[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6420 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6420

   To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial 
assistance programs, simplify Federal financial assistance application 
and reporting requirements, and improve the delivery of services to the 
                                public.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 2012

  Mr. Clarke of Michigan (for himself, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. 
 Lewis of Georgia, and Mr. Davis of Illinois) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
                                 Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial 
assistance programs, simplify Federal financial assistance application 
and reporting requirements, and improve the delivery of services to the 
                                public.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Financial Assistance 
Management Improvement Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) there are over 600 different Federal financial 
        assistance programs to implement domestic policy;
            (2) while the assistance described in paragraph (1) has 
        been directed at critical problems, some Federal administrative 
        requirements may be duplicative, burdensome, or conflicting, 
        thus impeding cost-effective delivery of services at the local 
        level;
            (3) the Nation's State, local, and tribal governments and 
        private, nonprofit organizations are dealing with increasingly 
        complex problems which require the delivery and coordination of 
        many kinds of services; and
            (4) streamlining and simplifying Federal financial 
        assistance administrative procedures and reporting requirements 
        will improve the delivery of services to the public.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal 
        financial assistance programs;
            (2) simplify Federal financial assistance application and 
        reporting requirements;
            (3) improve the delivery of services to the public; and
            (4) facilitate greater coordination among those responsible 
        for delivering such services.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Management and Budget.
            (2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' means any 
        agency as defined under section 551(1) of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (3) Federal financial assistance.--The term ``Federal 
        financial assistance'' has the meaning given that term under 
        section 7501(a) of title 31, United States Code, under which 
        Federal financial assistance is provided, directly or 
        indirectly, to a non-Federal entity.
            (4) Local government.--The term ``local government'' has 
        the meaning given that term under section 7501(a) of title 31, 
        United States Code.
            (5) Non-federal entity.--The term ``non-Federal entity'' 
        means a State, local government, or nonprofit organization.
            (6) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means any corporation, trust, association, 
        cooperative, or other organization that--
                    (A) is operated primarily for scientific, 
                educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes 
                in the public interest;
                    (B) is not organized primarily for profit; and
                    (C) uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or 
                expand the operations of the organization.
            (7) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, 
        American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, any other territory or possession of the United 
        States, and any instrumentality thereof, any multi-State, 
        regional, or interstate entity which has governmental 
        functions, and any federally recognized Indian tribe.
            (8) Tribal government.--The term ``tribal government'' 
        means an Indian tribe, as that term is defined in section 
        7501(a) of title 31, United States Code.
            (9) Uniform administrative rule.--The term ``uniform 
        administrative rule'' means a Governmentwide uniform rule for 
        any generally applicable requirement established to achieve 
        national policy objectives that applies to multiple Federal 
        financial assistance programs across Federal agencies.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR.

    (a) In General.--The Director, in consultation with agency heads 
and representatives of non-Federal entities, shall direct, coordinate, 
and assist Federal agencies in implementing--
            (1) a common application and reporting system, including--
                    (A) a common application or set of common 
                applications, wherein a non-Federal entity can apply 
                for Federal financial assistance from multiple Federal 
                financial assistance programs that serve similar 
                purposes and are administered by different Federal 
                agencies;
                    (B) a common system, including electronic 
                processes, wherein a non-Federal entity can apply for, 
                manage, and report on the use of funding from multiple 
                Federal financial assistance programs that serve 
                similar purposes and are administered by different 
                Federal agencies; and
                    (C) uniform administrative rules for Federal 
                financial assistance programs across different Federal 
                agencies; and
            (2) an interagency process for addressing--
                    (A) ways to streamline and simplify Federal 
                financial assistance administrative procedures and 
                reporting requirements for non-Federal entities;
                    (B) improved interagency and intergovernmental 
                coordination of information collection and sharing of 
                data pertaining to Federal financial assistance 
                programs, including appropriate information sharing 
                consistent with section 552a of title 5, United States 
                Code; and
                    (C) improvements in the timeliness, completeness, 
                and quality of information received by Federal agencies 
                from recipients of Federal financial assistance.
    (b) Lead Agency and Working Groups.--The Director may designate a 
lead agency to assist the Director in carrying out the responsibilities 
under this section. The Director may use interagency working groups to 
assist in carrying out such responsibilities.
    (c) Review of Plans and Reports.--Upon the request of the Director, 
agencies shall submit to the Director, for the Director's review, 
information and other reporting regarding agency implementation of this 
Act.
    (d) Exemptions.--The Director may exempt any Federal agency or 
Federal financial assistance program from the requirements of this Act 
if the Director determines that the Federal agency does not have a 
significant number of Federal financial assistance programs. The 
Director shall maintain a list of exempted agencies which shall be 
available to the public through the website of the Office of Management 
and Budget.
    (e) Report on Recommended Changes in Law.--Not later than 18 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit 
to Congress a report containing recommendations for changes in law to 
improve the effectiveness, performance, and coordination of Federal 
financial assistance programs.
    (f) Deadline.--All actions required under this section shall be 
carried out not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the Director or 
any Federal agency from gathering, or to exempt any recipient of 
Federal financial assistance from providing, information that is 
required for review of the financial integrity or quality of services 
of an activity assisted by a Federal financial assistance program.

SEC. 7. JUDICIAL REVIEW.

    There shall be no judicial review of compliance or noncompliance 
with any of the provisions of this Act. No provision of this Act shall 
be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
enforceable by any administrative or judicial action.

SEC. 8. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a means to deviate from 
the statutory requirements relating to applicable Federal financial 
assistance programs.

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SUNSET.

    This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act 
and shall cease to be effective 8 years after such date of enactment.
                                 <all>