U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

69–010 

" ! SENATE 110TH CONGRESS

2d Session 

REPORT

2008

110–468 

Calendar No. 1027 

FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON 

HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

S. 3341 

TO REAUTHORIZE AND IMPROVE THE FEDERAL FINANCIAL 

ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1999 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008.—Ordered to be printed 


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(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman 

CARL LEVIN, Michigan 

DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas 

MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana 

BARACK OBAMA, Illinois 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

JON TESTER, Montana 

SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine 

TED STEVENS, Alaska 

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio 

NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota 

TOM COBURN, Oklahoma 

PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico 

JOHN WARNER, Virginia 

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire 

MICHAEL L. ALEXANDER, Staff Director 

KEVIN J. LANDY, Chief Counsel 

BETH M. GROSSMAN, Senior Counsel 

BRANDON L. MILHORN, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

LISA M. NIEMAN, Minority Counsel 

TARA L. SHAW, Minority Counsel, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, 

the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia 

TRINA DRIESSNACK TYRER, Chief Clerk 


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1Pub. L. No. 106–107 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). 

Calendar No. 1027 

110TH CONGRESS SENATE REPORT " ! 2d Session 110–468 

FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT 

IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 3341] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (S. 3341) to reauthorize and improve 

the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 

1999, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary .................................................................................. 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................... 2 

III. Legislative History ......................................................................................... 4 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis .......................................................................... 4 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 6 

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ................................................ 6 

VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ........................... 7 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The purpose of S. 3341 is to reauthorize and improve the Federal 

Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 

(‘‘FFAMIA’’ or ‘‘Act’’),1 which sought to improve the effectiveness 

and performance of federal financial assistance programs and reduce the burden on applicants by, among other things, simplifying 

application and reporting requirements. S. 3341 updates and expands the provisions of the FFAMIA. It requires that the Director 

of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and federal agencies continue to work together, and with the nonfederal entities 


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2 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Grants Management Additional Actions Needed to 

Streamline and Simplify Processes, GAO–05–335 p. 1. (Hereinafter, ‘‘2005 GAO Report’’). 3Pub. L. No. 106–107, Sec. 3. 

4Pub. L. No. 106–107, Sec. 5. 

5Pub. L. No. 106–107, Sec. 6. 

6Pub. L. No. 106–107, Sec. 11. 

7Office of Management and Budget, Report to Congress on the Benefits of the President’s EGovernment Initiatives (Fiscal Year 2008), p. 12 (hereinafter, ‘‘E-Government Report’’). OMB reports that within these grant programs, over 2900 application packages (or all but an exempted 

291 of the total application packages) were posted online (E-Government Report, p. 13), and that 

over 180,000 applications were submitted through Grants.gov in FY 2007 (E-Government Report, p. ii). 

that receive federal financial assistance, to streamline federal 

grants administration; provides that the OMB Director develop a 

strategic plan for achieving such streamlining and for other improvements; and requires biennial reports from the Director of 

OMB and from federal agencies to ensure progress towards implementing the strategic plan and meeting the goals of the FFAMIA. 

II. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

There are in excess of 1000 different federal grant programs, administered by more than two dozen federal agencies.2 Traditionally, 

each agency has had its own distinct processes and requirements 

for grant applications and reporting, and individual grant programs 

may have unique requirements as well. As a result, state, local, 

and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations and others seeking 

assistance from multiple federal sources may face duplicative, burdensome and even conflicting requirements. Moreover, costs that 

grantees incur in meeting unnecessarily burdensome requirements 

represent resources that could otherwise go towards carrying out 

the public purposes for which the grants are intended. 

To address these concerns, Congress enacted the FFAMIA in 

1999. The Act was intended to improve the effectiveness and performance of federal grant and other assistance programs, simplify 

federal financial assistance application and reporting requirements, 

improve the delivery of services to the public and facilitate greater 

coordination among the federal agencies and their non-federal partners responsible for delivering such services.3

Specifically, the FFAMIA required federal agencies, in consultation with non-federal entities, to develop and implement plans to 

streamline and simplify the application, administrative and reporting procedures for federal financial assistance programs and use 

common applications and reporting systems for those programs.4

The Act also called for the development of electronic applications 

for and reports on the use of federal financial assistance and required the Director of OMB to direct, coordinate, and assist federal 

agencies in establishing common applications and reporting systems.5 The Act provided that it would sunset eight years after enactment, or November 2007.6

The FFAMIA has led to a number of improvements in the management and transparency of the federal grants process. The most 

notable and most visible of these is the creation of a web portal for 

federal grants at www.grants.gov (‘‘Grants.gov’’). Currently, there 

are over 1000 grants, from 26 federal agencies, listed on 

Grants.gov; these grants represent more than $450 billion in federal government awards to state, local, and tribal governments, 

nonprofits, and others.7 According to OMB, the Grants.gov website 


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8 E-Government Report, p. 13. 

9 2005 GAO Report. 

10 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Grants Management Grantees’ Concerns with Efforts 

to Streamline and Simplify Processes, GAO 06–566 (hereinafter, ‘‘2006 GAO Report’’). 11 2005 GAO Report, p. 3. 12 2005 GAO Report, p. 8. 13 2005 GAO Report, p. 3. 14 2005 GAO Report, p. 3. 15 2006 GAO Report, p. 10. 16 2005 GAO Report, p. 16. 17Pub. L. No. 106–107, Sec. 6. 18 2006 GAO Report, p. 13. GAO noted that efforts were begun by OMB in 2004 to create endto-end grants management systems, with a goal of 2011 for moving all agencies to common systems. 2006 GAO Report, p. 11. 19 2006 GAO Report, p. 14. 20 2006 GAO Report, p. 15. 21 2005 GAO Report, p. 3. 22 2005 GAO Report, p. 18. 

benefits the federal government by allowing agencies to reduce operating costs associated with posting grants and improve operational effectiveness through increased data accuracy and reduced 

processing times.8 Equally importantly, Grants.gov has the potential to reduce the burden on the State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits and others who apply for federal grants, by serving as a ‘‘one-stop shop’’ for grant information and applications for 

grantees. 

In 2005, the Governmental Accountability Office (‘‘GAO’’), as required by section 7 of the FFAMIA, assessed and reported on the 

effectiveness of the Act,9 and in 2006, it issued a follow-on report.10

In these reports, GAO noted that federal agencies had made some 

progress in streamlining aspects of the grants life cycle.11

Grants.gov, for example, was developed to help potential grantees 

identify grant opportunities more easily and apply for grants electronically,12 efforts were undertaken to consolidate grant management systems across agencies,13 and a standard format for the announcement of grant opportunities was developed.14 By May 2006, 

GAO reported, all but two agencies had provided the capability for 

grantees to apply for grants using the Grants.gov website.15

GAO, however, also noted that efforts to develop common electronic reporting systems had not progressed.16 In fact, although 

FFAMIA required the development of a common system, including 

electronic processes, through which a grantee could apply for, manage, and report on the use of funding,17 systems for any grant 

phase beyond the application phase had not been developed.18 In 

addition to a lack of common reporting systems, GAO found that 

federal agencies operated nine different systems to distribute grant 

funding, some of which were unreliable and antiquated systems.19

And GAO reported comments from grantees about the number of 

certifications and assurance forms they had to submit, even though 

those forms did not vary widely among programs.20

Finally, in an additional area of concern, GAO noted that agency 

coordination with the grantee community was limited.21 GAO reported that federal agencies solicited input from the grantee community during the early planning stages to implement the 

FFAMIA but did not coordinate with the grantee community on an 

ongoing basis.22

Ultimately, GAO concluded that additional work was needed to 

streamline the grants life cycle and that the momentum established pursuant to the FFAMIA needed to continue past the law’s 


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23 2006 GAO Report, p. 26. 24 2006 GAO Report, p. 27. 

November 2007 sunset.23 GAO recommended that ‘‘Congress 

should consider reauthorizing the law to make certain that federal 

agencies have clear requirements to continue . . . efforts and the 

momentum for progress in streamlining grant administration continues.’’ 24

S. 3341 would reauthorize the FFAMIA by eliminating the 2007 

sunset date. In addition, it would address many of the issues raised 

by the GAO in 2005 and 2006. Specifically, the bill seeks to codify 

and enhance the use of Grants.gov, requiring the Director of OMB 

to maintain a public website that allows grant applicants to use the 

website to search and apply for grants; manage, track, and report 

on the use of grants; and provide required certifications and assurances for grants. It further requires the Director of OMB to develop 

a strategic plan that provides plans, timelines, and cost estimates 

for developing an electronic capability for managing Federal financial assistance; creating common applications and reporting forms 

and requirements; developing common certifications and assurances; and minimizing the number of different systems used to disburse Federal financial assistance. The Director of OMB is to report biennially to Congress for a period of 15 years on progress 

made in implementing the Act and the strategic plan, and each federal agency would be required to report biennially to OMB for a period of fifteen years on its progress towards achieving its objectives 

in furtherance of the strategic plan. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

On July 26, 2008, S. 3341 was introduced by Senators Voinovich 

and Lieberman and was referred to the Committee on Homeland 

Security and Governmental Affairs. 

On July 30, 2008, the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs considered S. 3341 and ordered the bill reported favorably without amendment by voice vote. The members 

present were Lieberman, Akaka, Carper, Pryor, Landrieu, Tester, 

Collins, Stevens, and Voinovich. 

IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section establishes the title of the act as the ‘‘Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008’’. 

Section 2. Reauthorization 

This section eliminates the sunset provision originally included 

in section 11 of the 1999 Act, effectively reauthorizing that Act indefinitely. 

Section 3. Website related to federal grants 

This section adds a new section 6(e) to the FFAMIA that requires 

the Director of OMB to establish and maintain a public website to 

serve as a central point of information and access for applicants for 

federal grants. At a minimum, for each federal grant, that website 

is to include, to the maximum extent possible, grant announceVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:56 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR468.XXX SR468

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ments; statements of eligibility; application requirements; purposes 

of the funding; the name of the funding agency; and application 

and award deadlines. This section further requires that, to the 

greatest extent practical, the website must allow grant applicants 

to search for all federal grants by various criteria; apply for grants; 

manage, track, and report on the use of grants; and provide required certifications and assurances for grants. 

The section further makes a technical amendment to section 6(g) 

to clarify that the requirement that provisions be carried out within 18 months of the enactment of the original 1999 Act does not 

apply to the new website provisions of section 6(e). 

Section 4. Report on implementation 

This section strikes section 7 of the 1999 Act, which required 

GAO to evaluate the effectiveness of the Act, and inserts a new section 7 that would require the Director of OMB to report to Congress within 9 months of enactment, and biennially thereafter for 

a period of 15 years, on progress made in implementing the 

FFAMIA. Each report must list all grants that can be applied for 

using the website required under section 6(e); list all agencies that 

provide federal financial assistance; list all agencies that have complied with the requirements of the Act and the extent of their compliance; list all agencies exempted from the requirements of the Act 

with an explanation of the exemption and certification that the 

basis for the exemption still exists; list all common application 

forms that allow non-federal entities to apply for multiple federal 

financial assistance programs; list all common forms and requirements that allow non-federal entities to report on the use of funding from multiple federal financial assistance programs; describe 

federal efforts to communicate and collaborate with non-federal entities during the implementation of the FFAMIA; describe efforts of 

the OMB Director to work with federal agencies to meet the goals 

of the Act; and describe all systems used to disburse federal financial assistance to non-federal entities. Subsequent reports must 

also detail progress made by the federal government in meeting the 

goals of the FFAMIA and compile agency reports on their actions 

in furtherance of the Act. 

Section 5. Strategic plan 

This section amends the FFAMIA by inserting a new section 8 

that requires the Director of OMB to submit a strategic plan to 

Congress within 18 months. The strategic plan is required to identify federal financial assistance programs, or aspects of such programs, that are suitable for common applications or common reporting forms or requirements; and identify changes in law needed 

to achieve the FFAMIA’s goals. The strategic plan is also required 

to include plans, timelines, and cost estimates for developing an entirely electronic, web-based process that allows grantees to manage 

various aspects of federal financial assistance; for ensuring full 

agency compliance with the requirements of the Act; for creating 

common applications, common financial and performance reporting 

forms and requirements, and common certifications and assurances 

for federal financial assistance programs; for ensuring compatibility 

between federal and state administration systems; and for miniVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:56 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR468.XXX SR468

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mizing the number of payment systems used to disburse Federal 

financial assistance. 

In addition, this section provides that the Director of OMB must 

consult with non-federal entities and federal agencies in developing 

and implementing the strategic plan. 

This section further requires each federal agency to prepare a 

plan within 6 months of the date OMB submits its strategic plan 

to Congress that describes how the agency will carry out its responsibilities under OMB’s strategic plan. Each agency’s plan must include performance objectives, timelines for agency action, and plans 

to improve communication and collaboration with representatives 

of non-federal entities as the requirements of the FFAMIA are carried out. 

This section further provides that each federal agency must consult with non-federal entities during the development and implementation of the agency’s plan and must report to OMB biennially 

for a period of 15 years on the agency’s progress in carrying out 

its plan’s objectives. 

This section also makes a technical amendment to section 5(d) of 

the FFAMIA to clarify that once a federal agency begins providing 

the biennial reports required by new section 8 of the Act, the agency no longer needs to provide the annual reports required by the 

original 1999 Act. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirement of paragraph 11(b)(1) of rule XXVI 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this bill. The Congressional Budget Office 

(CBO) states that there are no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and no 

costs on State, local, or tribal governments. The legislation contains 

no other regulatory impact. 

VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

AUGUST 20, 2008. 

Hon. JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 3341, the Federal Financial 

Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORZSAG. 

Enclosure. 

S. 3341—Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement 

Act of 2008 

S. 3341 would permanently reauthorize and amend the Federal 

Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106–107). The legislation would require the government to 

establish a public Web site and require additional reporting by the 


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Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and various Federal 

agencies regarding federal grants. 

The Federal Government has an Internet site for federal grants 

(www.grants.gov). This Web-based system includes information and 

applications for over $400 billion in awards through 1,000 grant 

programs from 26 agencies. OMB reports that the Web site costs 

about $12 million a year to operate. Based on that information, 

CBO estimates that continuing this level of effort would cost $63 

million over the 2009–2013 period, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. (That estimate reflects the 2008 spending level, 

adjusted for anticipated inflation). 

S. 3341 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 

The bill would benefit state, local, and tribal governments by reducing the costs they incur to apply and report on federal grants. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the following changes in existing law made by 

the bill, as reported, are shown as follows: (existing law proposed 

to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed 

in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

UNITED STATES CODE 

TITLE 31. MONEY AND FINANCE 

Subtitle v. General Assistance Administration 

CHAPTER 61. PROGRAM INFORMATION 

SEC. 6101. DEFINITIONS. 

* * * * * * * 

Notes 

* * * * * * * 

Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act 

of 1999 

Pub. L. 106–107, §§ 1 to 11, Nov. 20, 1999, 113 Stat. 1486, as 

amended Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814, provided that: 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION 5. DUTIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

* * * * * * * 

(d) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—Each Federal agency shall submit the 

plan developed under subsection (a) to the Director and Congress 

and report annually thereafter on the implementation of the plan 

and performance of the agency in meeting the goals and objectives 


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specified under subsection (a)(7), until the date on which the Federal agency submits the first report by the Federal agency required 

under section 8(c)(3). Such report may be included as part of any 

of the general management reports required under law. 

SECTION 6. DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR. 

* * * * * * * 

(e) WEBSITE RELATING TO FEDERAL GRANTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish and maintain 

a public website that serves as a central point of information 

and access for applicants for Federal grants. 

(2) CONTENTS.—To the maximum extent possible, the website 

established under this subsection shall include, at a minimum, 

for each Federal grant— 

(A) the grant announcement; 

(B) the statement of eligibility relating to the grant; 

(C) the application requirements for the grant; 

(D) the purposes of the grant; 

(E) the Federal agency funding the grant; and 

(F) the deadlines for applying for and awarding of the 

grant. 

(3) USE BY APPLICANTS.—The website established under this 

subsection shall, to the greatest extent practical, allow grant applicants to— 

(A) search the website for all Federal grants by type, purpose, funding agency, program source, and other relevant 

criteria; 

(B) apply for a Federal grant using the website; 

(C) manage, track, and report on the use of Federal 

grants using the website; and 

(D) provide all required certifications and assurances for 

a Federal grant using the website. 

ø(e)¿ (f) REPORT ON RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN LAW.—Not later 

than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report containing recommendations for changes in law to improve the effectiveness, performance, 

and coordination of Federal financial assistance programs. 

ø(f)¿ (g) DEADLINE.—øAll actions¿ Except for actions relating to 

establishing the website required under subsection (e), all actions 

required under this section shall be carried out not later than 18 

months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

øSECTION 7. EVALUATION. 

ø(a) IN GENERAL.—The Government Accountability Office shall 

evaluate the effectiveness of this Act. Not later than 6 years after 

the date of the enactment of this Act, the evaluation shall be submitted to the lead agency, the Director, and Congress. The evaluation shall be performed with input from State, local, and tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations. 

ø(b) CONTENTS.—The evaluation under subsection (a) shall— 

ø(1) assess the effectiveness of this Act in meeting the purposes of this Act and make specific recommendations to further 

the implementation of this Act; 

ø(2) evaluate actual performance of each agency in achieving 

the goals and objectives stated in agency plans; and 


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ø(3) assess the level of coordination among the Director, Federal agencies, State, local, and tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations in implementing this Act.¿ 

SECTION 7. EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement 

Act of 2008, and every 2 years thereafter until the date that is 15 

years after the date of enactment of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008, the Director shall submit to Congress a report regarding the implementation of this Act. 

(b) CONTENTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Each report under subsection (a) shall include, for the applicable period— 

(A) a list of all grants for which an applicant may submit an application using the website established under section 6(e); 

(B) a list of all Federal agencies that provide Federal financial assistance to non-Federal entities; 

(C) a list of each Federal agency that has complied, in 

whole or in part, with the requirements of this Act; 

(D) for each Federal agency listed under subparagraph 

(C), a description of the extent of the compliance with this 

Act by the Federal agency; 

(E) a list of all Federal agencies exempted under section 

6(d); 

(F) for each Federal agency listed under subparagraph 

(E)— 

(i) an explanation of why the Federal agency was exempted; and 

(ii) a certification that the basis for the exemption of 

the Federal agency is still applicable; 

(G) a list of all common application forms that have been 

developed that allow non-Federal entities to apply, in whole 

or in part, for multiple Federal financial assistance programs (including Federal financial assistance programs 

administered by different Federal agencies) through a single common application; 

(H) a list of all common forms and requirements that 

have been developed that allow non-Federal entities to report, in whole or in part, on the use of funding from multiple Federal financial assistance programs (including Federal financial assistance programs administered by different Federal agencies); 

(I) a description of the efforts made by the Director and 

Federal agencies to communicate and collaborate with representatives of non-Federal entities during the implementation of the requirements under this Act; 

(J) a description of the efforts made by the Director to 

work with Federal agencies to meet the goals of this Act, including a description of working groups or other structures 

used to coordinate Federal efforts to meet the goals of this 

Act; and 

(K) identification and description of all systems being 

used to disburse Federal financial assistance to non-Federal entities. 


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10 

(2) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—The second report submitted 

under subsection (a), and each subsequent report submitted 

under subsection (a), shall include— 

(A) a discussion of the progress made by the Federal Government in meeting the goals of this Act, including the 

amendments made by the Federal Financial Assistance 

Management Improvement Act of 2008, and in implementing the strategic plan submitted under section 8, including an evaluation of the progress of each Federal agency that has not received an exemption under section 6(d) towards implementing the strategic plan; and 

(B) a compilation of the reports submitted under section 

8(c)(3) during the applicable period. 

(c) DEFINITION OF APPLICABLE PERIOD.—In this section, the term 

‘‘applicable period’’ means— 

(1) for the first report submitted under subsection (a), the 

most recent full fiscal year before the date of the report; and 

(2) for the second report submitted under subsection (a), and 

each subsequent report submitted under subsection (a), the period beginning on the date on which the most recent report 

under subsection (a) was submitted and ending on the date of 

the report. 

SECTION 8. STRATEGIC PLAN. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008, the Director shall submit to Congress a strategic 

plan that— 

(1) identifies Federal financial assistance programs that are 

suitable for common applications based on the common or similar purposes of the Federal financial assistance; 

(2) identifies Federal financial assistance programs that are 

suitable for common reporting forms or requirements based on 

the common or similar purposes of the Federal financial assistance; 

(3) identifies common aspects of multiple Federal financial 

assistance programs that are suitable for common application 

or reporting forms or requirements; 

(4) identifies changes in law, if any, needed to achieve the 

goals of this Act; and 

(5) provides plans, timelines, and cost estimates for— 

(A) developing an entirely electronic, web-based process 

for managing Federal financial assistance, including the 

ability to— 

(i) apply for Federal financial assistance; 

(ii) track the status of applications for and payments 

of Federal financial assistance; 

(iii) report on the use of Federal financial assistance, 

including how such use has been in furtherance of the 

objectives or purposes of the Federal financial assistance; and 

(iv) provide required certifications and assurances; 

(B) ensuring full compliance by Federal agencies with the 

requirements of this Act, including the amendments made 

by the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008; 


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11 

(C) creating common applications for the Federal financial assistance programs identified under paragraph (1), 

regardless of whether the Federal financial assistance programs are administered by different Federal agencies; 

(D) establishing common financial and performance reporting forms and requirements for the Federal financial 

assistance programs identified under paragraph (2), regardless of whether the Federal financial assistance programs are administered by different Federal agencies; 

(E) establishing common applications and financial and 

performance reporting forms and requirements for aspects 

of the Federal financial assistance programs identified 

under paragraph (3), regardless of whether the Federal financial assistance programs are administered by different 

Federal agencies; 

(F) developing mechanisms to ensure compatibility between Federal financial assistance administration systems 

and State systems to facilitate the importing and exporting 

of data; 

(G) developing common certifications and assurances, as 

appropriate, for all Federal financial assistance programs 

that have common or similar purposes, regardless of whether the Federal financial assistance programs are administered by different Federal agencies; and 

(H) minimizing the number of different systems used to 

disburse Federal financial assistance. 

(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing and implementing the strategic plan under subsection (a), the Director shall consult with representatives of non-Federal entities and Federal agencies that have 

not received an exemption under section 6(d). 

(c) FEDERAL AGENCIES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the date on 

which the Director submits the strategic plan under subsection 

(a), the head of each Federal agency that has not received an 

exemption under section 6(d) shall develop a plan that describes 

how the Federal agency will carry out the responsibilities of the 

Federal agency under the strategic plan, which shall include— 

(A) clear performance objectives and timelines for action 

by the Federal agency in furtherance of the strategic plan; 

and 

(B) the identification of measures to improve communication and collaboration with representatives of non-Federal 

entities on an on-going basis during the implementation of 

this Act. 

(2) CONSULTATION.—The head of each Federal agency that 

has not received an exemption under section 6(d) shall consult 

with representatives of non-Federal entities during the development and implementation of the plan of the Federal agency developed under paragraph (1). 

(3) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the date on 

which the head of a Federal agency that has not received an exemption under section 6(d) develops the plan under paragraph 

(1), and every 2 years thereafter until the date that is 15 years 

after the date of enactment of the Federal Financial Assistance 

Management Improvement Act of 2008, the head of the Federal 


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agency shall submit to the Director a report regarding the 

progress of the Federal agency in achieving the objectives of the 

plan of the Federal agency developed under paragraph (1). 

SECTION ø8¿ 9. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION ø9¿ 10. JUDICIAL REVIEW. 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION ø10¿ 11. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION ø11¿ 12. EFFECTIVE DATEø AND SUNSET¿. 

This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this 

Actø and shall cease to be effective 8 years after such date of enactment¿. 

Æ 


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