Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999
PL 106-107 (S.468), enacted 11/20/1999

113 STAT. 1486 
PUBLIC LAW 106-107—NOV. 20, 1999 
Public Law 106-107 
106th Congress 
An Act 
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To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial assistance pro-
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grams, simplify Federal financial assistance application and reporting require-
[S. 468] 
ments, and improve the delivery of services to the public. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
Federal Financial the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Ac 
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Management 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
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This Act may be cited as the "Federal Financial Assistance 
31 use 6101 
Management Improvement Act of 1999". 
note. 
31 u s e 6101 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) there are over 600 different Federal financial assistance 
programs to implement domestic policy; 
(2) while the assistance described in paragraph (1) has 
been directed at critical problems, some Federal administrative 
requirements may be duplicative, burdensome or conflicting, 
thus impeding cost-effective delivery of services at the local 
level; 
(3) the Nation's State, locsd, and tribal governments and 
private, nonprofit organizations are dealing with increasingly 
complex problems which require the delivery and coordination 
of many kinds of services; and 
(4) streamlining and simplification of Federal fiuEincial 
assistance administrative procedures aind reporting require-
ments will improve the delivery of services to the public. 
31 u s e 6101 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal 
fingincial assistance programs; 
(2) simplify Federal financial assistance application and 
reporting requirements; 
(3) improve the delivery of services to the public; and 
(4) facilitate greater coordination among those responsible 
for delivering such services. 
31 u s e 6101 
SEC. 4. DEFDMITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term "Director" means the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget. 
(2) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term "Federal agency" means 
any agency as defined under section 551(1) of title 5, United 
States Code. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-107—NOV. 20, 1999 
113 STAT. 1487 
(3) FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—The term "Federal 
financial assistance" has the same meaning as defined in sec-
tion 7501(a)(5) 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" 
means a political subdivision of a State that is a unit of general 
local government (as defined under section 7501(a)(ll) of title 
31, United States Code). 
(5) NON-FEDERAL ENTITY.—The term "non-Federal entity" 
means a State, local government, or nonprofit organization. 
(6) 
NONPROFIT 
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term 
"nonprofit 
organization" 
means 
any 
corporation, 
trust, 
association, 
cooperative, or other organization that— 
(A) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, 
service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public 
interest; 
(B) is not organized primarily for profit; and 
(C) uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand 
the operations of the organization. 
(7) STATE.—The term "State" means any State of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the 
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any instrumentality 
thereof, any multi-State, regional, or interstate entity which 
has governmental functions, and any Indian Tribal Govern-
ment. 
(8) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term "tribal government" 
means an Indian tribe, as that term is defined in section 
7501(a)(9) of title 31, United States Code. 
(9) UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE RULE.—The term "uniform 
administrative rule" means a Governmentwide uniform rule 
for any generally applicable requirement established to achieve 
national policy objectives that applies to multiple Federal finan-
cial assistance programs across Federal agencies. 
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
31 USC 6101 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under subsection (b), not Deadline, 
later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
each Federal agency shall develop and implement a plan that— 
(1) streamlines and simplifies the application, administra-
tive, and reporting procedures for Federal financial assistance 
programs administered by the agency; 
(2) demonstrates active participation in the interagency 
process under section 6(a)(2); 
(3) demonstrates appropriate agency use, or plans for use, 
of the common application and reporting system developed 
under section 6(a)(1); 
(4) designates a lead agency official for carrying out the 
responsibilities of the agency under this Act; 
(5) allows applicants to electronically apply for, and report 
on the use of, funds from the Federal financial assistance 
program administered by the agency; 
(6) ensures recipients of Federal financial assistance pro-
vide timely, complete, and high quality information in response 
to Federal reporting requirements; and 
113 STAT. 1488 
PUBLIC LAW 106-107—NOV. 20, 1999 
(7) in cooperation with recipients of Federal financial assist-
ance, establishes specific annual goals and objectives to fiirther 
the purposes of this Act and measure annual performance 
in achieving those goals and objectives, which may be done 
as part of the agency's annual planning responsibilities under 
the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Public 
Law 103-62; 107 Stat. 285). 
(b) EXTENSION.—If a Federal agency is unable to comply with 
subsection (a), the Director may extend for up to 12 months the 
period for the agency to develop and implement a plan in accordance 
with subsection (a). 
(c) COMMENT AND CONSULTATION ON AGENCY PLANS.— 
Federal Register, 
(1) COMMENT.—Each agency shall publish the plan devel-
publication. 
oped under subsection (a) in the Federal Register and shall 
receive public comment of the plan through the Federal Register 
and other means (including electronic means). To the maximum 
extent practicable, each Federal agency shall hold public forums 
on the plan. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The lead official designated under sub-
section (aX4) shall consult with representatives of non-Federal 
entities during development and implementation of the plan. 
Consultation with representatives of State, local, and tribal 
governments shall be in accordance with section 204 of the 
Unfimded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1534). 
(d) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—Each Federal agency shall submit 
the plan developed under subsection (a) to the Director and Con-
gress and report annually thereafter on the implementation of 
the pl£in and performsince of the agency in meeting the goeils and 
objectives specified under subsection (a)(7). Such report may be 
included as part of any of the general management reports required 
under law. 
31 use 6101 
SEC. 6. 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 establishing— 
(1) a common application and reporting system, including— 
(A) a common application or set of common applica-
tions, wherein a non-Federal entity can apply for Federal 
financial assistance from multiple Federal financial assist-
ance programs that serve similar purposes and 
are 
administered by different Federal agencies; 
(B) a common system, including electronic processes, 
wherein a non-Federal entity can apply for, msinage, and 
report on the use of funding from multiple Federal financial 
assistance programs that serve similar purposes and are 
administered by different Federal agencies; and 
(C) uniform administrative rules for Federal financial 
assistance progrcims across different Federal agencies; emd 
(2) an interagency process for addressing— 
(A) ways to streamline and simplify Federal financial 
assisteince administrative procedures and reporting require-
ments for non-Federal entities; 
(B) improved 
interagency 
and 
intergovernmental 
coordination of information collection and sharing of data 
pertaining to Federal 
financial 
assisteuice programs, 
PUBLIC LAW 106-107—NOV. 20, 1999 
113 STAT. 1489 
including appropriate information sharing consistent with 
section 552a of title 5, United States Code; and 
(C) improvements in the timeliness, completeness, and 
quality of information received by Federal agencies from 
recipients of Federal financial assistance. 
(b) LEAD AGENCY AND WORKING GROUPS.—The Director may 
designate a lead agency to assist the Director in carrying out 
the responsibilities under this section. The Director may use inter-
agency working groups to assist in carrying out such responsibil-
ities. 
(c) REVIEW OF PLANS AND REPORTS.—Upon the request of the 
Director, agencies shall submit to the Director, for the Director's 
review, 
information 
and other 
reporting 
regarding 
agency 
implementation of this Act. 
(d) EXEMPTIONS.—The Director may exempt any Federal agency 
or Federal financial assistance program fi'om the requirements of 
this Act if the Director determines that the Federal agency does 
not have a significant number of Federal financial assistance pro-
grams. The Director shall maintain a list of exempted agencies 
which shall be available to the public through the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget's Internet site. 
(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 recommenda-
tions for changes in law to improve the effectiveness, performsmce, 
and coordination of Federal financial assistance programs. 
(f) DEADLINE.—All actions required under this section shall 
be carried out not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7. EVALUATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The General Accounting 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 govern-
ments, and nonprofit organizations. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The evaluation under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) assess the effectiveness of this Act in meeting the pur-
poses of this Act and make specific recommendations to further 
the implementation of this Act; 
(2) evaluate actual performance of each agency in achieving 
the goals and objectives stated in agency plans; and 
(3) assess the level of coordination among the Director, 
Federal agencies, State, local, and tribal governments, and 
nonprofit organizations in implementing this Act. 
SEC. 8. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the Director 
or any Federal agency from gathering, or to exempt any recipient 
of Federal financial assistance from providing, information that 
is required for review of the financial integrity or quality of services 
of an activity assisted by a Federal financial assistance program. 
SEC. 9. JUDICIAL REVIEW. 
There shall be no judicial review of compliance or noncompli-
ance with any of the provisions of this Act. No provision of this 
Records. 
Deadline. 
31 use 6101 
note. 
Deadline. 
31 use 6101 
note. 
31 use 6101 
note. 
113 STAT. 1490 
PUBLIC LAW 106-107—NOV. 20, 1999 
Act shall be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive 
or procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judicial action. 
31 u s e 6101 
SEC. 10. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a means to deviate 
from the statutory requirements relating to applicable Federal 
financial assistance programs. 
31 u s e 6101 
SEC. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SUNSET. 
This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of 
this Act and shall cease to be effective 8 years after such date 
of enactment. 
Approved November 20, 1999. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 468 (H.R. 409): 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-103 (Comm. on Governmental Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999): 
July 15, considered and passed Senate. 
Nov. 2, considered and passed House, amended. 
Nov. 4, Senate concurred in House amendment. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 35 (1999): 
Nov. 20, Presidential statement.