[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60285-60286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23773]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Final Notice To Announce the Implementation of Required 
Electronic Submission of State or Tribal Plans, and Program and 
Financial Reporting Forms for Mandatory Grant Programs

AGENCY: Office of Administration (OA), ACF, HHS.

ACTION: Final notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of 
Administration (OA) is issuing final notice of the implementation of 
required electronic submission of State or Tribal plans, and program 
and financial reporting forms for mandatory grant programs to ACF's 
Online Data Collection system (OLDC). This notice includes responses to 
comments received under the initial notice published in the Federal 
Register (78 FR 38989-38891, June 28, 2013). Public comment on the 
proposed procedures closed on August 27, 2013.
    This notice also corrects the absence in the June 28 notice of a 
reference that required electronic application submission also applies 
to Tribal plans and reporting.

DATES: Effective October 1, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Shields, Grants Policy 
Specialist, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for 
Children and Families, Division of Grants Policy, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade SW., Aerospace Building, 6th Floor East, Washington, DC 
20447. Email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ACF has previously afforded recipients of 
mandatory grant programs the option of submitting State or Tribal 
plans, and programmatic and financial reporting forms, in both 
electronic and paper formats. On June 28, 2013, ACF announced that 
recipients of mandatory grant programs will be required to submit State 
plans, and programmatic and financial reporting forms electronically.
    In response to the June notice, the ACF received several comments. 
The following information summarizes the comments received and the 
agency responses.
    1. A commenter noted that all references to ``State'' should be 
changed to include plans and reporting submitted by Tribes, as well as 
those required of States, under mandatory grants.
    We concur. ACF corrects and apologizes for the error in the 
original notice. All references to States in the earlier notice also 
apply to plans and reports required from Tribal grantees and 
applicants.
    2. A commenter asked why required electronic submission would not 
include submission of reports under a discretionary grant program.
    ACF responds that, at present, the requirement for electronic 
submission of reporting documents, implemented in this and the June 28 
notices, applies only to reporting by mandatory grant programs. An 
announcement concerning requirements for electronic reporting by 
grantees under discretionary grant programs will be made in the Federal 
Register in the future. Required electronic submission of applications 
to discretionary grant programs through www.Grants.gov was announced by 
ACF in Federal Register notice 76 FR 66721, October 27, 2011.
    3. One commenter asked where applicants can obtain a copy of the 
SF-424M for use by State or Tribal plans, and another commenter 
requested specific instructions for use of the form.
    The form is available on the Grants.gov Web site at: http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_Mandatory_1_2-V1.2.pdf. 
ACF Program Offices will provide detailed instructions to grantees and 
applicants affected by the change to required electronic submission.
    4. Two commenters suggested that ACF continue to accept paper 
submissions of plans and reporting documents when natural disasters, 
disruptions of mail service, unscheduled electrical or system outages, 
or other rare events occur that would prevent electronic submission of 
the documents.
    We respond that ACF has the authority to extend the filing deadline 
in these situations, upon request from the grantee. No exemption 
request from the electronic filing requirement is required under these 
circumstances. ACF will allow a paper submission via fax, or as an 
email attachment, in situations where the use of mail, courier, or 
overnight delivery service may not be sufficient to meet a specific 
deadline.
    5. Other commenters requested clarification of the electronic 
submission requirement by asking whether attachments to plans must also 
be submitted electronically to ACF's OLDC system.
    ACF responds that supplemental attachments and documentation to any 
State or Tribal plan, or to programmatic or financial reporting forms, 
may be uploaded electronically to OLDC.
    6. Another commenter that had been submitting plans and reports in 
paper format asked if new users of the OLDC

[[Page 60286]]

system will be given credentials to use OLDC. Upon request, ACF will 
provide credentials and access to use the OLDC system to all applicants 
and grantees. Individuals already authorized to use OLDC may need their 
authorization updated to include additional programs or documents, if 
applicable. Affected ACF Program Offices will send detailed 
instructions to grantees and applicants.
    7. The same commenter also asked whether submitted State Plans 
could be viewed by the public through ACF's OLDC system.
    ACF responds that the OLDC system does not have the capability to 
allow viewing of submitted plans or reports by the public. ACF Program 
Offices that provide public viewing of submitted plans on their Web 
sites will continue that practice. States and Tribes should follow 
their internal procedures in making the determination to provide plans 
and reports for public viewing.
    8. A commenter objected to the requirement by some ACF Program 
Offices that a paper copy of a submitted plan be distributed to the 
relevant ACF Regional Office. The same commenter also recommended that, 
once a plan is electronically signed and submitted to OLDC, ACF should 
not allow subsequent changes to the data unless the grantee is 
submitting a revised report, according to the reporting instructions.
    ACF responds that, with the implementation of this requirement, 
once a grantee submits its plan or reporting forms into OLDC, the 
submission of a second paper copy is no longer required. ACF's Regional 
Office staff will access plans and reports using OLDC, eliminating the 
requirement for distribution of additional copies. And, we note that 
once a submission is signed and submitted in OLDC, any revisions, 
changes, or updates must be made by entering a revised report in OLDC. 
We note that there is no limit to the number of revised reports a 
grantee may submit; however, some date restrictions by the cognizant 
Program Office may apply to submission of revisions.

    Statutory Authority: Financial Assistance Management Improvement 
Act of 1999, Pub. L. 106-107.

Robert Noonan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, Administration for 
Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 2013-23773 Filed 9-30-13; 8:45 am]
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