[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 13 (Thursday, January 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S789-S790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Carper):
  S. 303. A bill to reauthorize and improve the Federal Financial 
Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999; to the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Federal 
Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2009 with Senator 
Lieberman and Senator Carper.
  When I came to the Senate in 1999, I introduced the Federal Financial 
Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 with Senators Lieberman, 
Thompson and Durbin because as a former mayor and governor, I had seen 
first-hand the problems and complications that existed in the federal 
grant making process.
  Congress enacted our legislation to improve the effectiveness and 
performance of Federal financial assistance programs, simplify Federal 
financial assistance application and reporting requirements, improve 
the delivery of services to the public and coordinate the delivery of 
those services, and progress was made under the law, which is commonly 
known as ``P.L. 106-107.'' A 2005 Government Accountability Office, 
GAO, report noted that ``[m]ore than 5 years after passage of P.L. 106-
107, cross-agency work groups have made some progress in streamlining 
aspects of the early phases of the grants life cycle and in some 
specific 
aspects of overall grants management . . . .'' However, GAO also noted 
that work remained to be done and in 2006 suggested that Congress 
consider reauthorizing the Federal Financial Assistance Management 
Improvement Act of 1999, which expired in 2007.
  I believe that Congress should heed GAO's advice and reauthorize this 
important law, so last year I introduced S. 3341 with Senator Lieberman 
to reauthorize the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement 
Act and make improvements to that Act based on the 2005 and 2006 
recommendations of GAO. The bill passed the Senate in September 2008.
  Today we are reintroducing that legislation, which requires the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, to improve the 
grants.gov website or develop another public website that allows grant 
applicants to search and apply for grants, report on the use of grants, 
and provide required certifications and assurances for grants. I 
believe such a website will enhance the transparency required by the 
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act that Congress 
enacted in 2007.
  The bill also requires the Director of OMB to develop a strategic 
plan for an end-to-end electronic capability for non-Federal entities 
to manage the Federal financial assistance they receive and requires 
each Federal agency to plan actions to implement that strategic plan. 
Each federal agency would be required to report to OMB on progress made 
in achieving its objectives under the OMB strategic plan, and the 
Director of OMB would be required to report to Congress biennially on 
progress made in implementing the Federal Financial Assistance 
Management Improvement Act.
  In 1999 I said the Federal Financial Assistance Management 
Improvement Act was an important step toward detangling the web of 
duplicative Federal grants available to States, localities and 
community organizations. Last year I said that while some progress was 
made under that law to detangle the web, work remained to be done. I 
hope that Congress will quickly reauthorize this law so that OMB and 
Federal agencies continue their efforts to simplify and streamline the 
Federal grant process.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 303

       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 2009''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 11 of the Federal Financial Assistance Management 
     Improvement Act of 1999 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``and sunset''; and
       (2) by striking ``and shall cease to be effective 8 years 
     after such date of enactment''.

     SEC. 3. WEBSITE RELATING TO FEDERAL GRANTS.

       Section 6 of the Federal Financial Assistance Management 
     Improvement Act of 1999 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
     (f) and (g), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(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.''; and
       (3) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``All actions'' and inserting ``Except for actions relating 
     to establishing the website required under subsection (e), 
     all actions''.

     SEC. 4. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.

       The Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act 
     of 1999 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended by striking section 
     7 and inserting the following:

     ``SEC. 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 2009, 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 
     2009, 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

[[Page S790]]

     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.
       ``(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 2009, 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.''.

     SEC. 5. STRATEGIC PLAN.

       (a) In General.--The Federal Financial Assistance 
     Management Improvement Act of 1999 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating sections 8, 9, 10, and 11 as sections 
     9, 10, 11, and 12, respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after section 7, as amended by this Act, 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 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 2009, 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 2009;
       ``(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 2009, the 
     head of the Federal 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).''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 5(d) of 
     the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act 
     of 1999 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended by inserting ``, 
     until the date on which the Federal agency submits the first 
     report by the Federal agency required under section 8(c)(3)'' 
     after ``subsection (a)(7)''.
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