (15 U.S.C. 638), no HHS funds may be paid as profit to any recipient even if the recipient is a commercial organization. Profit is any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs.
(c) Program income. Except for grants for research, program income earned by a commercial organization may not be used to further eligible project or program objectives except in the SBIR and STTR programs.
(d)(1) Commercial organizations that receive awards (including for-profit hospitals) have two options regarding audits:
(i) A financial related audit of a particular award in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, in those cases where the commercial organization receives awards under only one HHS program; or, if awards are received under multiple HHS programs, a financial related audit of all awards in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; or
(ii) An audit that meets the requirements contained in subpart F.
(2) Commercial organizations that receive annual awards totaling less than the audit requirement threshold in subpart F are exempt from HHS audit requirements for that year, but records must be available for review by appropriate officials of Federal agencies or the Government Accountability Office. (See § 75.501).
§ 75.217   Special provisions for awards to Federal agencies.
(a) In order for an HHS awarding agency to make a Federal award to a Federal agency, the HHS awarding agency must have statutory authority that makes such Federal agency explicitly eligible for a Federal award.
(b) All provisions of this part and other HHS regulations apply to Federal entities receiving Federal awards, except for the following:
(1) Except for grants for research, any program income earned by a Federal institution must be used under the deduction alternative. Any program income earned after the end of grant support should be returned to the United States Treasury.
(2) No salary or fringe benefit payments may be made from HHS awarding agency grant funds to support career, career-conditional, or other Federal employees (civilian or uniformed services) without permanent appointments at a Federal institution receiving a grant. While the level of effort required for the project must be allowed by the recipient as part of each individual's official duties, salary costs associated with an individual participating in an official capacity as a Federal employee under a grant to that Federal institution are not allowable costs under an HHS awarding agency grant.
(3) Federal agencies may not be reimbursed for indirect costs under Federal awards.
§ 75.218   Participation by faith-based organizations.
The funds provided under this part must be administered in compliance with the standards set forth in 45 CFR part 87.
§ 75.300   Statutory and national policy requirements.
(a) The Federal awarding agency must manage and administer the Federal award in a manner so as to ensure that Federal funding is expended and associated programs are implemented in full accordance with U.S. statutory and public policy requirements: Including, but not limited to, those protecting public welfare, the environment, and prohibiting discrimination. The Federal awarding agency must communicate to the non-Federal entity all relevant public policy requirements, including those in general appropriations provisions, and incorporate them either directly or by reference in the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
(b) The non-Federal entity is responsible for complying with all requirements of the Federal award. For all Federal awards, this includes the provisions of FFATA, which includes requirements on executive compensation, and also requirements implementing the Act for the non-Federal entity at 2 CFR part 25 and 2 CFR part 170. See also statutory requirements for whistleblower protections at 10 U.S.C. 2324 and 2409, and 41 U.S.C. 4304, 4310, and 4712.
(c) It is a public policy requirement of HHS that no person otherwise eligible will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in the administration of HHS programs, activities, projects, assistance, and services, to the extent doing so is prohibited by Federal statute.
(d) HHS will follow all applicable Supreme Court decisions in administering its award programs.
(e) In the statutes listed in paragraphs (e)(1) through (13) of this section that HHS administers which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, the Department interprets those provisions to include a prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, consistent with the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. 644 (2020), and other Federal court precedent applying Bostock' s reasoning that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This provision is interpretive and does not impose any substantive obligations on entities outside the Department. This paragraph (e) interprets the following HHS authorities that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex:
(1) 8 U.S.C. 1522. Authorization for programs for domestic resettlement of and assistance to refugees.
(2) 42 U.S.C. 290cc-33. Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness.
(3) 42 U.S.C. 290ff-1. Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances.
(4) 42 U.S.C. 295m. Title VII Health Workforce Programs.
(5) 42 U.S.C. 296g. Nursing Workforce Development.
(6) 42 U.S.C. 300w-7. Preventive Health Services Block Grant.
(7) 42 U.S.C. 300x-57. Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; Community Mental Health Services Block Grant.
(8) 42 U.S.C. 708. Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.
(9) 42 U.S.C. 5151. Disaster relief.
(10) 42 U.S.C. 8625. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
(11) 42 U.S.C. 9849. Head Start.
(12) 42 U.S.C. 9918. Community Services Block Grant Program.
(13) 42 U.S.C. 10406. Family Violence Prevention and Services.
(f)(1) A grant applicant or recipient may rely on applicable Federal protections for religious freedom and conscience, and application of a particular provision(s) of this section to specific contexts, procedures, or services shall not be required where such protections apply.
(2) A grant applicant or recipient that seeks assurance consistent with paragraph (f)(1) of this section regarding the application of particular provision(s) of this part to specific contexts, procedures, or services may do so by submitting a notification in writing to the HHS awarding agency, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (ASFR), or the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Notification may be provided by the grant applicant or recipient at any time, including before an investigation is initiated or during the pendency of an investigation. The notification must include:
(i) The particular provision(s) of this section from which the applicant or recipient asserts they are exempt under Federal religious freedom or conscience protections;
(ii) The legal basis supporting the applicant's or recipient's exemption should include the standards governing the applicable Federal religious freedom and conscience protections, such as the provisions in the relevant statute from which the applicant or recipient is requesting an exemption; the Church, Coats-Snowe, and Weldon Amendments; the generally applicable requirements of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA); and
(iii) The factual basis supporting the applicant's or recipient's exemption, including identification of the conflict between the applicant's or recipient's religious or conscience beliefs and the requirements of this section, which may include the specific contexts, procedures, or services that the applicant or recipient asserts will violate their religious or conscience beliefs overall or based on an individual matter related to a particular grant.
(3) A temporary exemption from administrative investigation and enforcement will take effect upon the applicant's or recipient's submission of the notification—regardless of whether the assurance is sought before or during an investigation. The temporary exemption is limited to the application of the particular provision(s) of the relevant statute as applied to the specific contexts, procedures, or services identified in the notification to the HHS awarding agency, ASFR, or OCR.
(i) If the notification is received before an investigation is initiated, within 30 days of receiving the notification, OCR, ASFR, or the HHS awarding agency must provide the applicant or recipient with email confirmation acknowledging receipt of the notification. The HHS awarding agency, working jointly with ASFR and OCR, will then work expeditiously to reach a determination of applicant's or recipient's notification request.
(ii) If the notification is received during the pendency of an investigation, the temporary exemption will exempt conduct as applied to the specific contexts, procedures, or services identified in the notification during the pendency of the HHS awarding agency's review and determination, working jointly with ASFR and OCR, regarding the notification request. The notification shall further serve as a defense to the relevant investigation or enforcement activity regarding the applicant or recipient until the final determination of the applicant's or recipient's exemption assurance request or the conclusion of the investigation.
(4) If the HHS awarding agency, working jointly with ASFR and OCR, makes a determination to provide assurance of the applicant's or recipient's exemption from the application of the relevant statutory provision(s) or that modified application of certain provision(s) is required, the HHS awarding agency, ASFR, or OCR, will provide the applicant or recipient the determination in writing, and if granted, the applicant or recipient will be considered exempt from OCR's administrative investigation and enforcement with regard to the application of that provision(s) as applied to the specific contexts, procedures, or services provided. The determination does not otherwise limit the application of any other provision of the relevant statute to the applicant or recipient or to other contexts, procedures, or services.
(5) An applicant or recipient subject to an adverse determination of its request for an exemption assurance may appeal the Department's determination under the administrative procedures set forth at 45 CFR part 81. The temporary exemption provided for in paragraph (f)(3) of this section will expire upon a final decision under 45 CFR part 81.
(6) A determination under paragraph (f) of this section is not final for purposes of judicial review until after a final decision under 45 CFR part 81.
(g) Any provision of this section held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be severable from this section and shall not affect the remainder thereof or the application of the provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.
§ 75.301   Performance measurement.
The HHS awarding agency must require the recipient to use OMB approved standard information collections when providing financial and performance information. As appropriate and in accordance with above mentioned information collections, the HHS awarding agency must require the recipient to relate financial data to performance accomplishments of the Federal award. Also, in accordance with above mentioned standard information collections, and when applicable, recipients must also provide cost information to demonstrate cost effective practices ( e.g., through unit cost data). The recipient's performance should be measured in a way that will help the HHS awarding agency and other non-Federal entities to improve program outcomes, share lessons learned, and spread the adoption of promising practices. The HHS awarding agency should provide recipients with clear performance goals, indicators, and milestones as described in § 75.210. Performance reporting frequency and content should be established to not only allow the HHS awarding agency to understand the recipient progress but also to facilitate identification of promising practices among recipients and build the evidence upon which the HHS awarding agency's program and performance decisions are made.
§ 75.302   Financial management and standards for financial management systems.
(a) Each state must expend and account for the Federal award in accordance with state laws and procedures for expending and accounting for the state's own funds. In addition, the state's and the other non- Federal entity's financial management systems, including records documenting compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award, must be sufficient to permit the preparation of reports required by general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. See also § 75.450.
(b) The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following (see also §§ 75.361, 75.362, 75.363, 75.364, and 75.365):
(1) Identification, in its accounts, of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the CFDA title and number, Federal award identification number and year, name of the HHS awarding agency, and name of the pass-through entity, if any.
(2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 75.341 and 75.342. If an HHS awarding agency requires reporting on an accrual basis from a recipient that maintains its records on other than an accrual basis, the recipient must not be required to establish an accrual accounting system. This recipient may develop accrual data for its reports on the basis of an analysis of the documentation on hand. Similarly, a pass-through entity must not require a subrecipient to establish an accrual accounting system and must allow the subrecipient to develop accrual data for its reports on the basis of an analysis of the documentation on hand.
(3) Records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federally-funded activities. These records must contain information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures, income and interest and be supported by source documentation.
(4) Effective control over, and accountability for, all funds, property, and other assets. The non-Federal entity must adequately safeguard all assets and assure that they are used solely for authorized purposes. See § 75.303.
(5) Comparison of expenditures with budget amounts for each Federal award.
(6) Written procedures to implement the requirements of § 75.305.
(7) Written procedures for determining the allowability of costs in accordance with subpart E of this part and the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
§ 75.303   Internal controls.
The non-Federal entity must:
(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government,” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.
(c) Evaluate and monitor the non-Federal entity's compliance with statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of Federal awards.
(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings.
(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or the non-Federal entity considers sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.
§ 75.304   Bonds.
The HHS awarding agency may include a provision on bonding, insurance, or both in the following circumstances:
(a) Where the Federal Government guarantees or insures the repayment of money borrowed by the recipient, the HHS awarding agency, at its discretion, may require adequate bonding and insurance if the bonding and insurance requirements of the non-Federal entity are not deemed adequate to protect the interest of the Federal Government.
(b) The HHS awarding agency may require adequate fidelity bond coverage where the non-Federal entity lacks sufficient coverage to protect the Federal Government's interest.
(c) Where bonds are required in the situations described above, the bonds must be obtained from companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable sureties, as prescribed in 31 CFR part 223.
§ 75.305   Payment.
(a)(1) For States, payments are governed by Treasury-State CMIA agreements and default procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205 and TFM 4A-2000 Overall Disbursing Rules for All Federal Agencies.
(2) To the extent that Treasury-State CMIA agreements and default procedures do not address expenditure of program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest earned on such funds, such funds must be expended before requesting additional cash payments.
(b) For non-Federal entities other than states, payments methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass-through entity and the disbursement by the non-Federal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfer, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by other means. See also § 75.302(b)(6). Except as noted elsewhere in this part, HHS awarding agencies must require recipients to use only OMB-approved standard governmentwide information collection requests to request payment.
(1) The non-Federal entity must be paid in advance, provided it maintains or demonstrates the willingness to maintain both written procedures that minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement by the non-Federal entity, and financial management systems that meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established in this part. Advance payments to a non-Federal entity must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the non-Federal entity in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or project. The timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the non-Federal entity for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. The non-Federal entity must make timely payment to contractors in accordance with the contract provisions.
(2) Whenever possible, advance payments must be consolidated to cover anticipated cash needs for all Federal awards made by the HHS awarding agency to the recipient.
(i) Advance payment mechanisms include, but are not limited to, Treasury check and electronic funds transfer and must comply with applicable guidance in 31 CFR part 208.
(ii) Non-Federal entities must be authorized to submit requests for advance payments and reimbursements at least monthly when electronic fund transfers are not used, and as often as they like when electronic transfers are used, in accordance with the provisions of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (15 U.S.C. 1693-1693r).
(3) Reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements in paragraph (b) cannot be met, when the HHS awarding agency sets a specific condition per § 75.207, or when the non-Federal entity requests payment by reimbursement. This method may be used on any Federal award for construction, or if the major portion of the construction project is accomplished through private market financing or Federal loans, and the Federal award constitutes a minor portion of the project. When the reimbursement method is used, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper.
(4) If the non-Federal entity cannot meet the criteria for advance payments and the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity has determined that reimbursement is not feasible because the non-Federal entity lacks sufficient working capital, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may provide cash on a working capital advance basis. Under this procedure, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must advance cash payments to the non-Federal entity to cover its estimated disbursement needs for an initial period generally geared to the non-Federal entity's disbursing cycle. Thereafter, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must reimburse the non-Federal entity for its actual cash disbursements. Use of the working capital advance method of payment requires that the pass-through entity provide timely advance payments to any subrecipients in order to meet the subrecipient's actual cash disbursements. The working capital advance method of payment must not be used by the pass-through entity if the reason for using this method is the unwillingness or inability of the pass-through entity to provide timely advance payments to the subrecipient to meet the subrecipient's actual cash disbursements.
(5) Use of resources before requesting cash advance payments. To the extent available, the non-Federal entity must disburse funds available from program income (including repayments to a revolving fund), rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments.
(6) Unless otherwise required by Federal statutes, payments for allowable costs by non-Federal entities must not be withheld at any time during the period of performance unless the conditions of §§ 75.207, subpart D of this part, 75.371, or one or more of the following applies:
(i) The non-Federal entity has failed to comply with the project objectives, Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
(ii) The non-Federal entity is delinquent in a debt to the United States as defined in OMB Guidance A-129 “Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax Receivables.”
(iii) A payment withheld for failure to comply with Federal award conditions, but without suspension of the Federal award, must be released to the non-Federal entity upon subsequent compliance. When a Federal award is suspended, payment adjustments will be made in accordance with § 75.375.
(iv) A payment must not be made to a non-Federal entity for amounts that are withheld by the non-Federal entity from payment to contractors to assure satisfactory completion of work. A payment must be made when the non-Federal entity actually disburses the withheld funds to the contractors or to escrow accounts established to assure satisfactory completion of work.
(7) Standards governing the use of banks and other institutions as depositories of advance payments under Federal awards are as follows:
(i) The HHS awarding agency and pass-through entity must not require separate depository accounts for funds provided to a non-Federal entity or establish any eligibility requirements for depositories for funds provided to the non-Federal entity. However, the non-Federal entity must be able to account for the receipt, obligation and expenditure of funds.
(ii) Advance payments of Federal funds must be deposited and maintained in insured accounts whenever possible.
(8) The non-Federal entity must maintain advance payments of Federal awards in interest-bearing accounts, unless the following apply:
(i) The non-Federal entity receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per year.
(ii) The best reasonably available interest-bearing account would not be expected to earn interest in excess of $500 per year on Federal cash balances.
(iii) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so high that it would not be feasible within the expected Federal and non-Federal cash resources.
(iv) A foreign government or banking system prohibits or precludes interest bearing accounts.
(9) Interest earned amounts up to $500 per year may be retained by the non-Federal entity for administrative expense. Any additional interest earned on Federal advance payments deposited in interest-bearing accounts must be remitted annually to the Department of Health and Human Services Payment Management System (PMS) through an electronic medium using either Automated Clearing House (ACH) network or a Fedwire Funds Service payment. Remittances must include pertinent information of the payee and nature of the payment in the memo area (often referred to as “addenda records” by Financial Institutions) as that will assist in the timely posting of interest earned on federal funds. Pertinent details include the Payee Account Number (PAN) if the payment originated from PMS, or Agency information, if the payment originated from ASAP, NSF or another federal agency payment system. The remittance must be submitted as follows:
For recipients that do not have electronic remittance capability, please make check** payable to:
§ 75.306   Cost sharing or matching.
(a) Under Federal research proposals, voluntary committed cost sharing is not expected. It cannot be used as a factor during the merit review of applications or proposals, but may be considered if it is both in accordance with HHS awarding agency regulations and specified in a notice of funding opportunity. Criteria for considering voluntary committed cost sharing and any other program policy factors that may be used to determine who may receive a Federal award must be explicitly described in the notice of funding opportunity. Furthermore, only mandatory cost sharing or cost sharing specifically committed in the project budget must be included in the organized research base for computing the indirect (F&A) cost rate or reflected in any allocation of indirect costs. See also §§ 75.414, 75.203, and appendix I to this part.
(b) For all Federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the non-Federal entity's cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Are verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records;
(2) Are not included as contributions for any other Federal award;
(3) Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives;
(4) Are allowable under subpart E of this part;
(5) Are not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award, except where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to matching or cost sharing requirements of other Federal programs;
(6) Are provided for in the approved budget when required by the HHS awarding agency; and
(7) Conform to other provisions of this part, as applicable.
(c) Unrecovered indirect costs, including indirect costs on cost sharing or matching may be included as part of cost sharing or matching only with prior approval of the HHS awarding agency. Unrecovered indirect cost means the difference between the amount charged to the Federal award and the amount which could have been charged to the Federal award under the non-Federal entity's approved negotiated indirect cost rate.
(d) Values for non-Federal entity contributions of services and property must be established in accordance with the cost principles in subpart E. If an HHS awarding agency authorizes the non-Federal entity to donate buildings or land for construction/facilities acquisition projects or long-term use, the value of the donated property for cost sharing or matching must be the lesser of paragraphs (d)(1) or (2) of this section.
(1) The value of the remaining life of the property recorded in the non-Federal entity's accounting records at the time of donation.
(2) The current fair market value. However, when there is sufficient justification, the HHS awarding agency may approve the use of the current fair market value of the donated property, even if it exceeds the value described in paragraph (1) of this section at the time of donation.
(e) Volunteer services furnished by third-party professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be counted as cost sharing or matching if the service is an integral and necessary part of an approved project or program. Rates for third-party volunteer services must be consistent with those paid for similar work by the non-Federal entity. In those instances in which the required skills are not found in the non-Federal entity, rates must be consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in which the non-Federal entity competes for the kind of services involved. In either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, necessary, allocable, and otherwise allowable may be included in the valuation.
(f) When a third-party organization furnishes the services of an employee, these services must be valued at the employee's regular rate of pay plus an amount of fringe benefits that is reasonable, necessary, allocable, and otherwise allowable, and indirect costs at either the third-party organization's approved federally negotiated indirect cost rate or, a rate in accordance with § 75.414(f), provided these services employ the same skill(s) for which the employee is normally paid. Where donated services are treated as indirect costs, indirect cost rates will separate the value of the donated services so that reimbursement for the donated services will not be made.
(g) Donated property from third parties may include such items as equipment, office supplies, laboratory supplies, or workshop and classroom supplies. Value assessed to donated property included in the cost sharing or matching share must not exceed the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation.
(h) The method used for determining cost sharing or matching for third-party-donated equipment, buildings and land for which title passes to the non-Federal entity may differ according to the purpose of the Federal award, if paragraph (h)(1) or (2) of this section applies.
(1) If the purpose of the Federal award is to assist the non-Federal entity in the acquisition of equipment, buildings or land, the aggregate value of the donated property may be claimed as cost sharing or matching.
(2) If the purpose of the Federal award is to support activities that require the use of equipment, buildings or land, normally only depreciation charges for equipment and buildings may be made. However, the fair market value of equipment or other capital assets and fair rental charges for land may be allowed, provided that the HHS awarding agency has approved the charges. See also § 75.420.
(i) The value of donated property must be determined in accordance with the usual accounting policies of the non-Federal entity, with the following qualifications:
(1) The value of donated land and buildings must not exceed its fair market value at the time of donation to the non-Federal entity as established by an independent appraiser ( e.g., certified real property appraiser or General Services Administration representative) and certified by a responsible official of the non-Federal entity as required by the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 4601-4655) (Uniform Act) except as provided in the implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24.
(2) The value of donated equipment must not exceed the fair market value of equipment of the same age and condition at the time of donation.
(3) The value of donated space must not exceed the fair rental value of comparable space as established by an independent appraisal of comparable space and facilities in a privately-owned building in the same locality.
(4) The value of loaned equipment must not exceed its fair rental value.
(j) For third-party in-kind contributions, the fair market value of goods and services must be documented and to the extent feasible supported by the same methods used internally by the non-Federal entity.
(k) For IHEs, see also OMB memorandum M-01-06, dated January 5, 2001, Clarification of OMB A-21 Treatment of Voluntary Uncommitted Cost Sharing and Tuition Remission Costs.
§ 75.307   Program income.
(a) General. Non-Federal entities are encouraged to earn income to defray program costs where appropriate.
(b) Cost of generating program income. If authorized by Federal regulations or the Federal award, costs incidental to the generation of program income may be deducted from gross income to determine program income, provided these costs have not been charged to the Federal award.
(c) Governmental revenues. Taxes, special assessments, levies, fines, and other such revenues raised by a non-Federal entity are not program income unless the revenues are specifically identified in the Federal award or HHS awarding agency regulations as program income.
(1) The Patent and Trademark Laws Amendments, 34 U.S.C. 200-212, apply to inventions made under an award for performance of experimental, developmental, or research work.
(2) Unless the terms and conditions for the Federal award provide otherwise, recipients shall have no obligation to HHS with respect to program income earned from license fees and royalties for copyrighted material, patents, patent applications, trademarks, and inventions made under a Federal award. However, no scholarship, fellowship, training grant, or other funding agreement made primarily to a recipient for educational purposes will contain any provision giving the HHS awarding agency rights to inventions made by the recipient.
(d) Property. Proceeds from the sale of real property, equipment, or supplies, are not program income; such proceeds will be handled in accordance with the requirements of subpart D of this part, §§ 75.318, 75.320, and 75.321, or as specifically identified in Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
(e) Use of program income. If the HHS awarding agency does not specify in its regulations or the terms and conditions of the Federal award, or give prior approval for how program income is to be used, paragraph (e)(1) of this section must apply. For Federal awards made to IHEs and nonprofit research institutions, if the HHS awarding agency does not specify in its regulations or the terms and conditions of the Federal award how program income is to be used, paragraph (e)(2) of this section must apply unless the recipient is subject to conditions under § 75.207 or § 75.216. In specifying alternatives to paragraphs (e)(1) and (2) of this section, the HHS awarding agency may distinguish between income earned by the recipient and income earned by subrecipients and between the sources, kinds, or amounts of income. When the HHS awarding agency authorizes the approaches in paragraphs (e)(2) and (3) of this section, program income in excess of any amounts specified must also be deducted from expenditures.
(1) Deduction. Ordinarily program income must be deducted from total allowable costs to determine the net allowable costs. Program income must be used for current costs unless the HHS awarding agency authorizes otherwise. Program income that the non-Federal entity did not anticipate at the time of the Federal award must be used to reduce the Federal award and non-Federal entity contributions rather than to increase the funds committed to the project.
(2) Addition. With prior approval of the HHS awarding agency (except for IHEs and nonprofit research institutions, as described in paragraph (e) of this section), program income may be added to the Federal award by the Federal agency and the non-Federal entity. The program income must be used for the purposes and under the conditions of the Federal award.
(3) Cost sharing or matching. With prior approval of the HHS awarding agency, program income may be used to meet the cost sharing or matching requirement of the Federal award. The amount of the Federal award remains the same.
(f) Income after the period of performance. There are no Federal requirements governing the disposition of income earned after the end of the period of performance for the Federal award, unless the HHS awarding agency regulations or the terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise. The HHS awarding agency may negotiate agreements with recipients regarding appropriate uses of income earned after the period of performance as part of the grant closeout process. See also § 75.381.
(g) Unless the Federal statute, regulations, or terms and conditions for the Federal award provide otherwise, the non-Federal entity has no obligation to the HHS awarding agency with respect to program income earned from license fees and royalties for copyrighted material, patents, patent applications, trademarks, and inventions made under a Federal award to which 37 CFR part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms under Government Awards, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements” is applicable.
§ 75.308   Revision of budget and program plans.
(a) The approved budget for the Federal award summarizes the financial aspects of the project or program as approved during the Federal award process. It may include either the Federal and non-Federal share (see § 75.2 Federal share ) or only the Federal share, depending upon HHS awarding agency requirements. It must be related to performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate.
(b) Recipients are required to report deviations from budget or project scope or objective, and request prior approvals from HHS awarding agencies for budget and program plan revisions, in accordance with this section.
(c)(1) For non-construction Federal awards, recipients must request prior approvals from HHS awarding agencies for one or more of the following program or budget-related reasons:
(i) Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program (even if there is no associated budget revision requiring prior written approval).
(ii) Change in a key person specified in the application or the Federal award.
(iii) The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project, by the approved project director or principal investigator.
(iv) The inclusion, unless waived by the HHS awarding agency, of costs that require prior approval in accordance with subpart E of this part, or appendix IX of this part, or 48 CFR part 31, as applicable.
(v) The transfer of funds budgeted for participant support costs as defined in § 75.2 to other categories of expense.
(vi) Unless described in the application and funded in the approved Federal awards, the subawarding, transferring or contracting out of any work under a Federal award, including fixed amount subawards as described in § 75.353. This provision does not apply to the acquisition of supplies, material, equipment or general support services.
(vii) Changes in the approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the non-Federal entity.
(viii) The need arises for additional Federal funds to complete the project.
(ix) The inclusion of research patient care costs in research awards made for the performance of research work.
(x) The provision of subawards by a pass-through entity on fixed amounts up to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, provided that the subawards meet the requirements for fixed amount awards in § 75.201. See § 75.353.
(xi) The recipient wishes to dispose of, replace, or encumber title to real property, equipment, or intangible property that are acquired or improved with a Federal award. See §§ 75.318, 75.320, 75.322, and 75.323.
(2) No other prior approval requirements for specific items may be imposed unless an exception has been approved by OMB. See also §§ 75.102 and 75.407.
(d) Except for requirements listed in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the HHS awarding agencies are authorized, at their option, to waive prior written approvals required by paragraph (c) this section. Such waivers may include authorizing recipients to do any one or more of the following:
(1) Incur project costs 90 calendar days before the HHS awarding agency makes the Federal award. Expenses more than 90 calendar days pre-award require prior approval of the HHS awarding agency. All costs incurred before the HHS awarding agency makes the Federal award are at the recipient's risk ( i.e., the HHS awarding agency is under no obligation to reimburse such costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive a Federal award or if the Federal award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs). See also § 75.458.
(2) Initiate a one-time extension of the period of performance by up to 12 months unless one or more of the conditions outlined in paragraphs (d)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section apply. For one-time extensions, the recipient must notify the HHS awarding agency in writing with the supporting reasons and revised period of performance at least 10 calendar days before the end of the period of performance specified in the Federal award. This one-time extension may not be exercised merely for the purpose of using unobligated balances. Extensions require explicit prior HHS awarding agency approval when:
(i) The terms and conditions of the Federal award prohibit the extension.
(ii) The extension requires additional Federal funds.
(iii) The extension involves any change in the approved objectives or scope of the project.
(3) Carry forward unobligated balances to subsequent periods of performance.
(4) For Federal awards that support research, unless the HHS awarding agency provides otherwise in the Federal award or in the HHS awarding agency's regulations, the prior approval requirements described in paragraph (d) are automatically waived ( i.e., recipients need not obtain such prior approvals) unless one of the conditions included in paragraph (d)(2) applies.
(e) The HHS awarding agency may, at its option, restrict the transfer of funds among direct cost categories or programs, functions and activities for Federal awards in which the Federal share of the project exceeds the Simplified Acquisition Threshold and the cumulative amount of such transfers exceeds or is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved by the HHS awarding agency. The HHS awarding agency cannot permit a transfer that would cause any Federal appropriation to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the appropriation.
(f) All other changes to non-construction budgets, except for the changes described in paragraph (c) of this section, do not require prior approval (see also § 75.407).
(g) For construction Federal awards, the recipient must request prior written approval promptly from the HHS awarding agency for budget revisions whenever paragraph (g)(1), (2), or (3) of this section applies.
(1) The revision results from changes in the scope or the objective of the project or program.
(2) The need arises for additional Federal funds to complete the project.
(3) A revision is desired which involves specific costs for which prior written approval requirements may be imposed consistent with applicable OMB cost principles listed in subpart E of this part.
(4) No other prior approval requirements for budget revisions may be imposed unless an exception has been approved by OMB.
(5) When an HHS awarding agency makes a Federal award that provides support for construction and non-construction work, the HHS awarding agency may require the recipient to obtain prior approval from the HHS awarding agency before making any fund or budget transfers between the two types of work supported.
(h) When requesting approval for budget revisions, the recipient must use the same format for budget information that was used in the application, unless the HHS awarding agency indicates a letter of request suffices.
(i) Within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request for budget revisions, the HHS awarding agency must review the request and notify the recipient whether the budget revisions have been approved. If the revision is still under consideration at the end of 30 calendar days, the HHS awarding agency must inform the recipient in writing of the date when the recipient may expect the decision.
(j) All approvals granted in keeping with the provisions of this section shall not be valid unless they are in writing, and signed by at least one of the following HHS officials:
(1) The Head of the HHS awarding agency that made the award or subordinate official with proper delegated authority from the Head, including the Head of the Regional Office of the HHS awarding agency that made the award; or
(2) The responsible Grants Officer of the HHS awarding agency that made the award or an individual duly authorized by the Grants Officer.
§ 75.309   Period of performance and availability of funds.
(a) A non-Federal entity may charge to the Federal award only allowable costs incurred during the period of performance (except as described in § 75.461) and any costs incurred before the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity made the Federal award that were authorized by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity. Funds available to pay allowable costs during the period of performance include both Federal funds awarded and carryover balances.
(b) A non-Federal entity must liquidate all obligations incurred under the award not later than 90 days after the end of the funding period (or as specified in a program regulation) to coincide with the submission of the final Federal Financial Report (FFR). This deadline may be extended with prior written approval from the HHS awarding agency.
§§ 75.310-75.315   [Reserved]
§ 75.316   Purpose of property standards.
Sections 75.317 through 75.323 set forth uniform standards governing management and disposition of property furnished by HHS or whose cost was charged directly to a project supported by an HHS award. The HHS awarding agency may not impose additional requirements, unless specifically required to do so by Federal statute. The recipient may use its own property management standards and procedures provided they meet the provisions of these sections.
§ 75.317   Insurance coverage.
The non-Federal entity must, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired or improved with Federal funds as provided to other property owned by the non-Federal entity. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the Federal award.
§ 75.318   Real property.
(a) Title. Subject to the obligations and conditions set forth in this section, title to real property acquired or improved under a Federal award will vest upon acquisition in the non-Federal entity.
(b) Use. (1) Except as otherwise provided by Federal statutes or by the HHS awarding agency, real property will be used for the originally authorized purpose as long as needed for that purpose, during which time the non-Federal entity must not dispose of or encumber its title or other interests.
(2) The non-Federal entity shall obtain written approval from the HHS awarding agency for the use of real property in other federally-sponsored projects when the recipient determines that the property is no longer needed for the purpose of the original project. Use in other projects shall be limited to those under federally-sponsored projects ( i.e., awards) or programs that have purpose consistent with those authorized for support by the HHS awarding agency.
(c) Disposition. When real property is no longer needed as provided in subsection (b), the non-Federal entity must obtain disposition instructions from the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity. The instructions must provide for one of the following alternatives:
(1) Retain title after compensating the HHS awarding agency. The amount paid to the HHS awarding agency will be computed by applying the HHS awarding agency's percentage of participation in the cost of the original purchase (and costs of any improvements) to the fair market value of the property. However, in those situations where the non-Federal entity is disposing of real property acquired or improved with a Federal award and acquiring replacement real property under the same Federal award, the net proceeds from the disposition may be used as an offset to the cost of the replacement property.
(2) Sell the property and compensate the HHS awarding agency. The amount due to the HHS awarding agency will be calculated by applying the HHS awarding agency's percentage of participation in the cost of the original purchase (and cost of any improvements) to the proceeds of the sale after deduction of any actual and reasonable selling and fixing-up expenses. If the Federal award has not been closed out, the net proceeds from sale may be offset against the original cost of the property. When the non-Federal entity is directed to sell property, sales procedures must be followed that provide for competition to the extent practicable and result in the highest possible return.
(3) Transfer title to the HHS awarding agency or to a third party designated/approved by the HHS awarding agency. The non-Federal entity is entitled to be paid an amount calculated by applying the non-Federal entity's percentage of participation in the purchase of the real property (and cost of any improvements) to the current fair market value of the property.
§ 75.319   Federally-owned and exempt property.
(a) Title to Federally-owned property remains vested in the Federal Government. The non-Federal entity must submit annually an inventory listing of Federally-owned property in its custody to the HHS awarding agency. Upon completion of the Federal award or when the property is no longer needed, the non-Federal entity must report the property to the HHS awarding agency for further Federal agency utilization.
(b) If the HHS awarding agency has no further need for the property, it must declare the property excess and report it for disposal to the appropriate Federal disposal authority, unless the HHS awarding agency has statutory authority to dispose of the property by alternative methods ( e.g., the authority provided by the Federal Technology Transfer Act (15 U.S.C. 3710 (i)) to donate research equipment to educational and non-profit organizations in accordance with Executive Order 12999). The HHS awarding agency must issue appropriate instructions to the non-Federal entity.
(c) Exempt Federally-owned property means property acquired under a Federal award where the HHS awarding agency has chosen to vest title to the property to the non-Federal entity without further obligation to the Federal Government, based upon the explicit terms and conditions of the Federal award. The HHS awarding agency may exercise this option when statutory authority exists. Absent statutory authority and specific terms and conditions of the Federal award, title to exempt Federally-owned property acquired under the Federal award remains with the Federal Government.
§ 75.320   Equipment.
See also § 75.439.
(a) Title. Subject to the obligations and conditions set forth in this section, title to equipment acquired under a Federal award will vest upon acquisition in the non-Federal entity. Unless a statute specifically authorizes the Federal agency to vest title in the non-Federal entity without further obligation to the Federal Government, and the Federal agency elects to do so, the title must be a conditional title. Title must vest in the non-Federal entity subject to the following conditions:
(1) Use the equipment for the authorized purposes of the project during the period of performance, or until the property is no longer needed for the purposes of the project.
(2) Not encumber the property without approval of the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity.
(3) Use and dispose of the property in accordance with paragraphs (b), (c) and (e) of this section.
(b) A state must use, manage and dispose of equipment acquired under a Federal award by the state in accordance with state laws and procedures. Other non-Federal entities must follow paragraphs (c) through (e) of this section.
(c) Use. (1) Equipment must be used by the non-Federal entity in the program or project for which it was acquired as long as needed, whether or not the project or program continues to be supported by the Federal award, and the non-Federal entity must not encumber the property without prior approval of the HHS awarding agency. When no longer needed for the original program or project, the equipment may be used in other activities supported by the HHS awarding agency, in the following order of priority:
(i) Activities under a Federal award from the HHS awarding agency which funded the original program or project, then
(ii) Activities under Federal awards from other HHS awarding agencies. This includes consolidated equipment for information technology systems.
(2) During the time that equipment is used on the project or program for which it was acquired, the non-Federal entity must also make the equipment available for use on other projects or programs currently or previously supported by the Federal Government, provided that such use will not interfere with the work on the projects or program for which it was originally acquired. First preference for other use must be given to other programs or projects supported by the HHS awarding agency that financed the equipment and second preference must be given to programs or projects under Federal awards from other Federal awarding agencies. Use for non-federally-funded programs or projects is also permissible. User fees should be considered if appropriate.
(3) Notwithstanding the encouragement in § 75.307 to earn program income, the non-Federal entity must not use equipment acquired with the Federal award to provide services for a fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services unless specifically authorized by Federal statute for as long as the Federal Government retains an interest in the equipment.
(4) When acquiring replacement equipment, the non-Federal entity may use the equipment to be replaced as a trade-in or sell the property and use the proceeds to offset the cost of the replacement property subject to the approval of the HHS awarding agency.
(d) Management requirements. Procedures for managing equipment (including replacement equipment), whether acquired in whole or in part under a Federal award, until disposition takes place will, as a minimum, meet the following requirements:
(1) Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the FAIN), who holds title, the acquisition date, and cost of the property, percentage of Federal participation in the project costs for the Federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sale price of the property.
(2) A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at least once every two years.
(3) A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated.
(4) Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep the property in good condition.
(5) If the non-Federal entity is authorized or required to sell the property, proper sales procedures must be established to ensure the highest possible return.
(e) Disposition. When original or replacement equipment acquired under a Federal award is no longer needed for the original project or program or for other activities currently or previously supported by a HHS awarding agency, except as otherwise provided in Federal statutes, regulations, or HHS awarding agency disposition instructions, the non-Federal entity must request disposition instructions from the HHS awarding agency if required by the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Disposition of the equipment will be made as follows, in accordance with HHS awarding agency disposition instructions:
(1) Items of equipment with a current per unit fair market value of $5,000 or less may be retained, sold or otherwise disposed of with no further obligation to the HHS awarding agency.
(2) Except as provided in § 75.319(b), or if the HHS awarding agency fails to provide requested disposition instructions within 120 days, items of equipment with a current per-unit fair-market value in excess of $5,000 may be retained by the non-Federal entity or sold. The HHS awarding agency is entitled to an amount calculated by multiplying the current market value or proceeds from sale by the HHS awarding agency's percentage of participation in the cost of the original purchase. If the equipment is sold, the HHS awarding agency may permit the non-Federal entity to deduct and retain from the Federal share $500 or ten percent of the proceeds, whichever is less, for its selling and handling expenses.
(3) The non-Federal entity may transfer title to the property to the Federal Government or to an eligible third party provided that, in such cases, the non-Federal entity must be entitled to compensation for its attributable percentage of the current fair market value of the property.
(4) In cases where a non-Federal entity fails to take appropriate disposition actions, the HHS awarding agency may direct the non-Federal entity to take disposition actions.
§ 75.321   Supplies.
See also § 75.453.
(a) Title to supplies will vest in the non-Federal entity upon acquisition. If there is a residual inventory of unused supplies exceeding $5,000 in total aggregate value upon termination or completion of the project or program and the supplies are not needed for any other Federal award, the non-Federal entity must retain the supplies for use on other activities or sell them, but must, in either case, compensate the Federal Government for its share. The amount of compensation must be computed in the same manner as for equipment. See § 75.320(e)(2) for the calculation methodology.
(b) As long as the Federal Government retains an interest in the supplies, the non-Federal entity must not use supplies acquired under a Federal award to provide services to other organizations for a fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services, unless specifically authorized by Federal statute.
§ 75.322   Intangible property and copyrights.
(a) Title to intangible property (see § 75.2 Intangible property ) acquired under a Federal award vests upon acquisition in the non-Federal entity. The non-Federal entity must use that property for the originally-authorized purpose, and must not encumber the property without approval of the HHS awarding agency. When no longer needed for the originally authorized purpose, disposition of the intangible property must occur in accordance with the provisions in § 75.320(e).
(b) The non-Federal entity may copyright any work that is subject to copyright and was developed, or for which ownership was acquired, under a Federal award. The HHS awarding agency reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so.
(c) The non-Federal entity is subject to applicable regulations governing patents and inventions, including government-wide regulations issued by the Department of Commerce at 37 CFR part 401.
(d) The Federal Government has the right to:
(1) Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data produced under a Federal award; and
(2) Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes
(e) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (1) In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under a Federal award that were used by the Federal Government in developing an agency action that has the force and effect of law, the HHS awarding agency must request, and the non-Federal entity must provide, within a reasonable time, the research data so that they can be made available to the public through the procedures established under the FOIA. If the HHS awarding agency obtains the research data solely in response to a FOIA request, the HHS awarding agency may charge the requester a reasonable fee equaling the full incremental cost of obtaining the research data. This fee should reflect costs incurred by the Federal agency and the non-Federal entity. This fee is in addition to any fees the HHS awarding agency may assess under the FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A)).
(2) Published research findings means when:
(i) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed scientific or technical journal; or
(ii) A Federal agency publicly and officially cites the research findings in support of an agency action that has the force and effect of law. “Used by the Federal Government in developing an agency action that has the force and effect of law” is defined as when an agency publicly and officially cites the research findings in support of an agency action that has the force and effect of law.
(3) Research data means the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings, but not any of the following: Preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, or communications with colleagues. This “recorded” material excludes physical objects ( e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include:
(i) Trade secrets, commercial information, materials necessary to be held confidential by a researcher until they are published, or similar information which is protected under law; and
(ii) Personnel and medical information and similar information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study.
(f) The requirements set forth in paragraph (e)(1) of this section do not apply to commercial organizations
§ 75.323   Property trust relationship.
Real property, equipment, and intangible property, that are acquired or improved with a Federal award must be held in trust by the non-Federal entity as trustee for the beneficiaries of the project or program under which the property was acquired or improved. The HHS awarding agency may require the non-Federal entity to record liens or other appropriate notices of record to indicate that personal or real property has been acquired or improved with a Federal award and that use and disposition conditions apply to the property.
§§ 75.324-75.325   [Reserved]
§ 75.326   Procurements by states.
When procuring property and services under a Federal award, a state must follow the same policies and procedures it uses for procurements from its non-Federal funds. The state will comply with § 75.331 and ensure that every purchase order or other contract includes any clauses required by § 75.335. All other non-Federal entities, including subrecipients of a state, will follow §§ 75.327 through 75.335.
§ 75.327   General procurement standards.
(a) The non-Federal entity must use its own documented procurement procedures which reflect applicable State, local, and tribal laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to applicable Federal law and the standards identified in this part.
(b) Non-Federal entities must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts or purchase orders.
(c)(1) The non-Federal entity must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a Federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the non-Federal entity may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts. However, non-Federal entities may set standards for situations in which the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by officers, employees, or agents of the non-Federal entity.
(2) If the non-Federal entity has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a state, local government, or Indian tribe, the non-Federal entity must also maintain written standards of conduct covering organizational conflicts of interest. Organizational conflicts of interest means that because of relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization, the non-Federal entity is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting a procurement action involving a related organization.
(d) The non-Federal entity's procedures must avoid acquisition of unnecessary or duplicative items. Consideration should be given to consolidating or breaking out procurements to obtain a more economical purchase. Where appropriate, an analysis will be made of lease versus purchase alternatives, and any other appropriate analysis to determine the most economical approach.
(e) To foster greater economy and efficiency, and in accordance with efforts to promote cost-effective use of shared services across the Federal Government, the non-Federal entity is encouraged to enter into state and local intergovernmental agreements or inter-entity agreements where appropriate for procurement or use of common or shared goods and services.
(f) The non-Federal entity is encouraged to use Federal excess and surplus property in lieu of purchasing new equipment and property whenever such use is feasible and reduces project costs.
(g) The non-Federal entity is encouraged to use value engineering clauses in contracts for construction projects of sufficient size to offer reasonable opportunities for cost reductions. Value engineering is a systematic and creative analysis of each contract item or task to ensure that its essential function is provided at the overall lower cost.
(h) The non-Federal entity must award contracts only to responsible contractors possessing the ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of a proposed procurement. Consideration will be given to such matters as contractor integrity, compliance with public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. See also § 75.213.
(i) The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to the following: rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price.
(j)(1) The non-Federal entity may use a time and materials type contract only after a determination that no other contract is suitable and if the contract includes a ceiling price that the contractor exceeds at its own risk. Time and materials type contract means a contract whose cost to a non-Federal entity is the sum of:
(i) The actual cost of materials; and
(ii) Direct labor hours charged at fixed hourly rates that reflect wages, general and administrative expenses, and profit.
(2) Since this formula generates an open-ended contract price, a time-and-materials contract provides no positive profit incentive to the contractor for cost control or labor efficiency. Therefore, each contract must set a ceiling price that the contractor exceeds at its own risk. Further, the non-Federal entity awarding such a contract must assert a high degree of oversight in order to obtain reasonable assurance that the contractor is using efficient methods and effective cost controls.
(k) The non-Federal entity alone must be responsible, in accordance with good administrative practice and sound business judgment, for the settlement of all contractual and administrative issues arising out of procurements. These issues include, but are not limited to, source evaluation, protests, disputes, and claims. These standards do not relieve the non-Federal entity of any contractual responsibilities under its contracts. The HHS awarding agency will not substitute its judgment for that of the non-Federal entity unless the matter is primarily a Federal concern. Violations of law will be referred to the local, tribal, state, or Federal authority having proper jurisdiction.
(l) The type of procuring instruments used must be determined by the recipient but shall be appropriate for the particular procurement and for promoting the best interest of the program or project involved.
§ 75.328   Competition.
(a) All procurement transactions must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the standards of this section. In order to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids or requests for proposals must be excluded from competing for such procurements. Some of the situations considered to be restrictive of competition include but are not limited to:
(1) Placing unreasonable requirements on firms in order for them to qualify to do business;
(2) Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding;
(3) Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between affiliated companies;
(4) Noncompetitive contracts to consultants that are on retainer contracts;
(5) Organizational conflicts of interest;
(6) Specifying only a “brand name” product instead of allowing “an equal” product to be offered and describing the performance or other relevant requirements of the procurement; and
(7) Any arbitrary action in the procurement process.
(b) The non-Federal entity must conduct procurements in a manner that prohibits the use of statutorily or administratively imposed state, local, or tribal geographical preferences in the evaluation of bids or proposals, except in those cases where applicable Federal statutes expressly mandate or encourage geographic preference. Nothing in this section preempts state licensing laws. When contracting for architectural and engineering (A/E) services, geographic location may be a selection criterion provided its application leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project, to compete for the contract.
(c) The non-Federal entity must have written procedures for procurement transactions. These procedures must ensure that all solicitations:
(1) Incorporate a clear and accurate description of the technical requirements for the material, product, or service to be procured. Such description must not, in competitive procurements, contain features which unduly restrict competition. The description may include a statement of the qualitative nature of the material, product or service to be procured and, when necessary, must set forth those minimum essential characteristics and standards to which it must conform if it is to satisfy its intended use. Detailed product specifications should be avoided if at all possible. When it is impractical or uneconomical to make a clear and accurate description of the technical requirements, a “brand name or equivalent” description may be used as a means to define the performance or other salient requirements of procurement. The specific features of the named brand which must be met by offers must be clearly stated; and
(2) Identify all requirements which the offerors must fulfill and all other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals.
(d) The non-Federal entity must ensure that all prequalified lists of persons, firms, or products which are used in acquiring goods and services are current and include enough qualified sources to ensure maximum open and free competition. Also, the non-Federal entity must not preclude potential bidders from qualifying during the solicitation period.
§ 75.329   Procurement procedures.
The non-Federal entity must use one of the following methods of procurement.
(a) Procurement by micro-purchases. Procurement by micro-purchase is the acquisition of supplies or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold ( See micro-purchase ). To the extent practicable, the non-Federal entity must distribute micro-purchases equitably among qualified suppliers. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations if the non-Federal entity considers the price to be reasonable.
(b) Procurement by small purchase procedures. Small purchase procedures are those relatively simple and informal procurement methods for securing services, supplies, or other property that do not cost more than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources.
(c) Procurement by sealed bids (formal advertising). Bids are publicly solicited and a firm fixed price contract (lump sum or unit price) is awarded to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming with all the material terms and conditions of the invitation for bids, is the lowest in price. The sealed bid method is the preferred method for procuring construction, if the conditions in paragraph (c)(1) of this section apply.
(1) In order for sealed bidding to be feasible, the following conditions should be present:
(i) A complete, adequate, and realistic specification or purchase description is available;
(ii) Two or more responsible bidders are willing and able to compete effectively for the business; and
(iii) The procurement lends itself to a firm fixed price contract and the selection of the successful bidder can be made principally on the basis of price.
(2) If sealed bids are used, the following requirements apply:
(i) Bids must be solicited from an adequate number of known suppliers, providing them sufficient response time prior to the date set for opening the bids, for local, and tribal governments, the invitation for bids must be publicly advertised;
(ii) The invitation for bids, which will include any specifications and pertinent attachments, must define the items or services in order for the bidder to properly respond;
(iii) All bids will be opened at the time and place prescribed in the invitation for bids, for local, and tribal governments, the bids must be opened publicly;
(iv) A firm fixed price contract award will be made in writing to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Where specified in bidding documents, factors such as discounts, transportation cost, and life cycle costs must be considered in determining which bid is lowest. Payment discounts will only be used to determine the low bid when prior experience indicates that such discounts are usually taken advantage of; and
(v) Any or all bids may be rejected if there is a sound documented reason.
(d) Procurement by competitive proposals. The technique of competitive proposals is normally conducted with more than one source submitting an offer, and either a fixed price or cost-reimbursement type contract is awarded. It is generally used when conditions are not appropriate for the use of sealed bids. If this method is used, the following requirements apply:
(1) Requests for proposals must be publicized and identify all evaluation factors and their relative importance. Any response to publicized requests for proposals must be considered to the maximum extent practical;
(2) Proposals must be solicited from an adequate number of qualified sources;
(3) The non-Federal entity must have a written method for conducting technical evaluations of the proposals received and for selecting recipients;
(4) Contracts must be awarded to the responsible firm whose proposal is most advantageous to the program, with price and other factors considered; and
(5) The non-Federal entity may use competitive proposal procedures for qualifications-based procurement of architectural/engineering (A/E) professional services whereby competitors' qualifications are evaluated and the most qualified competitor is selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation. The method, where price is not used as a selection factor, can only be used in procurement of A/E professional services. It cannot be used to purchase other types of services though A/E firms are a potential source to perform the proposed effort.
(e) [Reserved]
(f) Procurement by noncompetitive proposals. Procurement by noncompetitive proposals is procurement through solicitation of a proposal from only one source and may be used only when one or more of the following circumstances apply:
(1) The item is available only from a single source;
(2) The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from competitive solicitation;
(3) The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity expressly authorizes noncompetitive proposals in response to a written request from the non-Federal entity; or
(4) After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate.
§ 75.330   Contracting with small and minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms.
(a) The non-Federal entity must take all necessary affirmative steps to assure that minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible.
(b) Affirmative steps must include:
(1) Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women's business enterprises on solicitation lists;
(2) Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are solicited whenever they are potential sources;
(3) Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises;
(4) Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises;
(5) Using the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce; and
(6) Requiring the prime contractor, if subcontracts are to be let, to take the affirmative steps listed in paragraphs (b)(1) through (5) of this section.
§ 75.331   Procurement of recovered materials.
A non-Federal entity that is a state agency or agency of a political subdivision of a state and its contractors must comply with section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines.
§ 75.332   Contract cost and price.
(a) The non-Federal entity must perform a cost or price analysis in connection with every procurement action in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold including contract modifications. The method and degree of analysis is dependent on the facts surrounding the particular procurement situation, but as a starting point, the non-Federal entity must make independent estimates before receiving bids or proposals.
(b) The non-Federal entity must negotiate profit as a separate element of the price for each contract in which there is no price competition and in all cases where cost analysis is performed. To establish a fair and reasonable profit, consideration must be given to the complexity of the work to be performed, the risk borne by the contractor, the contractor's investment, the amount of subcontracting, the quality of its record of past performance, and industry profit rates in the surrounding geographical area for similar work.
(c) Costs or prices based on estimated costs for contracts under the Federal award are allowable only to the extent that costs incurred or cost estimates included in negotiated prices would be allowable for the non-Federal entity under subpart E of this part. The non-Federal entity may reference its own cost principles that comply with the Federal cost principles.
(d) The cost plus a percentage of cost and percentage of construction cost methods of contracting must not be used.
§ 75.333   HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity review.
(a) The non-Federal entity must make available, upon request of the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity, technical specifications on proposed procurements where the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity believes such review is needed to ensure that the item or service specified is the one being proposed for acquisition. This review generally will take place prior to the time the specification is incorporated into a solicitation document. However, if the non-Federal entity desires to have the review accomplished after a solicitation has been developed, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may still review the specifications, with such review usually limited to the technical aspects of the proposed purchase.
(b) The non-Federal entity must make available upon request, for the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity pre-procurement review, procurement documents, such as requests for proposals or invitations for bids, or independent cost estimates, when:
(1) The non-Federal entity's procurement procedures or operation fails to comply with the procurement standards in this part;
(2) The procurement is expected to exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold and is to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation;
(3) The procurement, which is expected to exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, specifies a “brand name” product;
(4) The proposed contract is more than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold and is to be awarded to other than the apparent low bidder under a sealed bid procurement; or
(5) A proposed contract modification changes the scope of a contract or increases the contract amount by more than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold.
(c) The non-Federal entity is exempt from the pre-procurement review in paragraph (b) of this section if the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity determines that its procurement systems comply with the standards of this part.
(1) The non-Federal entity may request that its procurement system be reviewed by the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity to determine whether its system meets these standards in order for its system to be certified. Generally, these reviews must occur where there is continuous high-dollar funding, and third party contracts are awarded on a regular basis;
(2) The non-Federal entity may self-certify its procurement system. Such self-certification must not limit the HHS awarding agency's right to survey the system. Under a self-certification procedure, the HHS awarding agency may rely on written assurances from the non-Federal entity that it is complying with these standards. The non-Federal entity must cite specific policies, procedures, regulations, or standards as being in compliance with these requirements and have its system available for review.
§ 75.334   Bonding requirements.
For construction or facility improvement contracts or subcontracts exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may accept the bonding policy and requirements of the non-Federal entity provided that the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity has made a determination that the Federal interest is adequately protected. If such a determination has not been made, the minimum requirements must be as follows:
(a) A bid guarantee from each bidder equivalent to five percent of the bid price. The “bid guarantee” must consist of a firm commitment such as a bid bond, certified check, or other negotiable instrument accompanying a bid as assurance that the bidder will, upon acceptance of the bid, execute such contractual documents as may be required within the time specified.
(b) A performance bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of the contract price. A “performance bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor's obligations under such contract.
(c) A payment bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of the contract price. A “payment bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to assure payment as required by law of all persons supplying labor and material in the execution of the work provided for in the contract.
(d) Where bonds are required in the situations described herein, the bonds shall be obtained from companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable sureties pursuant to 31 CFR part 223.
§ 75.335   Contract provisions.
The non-Federal entity's contracts must contain the applicable provisions described in appendix II to this part.
§§ 75.336-75.340   [Reserved]
§ 75.341   Financial reporting.
Unless otherwise approved by OMB, the HHS awarding agency may solicit only the standard, OMB-approved government-wide data elements for collection of financial information (at time of publication the Federal Financial Report or such future collections as may be approved by OMB and listed on the OMB Web site). This information must be collected with the frequency required by the terms and conditions of the Federal award, but no less frequently than annually nor more frequently than quarterly except in unusual circumstances, for example where more frequent reporting is necessary for the effective monitoring of the Federal award or could significantly affect program outcomes, and preferably in coordination with performance reporting.
§ 75.342   Monitoring and reporting program performance.
(a) Monitoring by the non-Federal entity. The non-Federal entity is responsible for oversight of the operations of the Federal award supported activities. The non-Federal entity must monitor its activities under Federal awards to assure compliance with applicable Federal requirements and performance expectations are being achieved. Monitoring by the non-Federal entity must cover each program, function or activity. See also § 75.352.
(b) Non-construction performance reports. The HHS awarding agency must use standard, OMB-approved data elements for collection of performance information (including performance progress reports, Research Performance Progress Report, or such future collections as may be approved by OMB and listed on the OMB Web site).
(1) The non-Federal entity must submit performance reports at the interval required by the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity to best inform improvements in program outcomes and productivity. Intervals must be no less frequent than annually nor more frequent than quarterly except in unusual circumstances, for example where more frequent reporting is necessary for the effective monitoring of the Federal award or could significantly affect program outcomes. Annual reports must be due 90 calendar days after the reporting period; quarterly or semiannual reports must be due 30 calendar days after the reporting period. Alternatively, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may require annual reports before the anniversary dates of multiple year Federal awards. The final performance report will be due 90 calendar days after the period of performance end date. If a justified request is submitted by a non-Federal entity, the HHS awarding agency may extend the due date for any performance report.
(2) The non-Federal entity must submit performance reports using OMB-approved government-wide standard information collections when providing performance information. As appropriate in accordance with the above-mentioned information collections, these reports will contain, for each Federal award, brief information on the following unless other collections are approved by OMB:
(i) A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives of the Federal award established for the period. Where the accomplishments of the Federal award can be quantified, a computation of the cost (for example, related to units of accomplishment) may be required if that information will be useful. Where performance trend data and analysis would be informative to the HHS awarding agency program, the HHS awarding agency should include this as a performance reporting requirement.
(ii) The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate.
(iii) Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.
(c) Construction performance reports. For the most part, onsite technical inspections and certified percentage of completion data are relied on heavily by HHS awarding agencies and pass-through entities to monitor progress under Federal awards and subawards for construction. The HHS awarding agency may require additional performance reports only when considered necessary.
(d) Significant developments. Events may occur between the scheduled performance reporting dates that have significant impact upon the supported activity. In such cases, the non-Federal entity must inform the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity as soon as the following types of conditions become known:
(1) Problems, delays, or adverse conditions which will materially impair the ability to meet the objective of the Federal award. This disclosure must include a statement of the action taken, or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation.
(2) Favorable developments which enable meeting time schedules and objectives sooner or at less cost than anticipated or producing more or different beneficial results than originally planned.
(e) The HHS awarding agency may make site visits as warranted by program needs.
(f) The HHS awarding agency may waive any performance report required by this part if not needed.
§ 75.343   Reporting on real property.
The HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity must require a non-Federal entity to submit reports at least annually on the status of real property in which the Federal Government retains an interest, unless the Federal interest in the real property extends 15 years or longer. In those instances where the Federal interest attached is for a period of 15 years or more, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity, at its option, may require the non-Federal entity to report at various multi-year frequencies ( e.g., every two years or every three years, not to exceed a five-year reporting period; or an HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may require annual reporting for the first three years of a Federal award and thereafter require reporting every five years).
§§ 75.344-75.350   [Reserved]
§ 75.351   Subrecipient and contractor determinations.
The non-Federal entity may concurrently receive Federal awards as a recipient, a subrecipient, and a contractor, depending on the substance of its agreements with HHS awarding agencies and pass-through entities. Therefore, a pass-through entity must make case-by-case determinations whether each agreement it makes for the disbursement of Federal program funds casts the party receiving the funds in the role of a subrecipient or a contractor. The HHS awarding agency may supply and require recipients to comply with additional guidance to support these determinations provided such guidance does not conflict with this section.
(a) Subrecipients. A subaward is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of a Federal award and creates a Federal assistance relationship with the subrecipient. See § 75.2 Subaward. Characteristics which support the classification of the non-Federal entity as a subrecipient include when the non-Federal entity:
(1) Determines who is eligible to receive what Federal assistance;
(2) Has its performance measured in relation to whether objectives of a Federal program were met;
(3) Has responsibility for programmatic decision making;
(4) Is responsible for adherence to applicable Federal program requirements specified in the Federal award; and
(5) In accordance with its agreement, uses the Federal funds to carry out a program for a public purpose specified in authorizing statute, as opposed to providing goods or services for the benefit of the pass-through entity.
(b) Contractors. A contract is for the purpose of obtaining goods and services for the non-Federal entity's own use and creates a procurement relationship with the contractor. See § 75.2 Contract. Characteristics indicative of a procurement relationship between the non-Federal entity and a contractor are when the contractor:
(1) Provides the goods and services within normal business operations;
(2) Provides similar goods or services to many different purchasers;
(3) Normally operates in a competitive environment;
(4) Provides goods or services that are ancillary to the operation of the Federal program; and
(5) Is not subject to compliance requirements of the Federal program as a result of the agreement, though similar requirements may apply for other reasons.
(c) Use of judgment in making determination. In determining whether an agreement between a pass-through entity and another non-Federal entity casts the latter as a subrecipient or a contractor, the substance of the relationship is more important than the form of the agreement. All of the characteristics listed above may not be present in all cases, and the pass-through entity must use judgment in classifying each agreement as a subaward or a procurement contract.
§ 75.352   Requirements for pass-through entities.
All pass-through entities must:
(a) Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes:
(1) Federal Award Identification.
(i) Subrecipient name (which must match the name associated with its unique entity identifier;
(ii) Subrecipient's unique entity identifier;
(iii) Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN);
(iv) Federal Award Date (see § 75.2 Federal award date ) of award to the recipient by the HHS awarding agency;
(v) Subaward Period of Performance Start and End Date;
(vi) Amount of Federal Funds Obligated by this action by the pass-through entity to the subrecipient;
(vii) Total Amount of Federal Funds Obligated to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity including the current obligation;
(viii) Total Amount of the Federal Award committed to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity;
(ix) Federal award project description, as required to be responsive to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA);
(x) Name of HHS awarding agency, pass-through entity, and contract information for awarding official of the pass-through entity;
(xi) CFDA Number and Name; the pass-through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the CFDA number at time of disbursement;
(xii) Identification of whether the award is R&D; and
(xiii) Indirect cost rate for the Federal award (including if the de minimis rate is charged per § 75.414).
(2) All requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the Federal award is used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the Federal award;
(3) Any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility to the HHS awarding agency including identification of any required financial and performance reports;
(4) An approved federally recognized indirect cost rate negotiated between the subrecipient and the Federal Government or, if no such rate exists, either a rate negotiated between the pass-through entity and the subrecipient (in compliance with this part), or a de minimis indirect cost rate as defined in § 75.414(f);
(5) A requirement that the subrecipient permit the pass-through entity and auditors to have access to the subrecipient's records and financial statements as necessary for the pass-through entity to meet the requirements of this part; and
(6) Appropriate terms and conditions concerning closeout of the subaward.
(b) Evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as:
(1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards;
(2) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with subpart F, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program;
(3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and
(4) The extent and results of HHS awarding agency monitoring ( e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a HHS awarding agency).
(c) Consider imposing specific subaward conditions upon a subrecipient if appropriate as described in § 75.207.
(d) Monitor the activities of the subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance goals are achieved. Pass-through entity monitoring of the subrecipient must include:
(1) Reviewing financial and performance reports required by the pass-through entity.
(2) Following-up and ensuring that the subrecipient takes timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the Federal award provided to the subrecipient from the pass-through entity detected through audits, on-site reviews, and other means.
(3) Issuing a management decision for audit findings pertaining to the Federal award provided to the subrecipient from the pass-through entity as required by § 75.521.
(e) Depending upon the pass-through entity's assessment of risk posed by the subrecipient (as described in paragraph (b) of this section), the following monitoring tools may be useful for the pass-through entity to ensure proper accountability and compliance with program requirements and achievement of performance goals:
(1) Providing subrecipients with training and technical assistance on program-related matters; and
(2) Performing on-site reviews of the subrecipient's program operations;
(3) Arranging for agreed-upon-procedures engagements as described in § 75.425.
(f) Verify that every subrecipient is audited as required by subpart F of this part when it is expected that the subrecipient's Federal awards expended during the respective fiscal year equaled or exceeded the threshold set forth in § 75.501.
(g) Consider whether the results of the subrecipient's audits, on-site reviews, or other monitoring indicate conditions that necessitate adjustments to the pass-through entity's own records.
(h) Consider taking enforcement action against noncompliant subrecipients as described in § 75.371 and in program regulations.
§ 75.353   Fixed amount subawards.
With prior written approval from the HHS awarding agency, a pass-through entity may provide subawards based on fixed amounts up to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, provided that the subawards meet the requirements for fixed amount awards in § 75.201.
§§ 75.354-75.360   [Reserved]
§ 75.361   Retention requirements for records.
Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity in the case of a subrecipient. HHS awarding agencies and pass-through entities must not impose any other record retention requirements upon non-Federal entities. The only exceptions are the following:
(a) If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims, or audit findings involving the records have been resolved and final action taken.
(b) When the non-Federal entity is notified in writing by the HHS awarding agency, cognizant agency for audit, oversight agency for audit, cognizant agency for indirect costs, or pass-through entity to extend the retention period.
(c) Records for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds must be retained for 3 years after final disposition.
(d) When records are transferred to or maintained by the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity, the 3-year retention requirement is not applicable to the non-Federal entity.
(e) Records for program income transactions after the period of performance. In some cases, recipients must report program income after the period of performance. Where there is such a requirement, the retention period for the records pertaining to the earning of the program income starts from the end of the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in which the program income is earned.
(f) Indirect cost rate proposals and cost allocations plans. This paragraph applies to the following types of documents and their supporting records: Indirect cost rate computations or proposals, cost allocation plans, and any similar accounting computations of the rate at which a particular group of costs is chargeable (such as computer usage chargeback rates or composite fringe benefit rates).
(1) If submitted for negotiation. If the proposal, plan, or other computation is required to be submitted to the Federal Government (or to the pass-through entity) to form the basis for negotiation of the rate, then the 3-year retention period for its supporting records starts from the date of such submission.
(2) If not submitted for negotiation. If the proposal, plan, or other computation is not required to be submitted to the Federal Government (or to the pass-through entity) for negotiation purposes, then the 3-year retention period for the proposal, plan, or computation and its supporting records starts from the end of the fiscal year (or other accounting period) covered by the proposal, plan, or other computation.
§ 75.362   Requests for transfer or records.
The HHS awarding agency must request transfer of certain records to its custody from the non-Federal entity when it determines that the records possess long-term retention value. However, in order to avoid duplicate recordkeeping, the HHS awarding agency may make arrangements for the non-Federal entity to retain any records that are continuously needed for joint use.
§ 75.363   Methods for collection, transmission and storage of information.
In accordance with the May 2013 Executive Order on Making Open and Machine readable the New Default for Government Information, the HHS awarding agency and the non-Federal entity should, whenever practicable, collect, transmit, and store Federal award-related information in open and machine readable formats rather than in closed formats or on paper.
§ 75.364   Access to records.
(a) Records of non-Federal entities. The HHS awarding agency, Inspectors General, the Comptroller General of the United States, and the pass-through entity, or any of their authorized representatives, must have the right of access to any documents, papers, or other records of the non-Federal entity which are pertinent to the Federal award, in order to make audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcripts. The right also includes timely and reasonable access to the non-Federal entity's personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents.
(b) Only under extraordinary and rare circumstances would such access include review of the true name of victims of a crime. Routine monitoring cannot be considered extraordinary and rare circumstances that would necessitate access to this information. When access to the true name of victims of a crime is necessary, appropriate steps to protect this sensitive information must be taken by both the non-Federal entity and the HHS awarding agency. Any such access, other than under a court order or subpoena pursuant to a bona fide confidential investigation, must be approved by the head of the HHS awarding agency or delegate.
(c) Expiration of right of access. The rights of access in this section are not limited to the required retention period but last as long as the records are retained. HHS awarding agencies and pass-through entities must not impose any other access requirements upon non-Federal entities.