[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 220 (Thursday, November 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67175-67177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26994]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 3090-XXXX]


General Services Administration; Office of Governmentwide Policy; 
Information Collection; Standard Form SF-XXXX, Tangible Personal 
Property Report

AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services 
Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding a new OMB clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the GSA will be submitting to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a new 
information collection requirement regarding reporting personal 
tangible property. A request for public comments was published at 72 FR 
64648, November 16, 2007. Comments were received.
    GSA, on behalf of the Grants Policy Committee proposes to issue a 
new standard form, the Tangible Personal Property Report (SF-XXXX). We 
anticipate this being the final notice before the form and instructions 
are finalized. The general public and Federal agencies are invited to 
comment on the proposed final form. To view the form, go to OMB's main 
Web page at http://www.OMB.gov and click on the ``Grants Management,'' 
then ``Forms'' then Proposed Government-Wide Standard Grants Reporting 
Forms Links.
    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary and whether it will have 
practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this

[[Page 67176]]

collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions 
and methodology; and ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected.

DATES: Submit comments on or before: December 15, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Nelson, Chair, Post-Award 
Workgroup; telephone 202-482-4538; fax 202-482-1844; e-mail 
[email protected]; mailing address 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Room 6054, Washington, DC 20230.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden to GSA Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10236, NEOB, 
Washington, DC 20503, and a copy to the Regulatory Secretariat (VPR), 
General Services Administration, Room 4041, 1800 F Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090-XXXX, Tangible 
Personal Property Report, in all correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    GSA, on behalf of the Federal Grants Streamlining Initiative, 
proposes to issue a new standard form, the Tangible Personal Property 
Report (SF-XXXX). The SF-XXXX includes a cover page, an Annual Report 
attachment, a Final Report attachment, a Disposition/Request Report 
attachment and a Supplemental Sheet to provide detailed item 
information. The purpose of this new form is to provide a standard form 
for assistance recipients to use when they are required to provide a 
Federal agency with information related to federally owned property, or 
equipment and supplies (tangible personal property) acquired with 
assistance award funds. The form does not create any new reporting 
requirements. It does establish a standard annual reporting date of 
September 30 to be used if an award does not specify an annual 
reporting date. The standard form will replace any agency unique forms 
currently in use to allow uniformity of collection and to support 
future electronic submission of information.

Background

    On November 16, 2007, GSA, on behalf of the Federal Grants 
Streamlining Initiative, announced in the Federal Register its intent 
to issue a new standard form, the Tangible Personal Property Report 
(SF-XXXX) (72 FR 64648).
    Public Law 106-107 required OMB to direct, coordinate, and assist 
Executive Branch departments and agencies in establishing an 
interagency process to streamline and simplify Federal financial 
assistance procedures for non-Federal entities. The law also required 
executive agencies to develop, submit to the Congress, and implement a 
plan to achieve streamlined and simplified procedures.
    Twenty-six Executive Branch agencies jointly submitted a plan to 
the Congress in May 2001, as the Act required. The plan described the 
interagency process through which the agencies would review current 
policies and practices, and seek to streamline and simplify them. The 
process involved interagency work groups under the auspices of the 
Grants Management Committee of the Chief Financial Officers Council. 
The plan also identified substantive areas in which the interagency 
work groups had begun their review.
    One of the substantive areas that the agencies identified in the 
plan was a need to streamline and simplify Federal grant reporting 
requirements and procedures and associated business processes to reduce 
unnecessary burdens on recipients and to improve the timeliness, 
completeness and quality of the information collected.
    Under the standards for management and disposition of federally 
owned property, equipment and supplies (tangible personal property) in 
2 CFR part 215, the ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants 
and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and 
Other Non-Profit Organizations'', and the ``Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with State and Local 
Governments'', codified by Federal agencies at 53 FR 8048 (March 11, 
1988), recipients may be required to provide Federal agencies with 
information concerning property in their custody annually, at award 
closeout, or when the property is no longer needed.
    During the public consultation process mandated by Public Law 106-
107, recipients suggested the need for a standard form to help them 
submit appropriate property information when required. The Public Law 
106-107 Post Award Reports Subgroup developed the Tangible Personal 
Property Report (SF-XXXX) for submission of required data in the 
situations outlined in the Table below:

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                                A recipient must . . .
           For . . .                                               When . . .                   Under . . .
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Federally owned equipment.....  Submit an inventory     Annually, with information        2 CFR 215.33(a)(1); A-
                                 listing the equipment.  accurate as of 30 September,      102, --.32(f)(2).
                                                         unless the award specifies a
                                                         different date.
                                Request Federal agency  It wants to use the equipment on  2 CFR 215.34(d).
                                 authorization.          other activities not sponsored
                                                         by the Federal Government.
                                Notify the Federal      Immediately upon finding          2 CFR 215.34(f)(4).
                                 awarding agency.        equipment is lost, damaged, or
                                                         stolen.
                                Request disposition     The equipment is no longer        2 CFR 215.33(a)(1); A-
                                 instructions.           needed.                           102, --.32(f)(3).
                                                        Upon completion of the award....  2 CFR 215.33(a)(1) and
                                                                                           2 CFR 215.71(f); A-
                                                                                           102, --.50(b)(5).
Grantee-acquired equipment in   Obtain Federal          Acquiring replacement equipment,  2 CFR 215.34(e); A-
 which the Federal Government    awarding agency         before: (1) using the current     102, --.32(c)(4).
 retains an interest.            approval.               equipment as trade-in; or (2)
                                                         selling it and using the
                                                         proceeds to offset the costs of
                                                         the replacement equipment.
                                Compensate the          Equipment has a per unit fair     2 CFR 215.34(g); A-
                                 original Federal        market value of greater than      102, --.32(e)(2).
                                 awarding agency or      $5,000 and the grantee no
                                 its successor.          longer needs the equipment for
                                                         Federally supported activities
                                                         but will retain the equipment
                                                         for other uses.

[[Page 67177]]

 
                                Request disposition     Grantee no longer needs the       2 CFR 215.34(g).
                                 instructions.           equipment for any purpose.
                                Sell the equipment and  Equipment has a per unit fair     2 CFR 215.34(g)(1); A-
                                 reimburse the Federal   market value of greater than      102, --.32(e)(2).
                                 awarding agency for     $5,000 and the recipient no
                                 the Federal share.      longer needs the equipment for
                                                         any purpose and requested
                                                         disposition instructions, and
                                                         either was instructed to sell
                                                         the equipment or received no
                                                         instructions within 120 days.
                                Account for the         Upon completion of the award,     2 CFR 215.71(f) and 2
                                 equipment.              when the awarding agency has      CFR 215.34(g)(4)(ii).
                                                         reserved the right to transfer
                                                         title to the Federal Government
                                                         or a third party.
Supplies......................  Compensate the Federal  It has a residual inventory of    2 CFR 215.35(a); A-
                                 Government for its      unused supplies exceeding         102, --.33(b).
                                 share.                  $5,000 in aggregate value at
                                                         the end of a project or program
                                                         that are not needed for other
                                                         Federally supported activities.
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Note: Citations listed in this table for OMB Circular A-102 refer to each agency's implementing regulations. The
  underscore is where each agency's individual CFR location would be inserted. Citations for 2 CFR 215 are from
  OMB Circular A-110 which has been relocated to 2 CFR, Part 215. For further information on the Circulars,
  please refer to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/attach.html.

Comments on 2007 Federal Register Notice and Responses

    Comment: Requested clarification as to whether the new report would 
take precedence over specific reporting requirements in the provisions 
of their awards.
    Response: The (SF-XXXX) will replace any agency unique forms 
currently in use, but it does not create any new reporting 
requirements. The provisions of individual awards still apply.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    This report will be used to collect information related to tangible 
personal property (and supplies) when required by a Federal financial 
assistance award. Since this form will primarily be used for reporting 
under grants, and GSA does not award grants, we are providing a burden 
estimate for one respondent.
    Respondents: Federal agencies and their assistance recipients.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2.75.
    Estimated Cost: There is no expected cost to the respondents or to 
GSA.

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                                                                Number of      Average burden
               Instrument                     Number of       responses per       hours per       Total burden
                                             respondents       respondent         response            hours
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 Tangible Personal Property Report (SF-                  1                 1       0.166666667       0.166666667
 XXXX)..................................
 Annual Report: Attachment to SF-XXXX...                 1                 1              0.75              0.75
 Final Report: Attachment to SF-XXXX....                 1                 1              0.75              0.75
 Disposition Request/Report: Attachment                  1                 1              0.75              0.75
 to SF-XXXX.............................
 Tangible Personal Property Report                       1                 1       0.333333333       0.333333333
 Supplemental Sheet (SF-XXXX-S).........
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     Total..............................  ................  ................  ................              2.75
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    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (VPR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 
4041, Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 208-4755. Please cite OMB 
Control No. 3090-XXXX, Tangible Personal Property Report, in all 
correspondence.

    Dated: October 17, 2008.
Casey Coleman,
Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-26994 Filed 11-12-08; 8:45 am]
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