[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 47 (Monday, November 29, 1999)]
[Pages 2423-2424]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Federal Financial Assistance Management 
Improvement Act of 1999

November 20, 1999

    Today I have signed into law S. 468, the ``Federal Financial 
Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999.'' I strongly support the 
objective of this legislation--to make it easier for State, local, and 
tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to apply for and report 
on financial assistance. While different types of grant programs can and 
should have different applications, there is ample room for 
consolidation and streamlining of similar programs.
    Nonetheless, I have strong reservations about some of the specific 
provisions in the Act. In particular, as my Administration has indicated 
to the Congress on several occasions, the Act does not provide resources 
for, nor allow sufficient time to accomplish even partially, the very 
ambitious overhaul of grant programs that it requires. In addition, the 
Act anticipates a common application and reporting system for Federal 
grant programs, but does not amend the many program statutes that 
establish different application and reporting requirements for different 
grant programs. Furthermore, the deadlines in the Act are inconsistent 
with other legislation and unlikely to be achievable in practice. For 
example, the Act requires agencies to create a common system for 
electronic processing of all grant programs, but on a schedule that is 
inconsistent with related requirements of the Government Paperwork 
Elimination Act of 1998. For these reasons, even an extensive effort may 
yield only minimal improvements in the simplification of the grants 
process and the administration of Federal resources.
    I remain concerned that S. 468 may create expectations that will not 
be fulfilled, and tarnish the success of the efforts we have already 
begun. My Administration will, of course, continue its long-standing 
efforts to streamline, simplify, and consolidate application and 
reporting requirements.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
November 20, 1999.

Note: S. 468, approved November 20, was assigned Public Law No. 106-107.

[[Page 2424]]