I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6420 
To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial assistance 
programs, simplify Federal financial assistance application and reporting 
requirements, and improve the delivery of services to the public. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 
Mr. CLARKE of Michigan (for himself, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LEWIS 
of Georgia, and Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal 
financial assistance programs, simplify Federal financial 
assistance application and reporting requirements, and 
improve the delivery of services to the public. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Financial As-
sistance Management Improvement Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
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(1) there are over 600 different Federal finan-
cial assistance programs to implement domestic pol-
icy; 
(2) while the assistance described in paragraph 
(1) has been directed at critical problems, some Fed-
eral administrative requirements may be duplicative, 
burdensome, or conflicting, thus impeding cost-effec-
tive delivery of services at the local level; 
(3) the Nation’s State, local, and tribal govern-
ments and private, nonprofit organizations are deal-
ing with increasingly complex problems which re-
quire the delivery and coordination of many kinds of 
services; and 
(4) streamlining and simplifying Federal finan-
cial assistance administrative procedures and report-
ing requirements will improve the delivery of services 
to the public. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) improve the effectiveness and performance 
of Federal financial assistance programs; 
(2) simplify Federal financial assistance appli-
cation and reporting requirements; 
(3) improve the delivery of services to the pub-
lic; and 
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(4) facilitate greater coordination among those 
responsible for delivering such services. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et. 
(2) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ means any agency as defined under section 
551(1) of title 5, United States Code. 
(3) FEDERAL
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE.—The 
term ‘‘Federal financial assistance’’ has the meaning 
given that term under section 7501(a) of title 31, 
United States Code, under which Federal financial 
assistance is provided, directly or indirectly, to a 
non-Federal entity. 
(4) LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘local 
government’’ has the meaning given that term under 
section 7501(a) of title 31, United States Code. 
(5) NON-FEDERAL
ENTITY.—The term ‘‘non- 
Federal entity’’ means a State, local government, or 
nonprofit organization. 
(6) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means any corporation, 
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trust, association, cooperative, or other organization 
that— 
(A) is operated primarily for scientific, 
educational, service, charitable, or similar pur-
poses in the public interest; 
(B) is not organized primarily for profit; 
and 
(C) uses net proceeds to maintain, im-
prove, or expand the operations of the organiza-
tion. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is-
lands of the United States, Guam, American Samoa, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands, any other territory or possession of the 
United States, and any instrumentality thereof, any 
multi-State, regional, or interstate entity which has 
governmental functions, and any federally recognized 
Indian tribe. 
(8) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘tribal 
government’’ means an Indian tribe, as that term is 
defined in section 7501(a) of title 31, United States 
Code. 
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(9) UNIFORM
ADMINISTRATIVE
RULE.—The 
term ‘‘uniform administrative rule’’ means a Govern-
mentwide uniform rule for any generally applicable 
requirement established to achieve national policy 
objectives that applies to multiple Federal financial 
assistance programs across Federal agencies. 
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in consultation with 
agency heads and representatives of non-Federal entities, 
shall direct, coordinate, and assist Federal agencies in im-
plementing— 
(1) a common application and reporting system, 
including— 
(A) a common application or set of com-
mon applications, wherein a non-Federal entity 
can apply for Federal financial assistance from 
multiple Federal financial assistance programs 
that serve similar purposes and are adminis-
tered by different Federal agencies; 
(B) a common system, including electronic 
processes, wherein a non-Federal entity can 
apply for, manage, and report on the use of 
funding from multiple Federal financial assist-
ance programs that serve similar purposes and 
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are administered by different Federal agencies; 
and 
(C) uniform administrative rules for Fed-
eral financial assistance programs across dif-
ferent Federal agencies; and 
(2) an interagency process for addressing— 
(A) ways to streamline and simplify Fed-
eral financial assistance administrative proce-
dures and reporting requirements for non-Fed-
eral entities; 
(B) improved interagency and intergovern-
mental coordination of information collection 
and sharing of data pertaining to Federal fi-
nancial assistance programs, including appro-
priate information sharing consistent with sec-
tion 552a of title 5, United States Code; and 
(C) improvements in the timeliness, com-
pleteness, and quality of information received 
by Federal agencies from recipients of Federal 
financial assistance. 
(b) LEAD AGENCY AND WORKING GROUPS.—The Di-
rector may designate a lead agency to assist the Director 
in carrying out the responsibilities under this section. The 
Director may use interagency working groups to assist in 
carrying out such responsibilities. 
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(c) REVIEW OF PLANS AND REPORTS.—Upon the re-
quest of the Director, agencies shall submit to the Direc-
tor, for the Director’s review, information and other re-
porting regarding agency implementation of this Act. 
(d) EXEMPTIONS.—The Director may exempt any 
Federal agency or Federal financial assistance program 
from the requirements of this Act if the Director deter-
mines that the Federal agency does not have a significant 
number of Federal financial assistance programs. The Di-
rector shall maintain a list of exempted agencies which 
shall be available to the public through the website of the 
Office of Management and Budget. 
(e) REPORT ON RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN LAW.— 
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report 
containing recommendations for changes in law to improve 
the effectiveness, performance, and coordination of Fed-
eral financial assistance programs. 
(f) DEADLINE.—All actions required under this sec-
tion shall be carried out not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the 
Director or any Federal agency from gathering, or to ex-
empt any recipient of Federal financial assistance from 
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providing, information that is required for review of the 
financial integrity or quality of services of an activity as-
sisted by a Federal financial assistance program. 
SEC. 7. JUDICIAL REVIEW. 
There shall be no judicial review of compliance or 
noncompliance with any of the provisions of this Act. No 
provision of this Act shall be construed to create any right 
or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any 
administrative or judicial action. 
SEC. 8. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a means 
to deviate from the statutory requirements relating to ap-
plicable Federal financial assistance programs. 
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SUNSET. 
This Act shall take effect on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and shall cease to be effective 8 years 
after such date of enactment. 
Æ 
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