[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P