Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations

SUMMARY: This interim final rule is the U.S. Department of

Agriculture's (USDA) implementation of Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Circular A-110, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and

Other Non-Profit Organizations.'' In OMB's final revision to Circular

A-110, which was published in the Federal Register (58 FR 62992) on

November 29, 1993, Federal agencies were directed to publish these

standards that are imposed on grantees, as codified regulations.

Through this action USDA is creating a new Part, 7 CFR 3019, which

will contain the Department's codification of OMB's revised Circular A-

110, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements

With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit

Organizations.'' The new Part will apply only to institutions of higher

education and other nonprofit organizations that are recipients of

Federal assistance.

The Department's regulations covering the administration of grants

and agreements to these entities was previously found at 7 CFR 3015.

This notice will also amend 7 CFR 3015 to reflect the change in the

scope of that Part as a result of the creation of 7 CFR 3019.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 24, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Gerald Miske, Supervisory Program Analyst, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Office of Finance and Management, Rm. 3031--South

Building, 14th St. & Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250,

(202) 720-1553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

OMB originally published Circular A-110 in 1976. The Circular

remained virtually unchanged until a minor revision was published in

February 1987. In November 1988, OMB proposed that Circular A-110 be

merged with OMB's new Common Rule (formerly Circular A-102), ``Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to

State and Local Governments.'' This proposal was later dropped due to

substantial opposition from both Federal agencies and the university

community.

In November 1990 representatives from a number of Federal agencies

met with OMB and agreed that the original Circular A-110 should be

revised. An interagency task force was established to develop, to the

maximum extent possible, a set of common principles for the

administration of grants and agreements with institutions of higher

education, hospitals and other non-profit organizations. The task force

developed such a proposal and submitted it to OMB. On August 27, 1992,

after several modifications, OMB published that document as a notice in

the Federal Register, requesting comments on the proposed revisions to

the Circular. OMB received and considered over 200 comments in

developing the final publication of the Circular.

On November 29, 1993, OMB published that revision to Circular A-

110, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements

With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit

organizations,'' in the Federal Register at 58 FR 62992. The revised

Circular has, in a number of ways, significantly reduced the

administrative burdens placed on recipients by the Federal agencies.

The most notable attempt to relieve the burden on recipients was

achieved by an agreement with Federal agencies to publish regulations

that, to the maximum extent possible, contained the text of the

Circular as published by OMB. Additionally, the format of the Circular

was changed to make the document more ``user friendly,'' and to enable

Federal agencies to more easily adopt the text of the circular in

regulatory format.

In support of OMB's desired uniformity in the publication of this

regulation, USDA has elected to provide the following clarifications to

several issues that were raised during the Department's internal

clearance process in lieu of making changes to the language in the

rule.

Section .11(b), Public Notice and Priority Setting, states that

Federal awarding agencies ``* * * shall notify the public of its

intended funding priorities for discretionary grant programs * * *''

USDA agencies are fulfilling this requirement in various ways. Some

agencies publish a prioritized list of programs on an annual basis.

Other agencies publish a list of programs that concentrate on a number

of special initiatives or special emphasis areas that they intend to

fund over the course of the fiscal year. Because applications are

accepted and considered for all of these special programs on an equal

basis, according to merit, it is difficult to list any particular

priority beforehand. Occasionally, the lists of special emphasis

programs or priorities that are listed are changed for various reasons,

often on very short notice. In these cases USDA will accept that the

agency has met its responsibility under this section by listing ``* * *

its intended funding priorities * * *,'' or by listing those priorities

that it was aware of at the time of publication.

With regard to Section .23, Cost Sharing and Matching, USDA has

historically held that recipients may ``contribute,'' or use as part of

their cost sharing or matching proposal, the value of services and/or

property owned by the recipient, that have not already been used to

satisfy any other Federal cost sharing or matching requirement. It is

the position of the Department that Section .23 of this regulation

clearly permits such recipient contributions.

Applicability to Commercial Organizations

The definition of the term ``recipient'' in 7 CFR 3015, included

for-profit organizations (commercial organizations) thereby making

those entities subject to that regulation in the absence of any other

specific guidance provided by the agency. To affirm this coverage,

agencies generally incorporated reference to the rule in the terms and

conditions of the award clearly indicating that the recipient should

follow that regulation.

The new regulation, 7 CFR 3019, provides that the term, recipient,

`` * * * may include commercial organizations * * * at the discretion

of the Federal awarding agency.'' USDA has defined the term `` Federal

awarding agency'' to mean the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any

subagency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Awards of Federal financial assistance to commercial organizations

are atypical of the majority of awards made by USDA. Most of the awards

that are made to commercial organizations are made to small businesses

or ``emerging technology'' firms that do not have the experience, or in

some cases the capacity, to meet these requirements without a great

deal of help from the agency. Therefore, the Department wishes to

provide USDA agencies with

[[Page 44123]]

the maximum amount of flexibility by allowing them to continue to apply

either the provisions of 7 CFR 3015 or the provisions of this new 7 CFR

3019 to those awards. Agencies will continue to specify, in the terms

of the award document, which regulation shall apply.

Justification for Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

Section 5 U.S.C. 553 of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA)

requires Federal agencies to publish in the Federal Register, Notices

of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) except in those instances when the

subject matter concerns, among other things, grants, loans, benefits or

contracts. In spite of this exception USDA, as a matter of policy,

normally publishes all NPRM's in the Federal Register regardless of the

subject matter. In this case USDA has, for a number of reasons, decided

to publish this regulation as an interim final rule.

The primary reason for publishing this document as an interim final

rule is that OMB already published it for comment in the Federal

Register on August 27, 1992. Following that publication OMB received

over 200 comments from universities, non-profit organizations, Federal

agencies, professional organizations and others. These comments were

considered, and addressed in the final rule that was published on

November 29, 1993. Secondly, we believe that publishing this rule for

comment at this time would be contrary to the public good because USDA

would be unable to make any changes to the rule based on those

comments. In an effort to publish uniform administrative procedures

throughout government, OMB has directed Federal agencies responsible

for awarding and administering grants and other agreements covered by

the Circular to publish and adopt the specific language contained in

the Circular'' * * * unless different provisions are required by

statute * * *.'' In an effort to bring about that uniformity, USDA has

published the text of the Circular verbatim. The only change that was

made to the text of the rule was redefining the generic term ``Federal

awarding agency'' to ``USDA'' throughout the document.

Additionally, USDA believes that it is important to expedite the

final publication and implementation of this deadline in order to

assist the recipients of Federal awards and USDA subagencies that have

been waiting for the rule to be published.

Effect on Other Issuances

USDA's original regulation which established Departmentwide

policies and standards for the administration of all grants and

cooperative agreements with all recipient types including institutions

of higher education, hospitals and other nonprofit organizations was

codified at 7 CFR Part 3015, ``Uniform Federal Assistance

Regulations.'' The rule implemented all of the OMB Circulars related to

grants administration including OMB Circular A-110, ``Grants and

Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other

Nonprofit Organizations.'' Part 3015 also set forth the requirements

for Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs,'' the Department's policy on competition in awarding

discretionary grants and cooperative agreements, and makes applicable

the cost principles specified in Circular A-21 for universities, A-87

for State and local governments, A-122 for nonprofit organizations, and

48 CFR Subpart 31.2 for commercial organizations. In addition, Part

3015 had previously included the administrative requirements for grants

and cooperative agreements to State and local governments that were

prescribed by OMB Circular A-102. These requirements were moved to 7

CFR Part 3016 on March 11, 1988, upon publication of the grants

management common rule entitled, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements

for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.''

Through this action, USDA is creating a new Part, 7 CFR 3019, which

will contain the Department's codification of OMB's revised Circular A-

110, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements

With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit

Organizations.'' The new Part will apply to nongovernmental recipients

of Federal assistance, specifically institutions of higher education,

hospitals and non-profit organizations. Additionally, USDA agencies

may, at their discretion, use this rule to administer grants and

agreements with commercial organizations.

Part 3019 will not apply to transactions entered into under

sections 1472(b) and 1473A of the National Agricultural Research,

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3318

and 3319a).

Amendments to 7 CFR Part 3015

Through USDA's codification of this Circular, Part 3015 will no

longer prescribe the general administrative regulations for Federal

assistance relationships with institutions of higher education,

hospitals and other non-profit organizations. The administrative

regulations for the Department's entitlement programs will remain in 7

CFR Part 3015, pending issuance of a future guidance or regulations in

this area.

Pending issuance of those regulations, the open-ended entitlement

programs of USDA's Food and Consumer Services listed below will remain

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR Part 3015.

(a) State Administrative Matching Grants for Food Stamp Program.

(b) National School Lunch Program.

(c) School Breakfast Program.

(d) Summer Food Service Program.

(e) Child and Adult Care Food Program.

(f) Special Milk Program for Children.

(g) State Administrative Expenses Under the Child Nutrition Act (sect.

7 of the Child Nutrition Act.)

In addition, the following sections of 7 CFR 3015 will be revised

for the following reasons:

Section 3015.1, Purpose and scope of this Part, is being revised to

reflect the current purpose and scope of the Part after withdrawal of

the administrative regulations for grants and cooperative agreements

with institutions of higher education, hospitals and other non-profit

organizations.

Section 3015.2, Applicability, is being revised to update the list

of recipients to which Part 3015 does and does not apply.

Section 3015.194, For-profit organizations, is being revised to

update the reference to the cost principles that are applicable to for-

profit organizations from 41 CFR 1-15.2, Federal Procurement

Regulations, to 48 CFR Subpart 31.2, Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Amendments to Secs. 3015.1, 3015.2 and, 3015.194 will redefine the

purpose, scope and applicability of the part (as indicated above) and

the recipients to which this rule now applies.

Regulatory Impact Analyses

Executive Order 12866

In accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 12866, this

rule was not reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The information collection requirements for this rule have been

submitted to OMB for approval under previously approved #0505-0008. The

information collection requirements are not effective until approved by

OMB.

[[Page 44124]]

Regulatory Flexibility Act

In accordance with the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility

Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), USDA has reviewed this rule and certifies that

it does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number

of small entities.

List of Subjects

7 CFR Part 3015

Grant programs (Agriculture), Intergovernmental relations.

7 CFR Part 3019

Grant programs (Agriculture).

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, USDA amends 7 CFR

Chapter XXX as set forth below.

Dated: July 20, 1995.

Anthony A. Williams,

Chief Financial Officer.

Dated: August 3, 1995.

Dan Glickman,

Secretary.

PART 3015--UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS [AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for Part 3015 continues to read as

follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, Subpart I, 31 U.S.C. 7505, unless

otherwise noted.

2. USDA is amending Subpart A of 7 CFR Part 3015 as follows:

a. Section 3015.1 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(1) and

adding a new paragraph (a)(4) as follows:

Subpart A--General

Sec. 3015.1 Purpose and scope of this part.

(a) (1) This Part establishes USDA-wide uniform requirements for

the administration of open-ended entitlement grants and specifies the

set of principles for determining allowable costs under USDA grants and

cooperative agreements to State and local governments, universities,

non-profit and for-profit organizations as set forth in OMB Circulars

A-87, A-21, A-122, and 48 CFR 31.2, respectively. This Part also

contains the general provisions that apply to all grants and

cooperative agreements made by USDA.

* * * * *

(4) Rules for nonentitlement grants and cooperative agreements to

institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit

organizations are found in part 3019.

* * * * *

b. Section 3015.2 is amended by adding paragraph (d)(6) as follows:

Sec. 3015.2 Applicability.

* * * * *

(d) * * *

(6) Institutions of higher education, hospitals and other non-

profit organizations except open-ended entitlements to those entities.

* * * * *

3. USDA is amending Subpart T of 7 CFR 3015 as follows:

Subpart T--Cost Principles

a. Section 3015.194 is revised to read as follows:

Sec. 3015.194 For-profit organizations.

The principles to be used when determining the allowable costs of

activities conducted by for-profit organizations are contained in the

Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR Subpart 31.2. Exception:

Independent research and development costs including any indirect costs

allocable to them are unallowable. Independent research and development

are defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR 31.205-18.

4. Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations is being amended by

adding Part 3019 as follows:

PART 3019--UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND

AGREEMENTS WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND

OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Subpart A--General

Sec.

3019.1 Purpose.

3019.2 Definitions.

3019.3 Effect on other issuances.

3019.4 Deviations.

3019.5 Subawards.

Subpart B--Pre-Award Requirements

3019.10 Purpose.

3019.11 Pre-award policies.

3019.12 Forms for applying for Federal assistance.

3019.13 Debarment and suspension.

3019.14 Special award conditions.

3019.15 Metric system of measurement.

3019.16 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

3019.17 Certifications and representations.

Subpart C--Post-Award Requirements

Financial and Program Management

3019.20 Purpose of financial and program management.

3019.21 Standards for financial management systems.

3019.22 Payment.

3019.23 Cost sharing or matching.

3019.24 Program income.

3019.25 Revision of budget and program plans.

3019.26 Non-Federal audits.

3019.27 Allowable costs.

3019.28 Period of availability of funds.

Property Standards

3019.30 Purpose of property standards.

3019.31 Insurance coverage.

3019.32 Real property.

3019.33 Federally-owned and exempt property.

3019.34 Equipment.

3019.35 Supplies and other expendable property.

3019.36 Intangible property.

3019.37 Property trust relationship.

Procurement Standards

3019.40 Purpose of procurement standards.

3019.41 Recipient responsibilities.

3019.42 Codes of conduct.

3019.43 Competition.

3019.44 Procurement procedures.

3019.45 Cost and price analysis.

3019.46 Procurement records.

3019.47 Contract administration.

3019.48 Contract provisions.

Reports and Records

3019.50 Purpose of reports and records.

3019.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance.

3019.52 Financial reporting.

3019.53 Retention and access requirements for records.

Termination and Enforcement

3019.60 Purpose of termination and enforcement.

3019.61 Termination.

3019.62 Enforcement.

Subpart D--After-the-Award Requirements

3019.70 Purpose.

3019.71 Closeout procedures.

3019.72 Subsequent adjustments and continuing responsibilities.

3019.73 Collection of amounts due.

Appendix A--Contract provisions

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301.

Subpart A--General

Sec. 3019.1 Purpose.

This part establishes uniform administrative requirements for

Federal grants and agreements awarded to institutions of higher

education, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. Federal

awarding agencies shall not impose additional or inconsistent

requirements, except as provided in Secs. 3019.4, and 3019.14 or unless

specifically required by Federal statute or executive order. Non-profit

organizations that implement Federal programs for the States are also

subject to State requirements.

Sec. 3019.2 Definitions.

(a) Accrued expenditures means the charges incurred by the

recipient during a given period requiring the provision of funds for:

(1) Goods and other tangible property received;

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(2) Services performed by employees, contractors, subrecipients,

and other payees; and

(3) Other amounts becoming owed under programs for which no current

services or performance is required.

(b) Accrued income means the sum of:

(1) Earnings during a given period from:

(i) services performed by the recipient, and

(ii) Goods and other tangible property delivered to purchasers, and

(2) Amounts becoming owed to the recipient for which no current

services or performance is required by the recipient.

(c) Acquisition cost of equipment means the net invoice price of

the equipment, including the cost of modifications, attachments,

accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make the property

usable for the purpose for which it was acquired. Other charges, such

as the cost of installation, transportation, taxes, duty or protective

in-transit insurance, shall be included or excluded from the unit

acquisition cost in accordance with the recipient's regular accounting

practices.

(d) Advance means a payment made by Treasury check or other

appropriate payment mechanism to a recipient upon its request either

before outlays are made by the recipient or through the use of

predetermined payment schedules.

(e) Award means financial assistance that provides support or

stimulation to accomplish a public purpose. Awards include grants and

other agreements in the form of money or property in lieu of money, by

the Federal Government to an eligible recipient. The term does not

include: technical assistance, which provides services instead of

money; other assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, interest

subsidies, or insurance; direct payments of any kind to individuals;

contracts which are required to be entered into and administered under

procurement laws and regulations; and those agreements that are entered

into under the authorities provided by sections 1472(b), 1473A, and

1473C of the National Research Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of

1977 (as amended by the Food Security Act (7 U.S.C. 3318, 3319a and

3319c.) and subsequent authorizations. The term also does not include

entitlement grants and subgrants under the National School Lunch Act:

(1) School Lunch (section 4 of the Act),

(2) Commodity Assistance (section 6 of the Act),

(3) Special Meal Assistance (section 11 of the Act),

(4) Summer Food Service for Children (section 13 of the Act), and,

(5) Child and Adult Care Food Program (section 17 of the Act), and

entitlements grants and subgrants under the following programs of the

Child Nutrition Act of 1966:

(i) Special Milk (section 3 of the Act), and,

(ii) School Breakfast (section 4 of the Act).

(f) Cash contributions means the recipient's cash outlay, including

the outlay of money contributed to the recipient by third parties.

(g) Closeout means the process by which a Federal awarding agency

determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required

work of the award have been completed by the recipient and Federal

awarding agency.

(h) Contract means a procurement contract under an award or

subaward, and a procurement subcontract under a recipient's or

subrecipient's contract.

(i) Cost sharing or matching means that portion of project or

program costs not borne by the Federal Government.

(j) Date of completion means the date on which all work under an

award is completed or the date on the award document, or any supplement

or amendment thereto, on which Federal sponsorship ends.

(k) Disallowed costs means those charges to an award that the

Federal awarding agency determines to be unallowable, in accordance

with the applicable Federal cost principles or other terms and

conditions contained in the award.

(l) Equipment means tangible nonexpendable personal property

including exempt property charged directly to the award having a useful

life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per

unit. However, consistent with recipient policy, lower limits may be

established.

(m) Excess property means property under the control of any Federal

awarding agency that, as determined by the head thereof, is no longer

required for its needs or the discharge of its responsibilities.

(n) Exempt property means tangible personal property acquired in

whole or in part with Federal funds, where the Federal awarding agency

has statutory authority to vest title in the recipient without further

obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt property

authority is contained in the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement

Act (31 U.S.C. 6306), for property acquired under an award to conduct

basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher

education or non-profit organization whose principal purpose is

conducting scientific research.

(o) Federal awarding agency means the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) or any subagency of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture that provides an award to the recipient.

(p) Federal funds authorized means the total amount of Federal

funds obligated by the Federal Government for use by the recipient.

This amount may include any authorized carryover of unobligated funds

from prior funding periods when permitted by agency regulations or

agency implementing instructions.

(q) Federal share of real property, equipment, or supplies means

that percentage of the property's acquisition costs and any improvement

expenditures paid with Federal funds.

(r) Funding period means the period of time when Federal funding is

available for obligation by the recipient.

(s) Intangible property and debt instruments means, but is not

limited to, trademarks, copyrights, patents and patent applications and

such property as loans, notes and other debt instruments, lease

agreements, stock and other instruments of property ownership, whether

considered tangible or intangible.

(t) Obligations means the amounts of orders placed, contracts and

grants awarded, services received and similar transactions during a

given period that require payment by the recipient during the same or a

future period.

(u) Outlays or expenditures means charges made to the project or

program. They may be reported on a cash or accrual basis. For reports

prepared on a cash basis, outlays are the sum of cash disbursements for

direct charges for goods and services, the amount of indirect expense

charged, the value of third party in-kind contributions applied and the

amount of cash advances and payments made to subrecipients. For reports

prepared on an accrual basis, outlays are the sum of cash disbursements

for direct charges for goods and services, the amount of indirect

expense incurred, the value of in-kind contributions applied, and the

net increase (or decrease) in the amounts owed by the recipient for

goods and other property received, for services performed by employees,

contractors, subrecipients and other payees and other amounts becoming

owed under programs for which no current services or performance are

required.

(v) Personal property means property of any kind except real

property. It may be tangible, having physical existence,

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or intangible, having no physical existence, such as copyrights,

patents, or securities.

(w) Prior approval means written approval by an authorized official

evidencing prior consent.

(x) Program income means gross income earned by the recipient that

is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of

the award (see exclusions in Secs. 3019.24 (e) and (h)). Program income

includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services

performed, the use or rental of real or personal property acquired

under federally-funded projects, the sale of commodities or items

fabricated under an award, license fees and royalties on patents and

copyrights, and interest on loans made with award funds. Interest

earned on advances of Federal funds is not program income. Except as

otherwise provided in Federal awarding agency regulations or the terms

and conditions of the award, program income does not include the

receipt of principal on loans, rebates, credits, discounts, etc., or

interest earned on any of them.

(y) Project costs means all allowable costs, as set forth in the

applicable Federal cost principles, incurred by a recipient and the

value of the contributions made by third parties in accomplishing the

objectives of the award during the project period.

(z) Project period means the period established in the award

document during which Federal sponsorship begins and ends.

(aa) Property means, unless otherwise stated, real property,

equipment, intangible property and debt instruments.

(bb) Real property means land, including land improvements,

structures and appurtenances thereto, but excludes movable machinery

and equipment.

(cc) Recipient means an organization receiving financial assistance

directly from Federal awarding agencies to carry out a project or

program. The term includes public and private institutions of higher

education, public and private hospitals, and other quasi-public and

private non-profit organizations such as, but not limited to, community

action agencies, research institutes, educational associations, and

health centers. The term may include commercial organizations, foreign

or international organizations (such as agencies of the United Nations)

which are recipients, subrecipients, or contractors or subcontractors

of recipients or subrecipients at the discretion of the Federal

awarding agency. The term does not include government-owned contractor-

operated facilities or research centers providing continued support for

mission-oriented, large-scale programs that are government-owned or

controlled, or are designated as federally-funded research and

development centers.

(dd) Research and development means all research activities, both

basic and applied, and all development activities that are supported at

universities, colleges, and other non-profit institutions. ``Research''

is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific

knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. ``Development'' is

the systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from research

directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems,

or methods, including design and development of prototypes and

processes. The term research also includes activities involving the

training of individuals in research techniques where such activities

utilize the same facilities as other research and development

activities and where such activities are not included in the

instruction function.

(ee) Small awards means a grant or cooperative agreement not

exceeding the small purchase threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11)

(currently $25,000).

(ff) Subaward means an award of financial assistance in the form of

money, or property in lieu of money, made under an award by a recipient

to an eligible subrecipient or by a subrecipient to a lower tier

subrecipient. The term includes financial assistance when provided by

any legal agreement, even if the agreement is called a contract, but

does not include procurement of goods and services nor does it include

any form of assistance which is excluded from the definition of

``award'' in paragraph (e) of this section.

(gg) Subrecipient means the legal entity to which a subaward is

made and which is accountable to the recipient for the use of the funds

provided. The term may include foreign or international organizations

(such as agencies of the United Nations) at the discretion of the

Federal awarding agency.

(hh) Supplies means all personal property excluding equipment,

intangible property, and debt instruments as defined in this section,

and inventions of a contractor conceived or first actually reduced to

practice in the performance of work under a funding agreement

(``subject inventions''), as defined in 37 CFR part 401, ``Rights to

Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms

Under Government Grants, Contracts, and Cooperative Agreements.''

(ii) Suspension means an action by a Federal awarding agency that

temporarily withdraws Federal sponsorship under an award, pending

corrective action by the recipient or pending a decision to terminate

the award by the Federal awarding agency. Suspension of an award is a

separate action from suspension under Federal agency regulations

implementing E.O.s 12549 and 12689, ``Debarment and Suspension.''

(jj) Termination means the cancellation of Federal sponsorship, in

whole or in part, under an agreement at any time prior to the date of

completion.

(kk) Third party in-kind contributions means the value of non-cash

contributions provided by non-Federal third parties. Third party in-

kind contributions may be in the form of real property, equipment,

supplies and other expendable property, and the value of goods and

services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the

project or program.

(ll) Unliquidated obligations, for financial reports prepared on a

cash basis, means the amount of obligations incurred by the recipient

that have not been paid. For reports prepared on an accrued expenditure

basis, they represent the amount of obligations incurred by the

recipient for which an outlay has not been recorded.

(mm) Unobligated balance means the portion of the funds authorized

by the Federal awarding agency that has not been obligated by the

recipient and is determined by deducting the cumulative obligations

from the cumulative funds authorized.

(nn) Unrecovered indirect cost means the difference between the

amount awarded and the amount which could have been awarded under the

recipient's approved negotiated indirect cost rate.

(oo) Working capital advance means a procedure where by funds are

advanced to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs for

a given initial period.

Sec. 3019.3 Effect on other issuances.

For awards subject to this part, all administrative requirements of

codified program regulations, program manuals, handbooks and other

nonregulatory materials which are inconsistent with the requirements of

this part shall be superseded, except to the extent they are required

by statute, or authorized in accordance with the deviations provision

in Sec. 3019.4.

[[Page 44127]]

Sec. 3019.4 Deviations.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may grant exceptions for

classes of grants or recipients subject to the requirements of this

part when exceptions are not prohibited by statute. However, in the

interest of maximum uniformity, exceptions from the requirements of

this part shall be permitted only in unusual circumstances. Federal

awarding agencies may apply more restrictive requirements to a class of

recipients when approved by OMB. Federal awarding agencies may apply

less restrictive requirements when awarding small awards, except for

those requirements which are statutory. Exceptions on a case-by-case

basis may also be made by Federal awarding agencies.

Sec. 3019.5 Subawards.

Unless sections of this part specifically exclude subrecipients

from coverage, the provisions of this part shall be applied to

subrecipients performing work under awards if such subrecipients are

institutions of higher education, hospitals or other non-profit

organizations. State and local government subrecipients are subject to

the provisions of regulations implementing the grants management common

rule, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative

Agreements to State and Local Government,'' codified at 7 CFR part

3016.

Subpart B--Pre-Award Requirements

Sec. 3019.10 Purpose.

Sections 3019.11 through 3019.17 prescribe forms and instructions

and other pre-award matters to be used in applying for Federal awards.

Sec. 3019.11 Pre-award policies.

(a) Use of grants and cooperative agreements, and contracts. In

each instance, the Federal awarding agency shall decide on the

appropriate award instrument (i.e., grant, cooperative agreement, or

contract). The Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act (31 U.S.C.

6301-08) governs the use of grants, cooperative agreements and

contracts. A grant or cooperative agreement shall be used only when the

principal purpose of a transaction is to accomplish a public purpose of

support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute. The statutory

criterion for choosing between grants and cooperative agreements is

that for the latter, ``substantial involvement is expected between the

executive agency and the State, local government, or other recipient

when carrying out the activity contemplated in the agreement.''

Contracts shall be used when the principal purpose is acquisition of

property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal

Government.

(b) Public notice and priority setting. Federal awarding agencies

shall notify the public of its intended funding priorities for

discretionary grant programs, unless funding priorities are established

by Federal statute.

Sec. 3019.12 Forms for applying for Federal assistance.

(a) Federal awarding agencies shall comply with the applicable

report clearance requirements of 5 CFR part 1320, ``Controlling

Paperwork Burdens on the Public,'' with regard to all forms used by the

Federal awarding agency in place of or as a supplement to the Standard

Form 424 (SF-424) series.

(b) Applicants shall use the SF-424 series or those forms and

instructions prescribed by the Federal awarding agency.

(c) For Federal programs covered by E.O. 12372, ``Intergovernmental

Review of Federal Programs,'' the applicant shall complete the

appropriate sections of the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)

indicating whether the application was subject to review by the State

Single Point of Contact (SPOC). The name and address of the SPOC for a

particular State can be obtained from the Federal awarding agency or

the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The SPOC shall advise the

applicant whether the program for which application is made has been

selected by that State for review. The U.S. Department of Agriculture

procedures implementing E.O. 12372 are found at CFR part 3015.

(d) Federal awarding agencies that do not use the SF-424 form

should indicate whether the application is subject to review by the

State under E.O. 12372.

Sec. 3019.13 Debarment and suspension.

Federal awarding agencies and recipients shall comply with the

nonprocurement debarment and suspension common rule implementing E.O.s

12549 and 12669, ``Debarment and Suspension,'' codified at 7 CFR 3017.

This common rule restricts subawards and contracts with certain parties

that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible

for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities.

Sec. 3019.14 Special award conditions.

If an applicant or recipient.

(a) Has a history of poor performance,

(b) Is not financially stable,

(c) Has a management system that does not meet the standards

prescribed in this part,

(d) Has not conformed to the terms and conditions of a previous

award, or

(e) Is not otherwise responsible,

Federal awarding agencies may impose additional requirements as needed,

provided that such applicant or recipient is notified in writing as to:

the nature of the additional requirements, the reason why the

additional requirements are being imposed, the nature of the corrective

action needed, the time allowed for completing the corrective actions,

and the method for requesting reconsideration of the additional

requirements imposed. Any special conditions shall be promptly removed

once the conditions that prompted them have been corrected.

Sec. 3019.15 Metric system for measurement.

The Metric Conversion Act, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and

Competitiveness Act (15 U.S.C. 205) declares that the metric system is

the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce. The Act

requires each Federal agency to establish a date or dates in

consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, when the metric system of

measurement will be used in the agency's procurements, grants, and

other business-related activities. Metric implementation may take

longer where the use of the system is initially impractical or likely

to cause significant inefficiencies in the accomplishment of federally-

funded activities. Federal awarding agencies shall follow the

provisions of E.O. 12770, ``Metric Usage in Federal Government

Programs.''

Sec. 3019.16 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (Pub. L.

94-580 codified at 42 U.S.C. 6962), any State agency or agency of a

political subdivision of a State which is using appropriated Federal

funds must comply with section 6002. Section 6002 requires that

preference be given in procurement programs to the purchase of specific

products containing recycled materials identified in guidelines

developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR parts

247-254). Accordingly, State and local institutions of higher

education, hospitals, and non-profit organizations that receive direct

Federal awards or other Federal funds shall give preference in their

procurement programs funded with Federal funds to the purchase of

recycled products pursuant to the EPA guidelines.

[[Page 44128]]

Sec. 3019.17 Certifications and representations.

Unless prohibited by statute or codified regulation, each Federal

awarding agency is authorized and encouraged to allow recipients to

submit certifications and representations required by statute,

executive order, or regulation on an annual basis, if the recipients

have ongoing and continuing relationships with the agency. Annual

certifications and representations shall be signed by responsible

officials with the authority to ensure recipients' compliance with the

pertinent requirements.

Subpart C--Post-Award Requirements

Financial and Program Management

Sec. 3019.20 Purpose of financial and program management.

Sections 3019.21 through 3019.28 prescribe standards for financial

management systems, methods for making payments and rules for:

satisfying cost sharing and matching requirements, accounting for

program income, budget revision approvals, making audits, determining

allowability of cost, and establishing fund availability.

Sec. 3019.21 Standards for financial management systems.

(a) Federal awarding agencies shall require recipients to relate

financial data to performance data and develop unit cost information

whenever practical.

(b) Recipients' financial management systems shall provide for the

following.

(1) Accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial

results of each federally-sponsored project or program in accordance

with the reporting requirements set forth in Sec. 3019.52. If a Federal

awarding agency requires reporting on an accrual basis from a recipient

that maintains its records on other than an accrual basis, the

recipient shall not be required to establish an accrual accounting

system. These recipients may develop such accrual data for its reports

on the basis of an analysis of the documentation on hand.

(2) Records that identify adequately the source and application of

funds for federally-sponsored activities. These records shall contain

information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, obligations,

unobligated balances, assets, outlays, income and interest.

(3) Effective control over and accountability for all funds,

property and other assets. Recipients shall adequately safeguard all

such assets and assure they are used solely for authorized purposes.

(4) Comparison of outlays with budget amounts for each award.

Whenever appropriate, financial information should be related to

performance and unit cost data.

(5) Written procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the

transfer of funds to the recipient from the U.S. Treasury and the

issuance or redemption of checks, warrants or payments by other means

for program purposes by the recipient. To the extent that the

provisions of the Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) (Pub. L. 101-

453) govern, payment methods of State agencies, instrumentalities, and

fiscal agents shall be consistent with CMIA Treasury-State Agreements

or the CMIA default procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205,

``Withdrawal of Cash From the Treasury for Advances Under Federal Grant

and Other Programs.''

(6) Written procedures for determining the reasonableness,

allocability and allowability of costs in accordance with the

provisions of the applicable Federal cost principles and the terms and

conditions of the award.

(7) Accounting records including cost accounting records that are

supported by source documentation.

(c) Where the Federal Government guarantees or insures the

repayment of money borrowed by the recipient, the Federal USDA awarding

agency, at its discretion, may require adequate bonding and insurance

if the bonding and insurance requirements of the recipient are not

deemed adequate to protect the interest of the Federal Government.

(d) The Federal awarding agency may require adequate fidelity bond

coverage where the recipient lacks sufficient coverage to protect the

Federal Government's interest.

(e) Where bonds are required in the situations described in

paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the bonds shall be obtained

from companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable

sureties, as prescribed in 31 CFR part 223, ``Surety Companies Doing

Business With the United States.''

Sec. 3019.22 Payment.

(a) Payment methods shall minimize the time elapsing between the

transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and the issuance or

redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by other means by the

recipients. Payment methods of State agencies or instrumentalities

shall be consistent with Treasury-State CMIA agreements or default

procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205.

(b) Recipients are to be paid in advance, provided they maintain or

demonstrate the willingness to maintain: written procedures that

minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and

disbursement by the recipient, and financial management systems that

meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established

in Sec. 3019.21. Cash advances to a recipient organization shall be

limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance

with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient

organization in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or

project. The timing and amount of cash advances shall be as close as is

administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the recipient

organization for direct program or project costs and the proportionate

share of any allowable indirect costs.

(c) Whenever possible, advances shall be consolidated to cover

anticipated cash needs for all awards made by the Federal awarding

agency to the recipient.

(1) Advance payment mechanisms include, but are not limited to,

Treasury check and electronic funds transfer.

(2) Advance payment mechanisms are subject to 31 CFR part 205.

(3) Recipients shall be authorized to submit requests for advances

and reimbursements at least monthly when electronic fund transfers are

not used.

(d) Requests for Treasury check advance payment shall be submitted

on SF-270, ``Request for Advance or Reimbursement,'' or other forms as

may be authorized by OMB. This form is not to be used when Treasury

check advance payments are made to the recipient automatically through

the use of a predetermined payment schedule or if precluded by special

Federal awarding agency instructions for electronic funds transfer.

(e) Reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements in

paragraph (b) of this section cannot be met. Federal awarding agencies

may also use this method on any construction agreement, or if the major

portion of the construction project is accomplished through private

market financing or Federal loans, and the Federal assistance

constitutes a minor portion of the project.

(1) When the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding

agency shall make payment within 30 days after receipt of the billing,

unless the billing is improper.

[[Page 44129]]

(2) Recipients shall be authorized to submit request for

reimbursement at least monthly when electronic funds transfers are not

used.

(f) If a recipient cannot meet the criteria for advance payments

and the Federal awarding agency has determined that reimbursement is

not feasible because the recipient lacks sufficient working capital,

the Federal awarding agency may provide cash on a working capital

advance basis. Under this procedure, the Federal awarding agency shall

advance cash to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs

for an initial period generally geared to the awardee's disbursing

cycle. Thereafter, the Federal awarding agency shall reimburse the

recipient for its actual cash disbursements. The working capital

advance method of payment shall not be used for recipients unwilling or

unable to provide timely advances to their subrecipient to meet the

subrecipient's actual cash disbursements.

(g) To the extent available, recipients shall disburse funds from

repayments to and interest earned on a revolving fund, program income,

rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest

earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments.

(h) Unless otherwise required by statute, Federal awarding agencies

shall not withhold payments for proper charges made by recipients at

any time during the project period unless paragraphs (h)(1) and (h)(2)

of this section apply.

(1) A recipient has failed to comply with the project objectives,

the terms and conditions of the award, or Federal reporting

requirements.

(2) The recipient or subrecipient is delinquent in a debt to the

Untied States as defined in OMB Circular A-129, ``Managing Federal

Credit Programs.''

(3) Under such conditions, the Federal awarding agency may, upon

reasonable notice, inform the recipient that payments shall not be made

for obligations incurred after a specified date until the conditions

are corrected or the indebtedness to the Federal Government is

liquidated.

(i) Standards governing the use of banks and other institutions as

depositories of funds advanced under awards are as follows.

(1) Except for situations described in paragraph (i)(2) of this

section, Federal awarding agencies shall not require separate

depository accounts for funds provided to a recipient or establish any

eligibility requirements for depositories for funds provided to a

recipient. However, recipients must be able to account for the receipt,

obligation and expenditure of funds.

(2) Advances of Federal funds shall be deposited and maintained in

insured accounts whenever possible.

(j) Consistent with the national goal of expanding the

opportunities for women-owned and minority-owned business enterprises,

recipients shall be encouraged to use women-owned and minority-owned

banks (a bank which is owned at least 50 percent by women or minority

group members).

(k) Recipients shall maintain advances of Federal funds in interest

bearing accounts, unless paragraphs (k)(1), (k)(2) or (k)(3) of this

section apply.

(1) The recipient receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per

year.

(2) The best reasonably available interest bearing account would

not be expected to earn interest in excess of $250 per year on Federal

cash balances.

(3) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so

high that it would not be feasible within the expected Federal and non-

Federal cash resources.

(l) For those entities where CMIA and its implementing regulations

do not apply, interest earned on Federal advances deposited in interest

bearing accounts shall be remitted annually to Department of Health and

Human Services, Payment Management System, P.O. Box 6021, Rockville, MD

20852. Interest amounts up to $250 per year may be retained by the

recipient for administrative expense. In keeping with the Electronic

Funds Transfer rules, (31 CFR Part 206), interest should be remitted to

the HHS Payment Management System through an electronic medium such as

the FEDWIRE Deposit system. Recipients which do not have this

capability should use a check. State universities and hospitals shall

comply with CMIA, as it pertains to interest. If an entity subject to

CMIA uses its own funds to pay pre-award costs for discretionary awards

without prior written approval from the Federal awarding agency, it

waives its right to recover the interest under CMIA.

(m) Except as noted elsewhere in this part, only the following

forms shall be authorized for the recipients in requesting advances and

reimbursements. Federal agencies shall not require more than an

original and two copies of these forms.

(1) SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement. Each Federal

awarding agency shall adopt the SF-270 as a standard form for all

nonconstruction programs when electronic funds transfer or

predetermined advance methods are not used. Federal awarding agencies,

however, have the option of using this form for construction programs

in lieu of the SF-271, ``Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement

for Construction Programs.''

(2) SF-271, Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement for

Construction Programs. Each Federal awarding agency shall adopt the SF-

271 as the standard form to be used for requesting reimbursement for

construction programs. However, a Federal awarding agency may

substitute the SF-270 when the Federal awarding agency determines that

it provides adequate information to meet Federal needs.

Sec. 3019.23 Cost sharing or matching.

(a) All contributions, including cash and third party in-kind,

shall be accepted as part of the recipient's cost sharing or matching

when such contributions meet all of the following criteria.

(1) Are verifiable from the recipient's records.

(2) Are not included as contributions for any other federally-

assisted project or program.

(3) Are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient

accomplishment of project or program objectives.

(4) Are allowable under the applicable costs principles.

(5) Are not paid by the Federal Government under another award,

except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing

or matching.

(6) Are provided for in the approved budget when required by the

Federal awarding agency.

(7) Conform to other provisions of this part, as applicable.

(b) Unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of cost

sharing or matching only with the prior approval of the Federal

awarding agency.

(c) Values for recipient contributions of services and property

shall be established in accordance with the applicable cost principles.

If a Federal awarding agency authorizes recipients to donate buildings

or land for construction/facilities acquisition projects or long-term

use, the value of the donated property for cost sharing or matching

shall be the lesser of paragraphs (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this section.

(1) The certified value of the remaining life of the property

recorded in the recipient's accounting records at the time of donation.

(2) The current fair market value. However, when there is

sufficient justification, the Federal awarding agency may approve the

use of the

[[Page 44130]]

current fair market value of the donated property, even if it exceeds

the certified value at the time of donation to the project.

(d) Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical

personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be

counted as cost sharing or matching if the service is an integral and

necessary part of an approved project or program. Rates for volunteer

services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the

recipient's organization. In those instances in which the required

skills are not found in the recipient organization, rates shall be

consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in

which the recipient competes for the kind of services involved. In

either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and

allocable may be included in the valuation.

(e) When an employer other than the recipient furnishes the

services of an employee, these services shall be valued at the

employee's regular rate of pay (plus an amount of fringe benefits that

are reasonable, allowable, and allocable, but exclusive of overhead

costs), provided these services are in the same skill for which the

employee is normally paid.

(f) Donated supplies may include such items as expendable

equipment, office supplies, laboratory supplies or workshop and

classroom supplies. Value assessed to donated supplies included in the

cost sharing or matching share shall be reasonable and shall not exceed

the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation.

(g) The method used for determining cost sharing or matching for

donated equipment, buildings and land for which title passes to the

recipient may differ according to the purpose of the award, if

paragraphs (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this section apply.

(1) If the purpose of the award is to assist the recipient in the

acquisition of equipment, buildings or land, the total value of the

donated property may be claimed as cost sharing or matching.

(2) If the purpose of the award is to support activities that

require the use of equipment, buildings or land, normally only

depreciation or use charges for equipment and buildings may be made.

However, the full value of equipment or other capital assets and fair

rental charges for land may be allowed, provided that the Federal

awarding agency has approved the charges.

(h) The value of donated property shall be determined in accordance

with the usual accounting policies of the recipient, with the following

qualifications.

(1) The value of donated land and buildings shall not exceed its

fair market value at the time of donation to the recipient as

established by an independent appraiser (e.g., certified real property

appraiser or General Services Administration representative) and

certified by a responsible official of the recipient.

(2) The value of donated equipment shall not exceed the fair market

value of equipment of the same age and condition at the time of

donation.

(3) The value of donated space shall not exceed the fair rental

value of comparable space as established by an independent appraisal of

comparable space and facilities in a privately-owned building in the

same locality.

(4) The value of loaned equipment shall not exceed its fair rental

value.

(5) The following requirements pertain to the recipient's

supporting records for in-kind contributions from third parties.

(i) Volunteer services shall be documented and, to the extent

feasible, supported by the same methods used by the recipient for its

own employees.

(ii) The basis for determining the valuation of personal service,

material, equipment, buildings and land shall be documented.

Sec. 3019.24 Program income.

(a) Federal awarding agencies shall apply the standards set forth

in this section in requiring recipient organizations to account for

program income related to projects financed in whole or in part with

Federal funds.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (h) of this section, program

income earned during the project period shall be retained by the

recipient and, in accordance with Federal awarding agency regulations

or the terms and conditions of the award, shall be used in one or more

of the ways listed in the following.

(1) Added to funds committed to the project by the Federal awarding

agency and recipient and used to further eligible project or program

objectives.

(2) Used to finance the non-Federal share of the project or

program.

(3) Deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in

determining the net allowable costs on which the Federal share of costs

is based.

(c) When an agency authorizes the disposition of program income as

described in paragraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section, program

income in excess of any limits stipulated shall be used in accordance

with paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(d) In the event that the Federal awarding agency does not specify

in its regulations or the terms and conditions of the award how program

income is to be used, paragraph (b)(3) of this section shall apply

automatically to all projects or programs except research. For awards

that support research, paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall apply

automatically unless the awarding agency indicates in the terms and

conditions another alternative on the award or the recipient is subject

to special award conditions, as indicated in Sec. 3019.14.

(e) Unless Federal awarding agency regulations or the terms and

conditions of the award provide otherwise, recipients shall have no

obligation to the Federal Government regarding program income earned

after the end of the project period.

(f) If authorized by Federal awarding agency regulations or the

terms and conditions of the award, costs incident to the generation of

program income may be deducted from gross income to determine program

income, provided these costs have not been charged to the award.

(g) Proceeds from the sale of property shall be handled in

accordance with the requirements of the Property Standards (See Secs.

3019.30 through 3019.37).

(h) Unless Federal awarding agency regulations or the terms and

condition of the award provide otherwise, recipients shall have no

obligation to the Federal Government with respect to program income

earned from license fees and royalties for copyrighted material,

patents, patent applications, trademarks, and inventions produced under

an award. However, Patent and Trademark Amendments (35 U.S.C. 18) apply

to inventions made under an experimental, developmental, or research

award.

Sec. 3019.25 Revision of budget and program plans.

(a) The budget plan is the financial expression of the project or

program as approved during the award process. It may include either the

Federal and non-Federal share, or only the Federal share, depending

upon Federal awarding agency requirements. It shall be related to

performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate.

(b) Recipients are required to report deviations from budget and

program plans, and request prior approvals for budget and program plan

revisions, in accordance with this section.

(c) For nonconstruction awards, recipients shall request prior

approvals from Federal awarding agencies for one or more of the

following program or budget related reasons.

[[Page 44131]]

(1) Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program

(even if there is no associated budget revision requiring prior written

approval).

(2) Change in a key person specified in the application or award

document.

(3) The absence for more than three months, or a 25 percent

reduction in time devoted to the project, by the approved project

director or principal investigator.

(4) The need for additional Federal funding.

(5) The transfer of amounts budgeted for indirect costs to absorb

increases in direct costs, or vice versa, if approval is required by

the Federal awarding agency.

(6) The inclusion, unless waived by the Federal awarding agency, of

costs that require prior approval in accordance with OMB Circular A-21,

``Cost Principles for Institutions of Higher Education,'' OMB Circular

A-122, ``Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations,'' or 45 CFR part

74 Appendix E, ``Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to

Research and Development under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals,''

or 48 CFR part 31, ``Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,'' as

applicable.

(7) The transfer of funds allotted for training allowances (direct

payment to trainees) to other categories of expense.

(8) Unless described in the application and funded in the approved

awards, the subaward, transfer or contracting out of any work under an

award. This provision does not apply to the purchase of supplies,

material, equipment or general support services.

(d) No other prior approval requirements for specific items may be

imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB.

(e) Except for requirements listed in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(4)

of this section, Federal awarding agencies are authorized, at their

option, to waive cost-related and administrative prior written

approvals required by this part and OMB Circulars A-21 and A-122. Such

waivers may include authorizing recipients to do any one or more of the

following.

(1) Incur pre-award costs 90 calendar days prior to award or more

than 90 calendar days with the prior approval of the Federal awarding

agency. All pre-award costs are incurred at the recipient's risk (i.e.,

the Federal awarding agency is under no obligation to reimburse such

costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive an award or if

the award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs).

(2) Initiate a one-time extension of the expiration date of the

award of up to 12 months unless one or more of the following conditions

apply. For one-time extensions, the recipient must notify the Federal

awarding agency in writing with the supporting reasons and revised

expiration date at least 10 days before the expiration date specified

in the award. This one-time extension may not be exercised merely for

the purpose of using unobligated balances.

(i) The terms and conditions of award prohibit the extension.

(ii) The extension requires additional Federal funds.

(iii) The extension involves any change in the approved objectives

or scope of the project.

(3) Carry forward unobligated balances to subsequent funding

periods.

(4) For awards that support research, unless the Federal awarding

agency provides otherwise in the award or in the agency's regulations,

the prior approval requirements described in this paragraph (e) are

automatically waived (i.e., recipients need not obtain such prior

approvals) unless one of the conditions included in paragraph (e)(2) of

this section applies.

(f) The Federal awarding agency may, at its option, restrict the

transfer of funds among direct cost categories or programs, functions

and activities for awards in which the Federal share of the project

exceeds $100,000 and the cumulative amount of such transfers exceeds or

is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved

by the Federal awarding agency. No Federal awarding agency shall permit

a transfer that would cause any Federal appropriation or part thereof

to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the original

intent of the appropriation.

(g) All other changes to nonconstruction budgets, except for the

changes described in paragraph (j) of this section, do not require

prior approval.

(h) For construction awards, recipients shall request prior written

approval promptly from Federal awarding agencies for budget revisions

whenever paragraphs (h)(1), (h)(2) or (h)(3) of this section apply.

(1) The revision results from changes in the scope or the objective

of the project or program.

(2) The need arises for additional Federal funds to complete the

project.

(3) A revision is desired which involves specific costs for which

prior written approval requirements may be imposed consistent with

applicable OMB cost principles listed in Sec. 3019.27.

(i) No other prior approval requirements for specific items may be

imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB.

(j) When a Federal awarding agency makes an award that provides

support for both construction and nonconstruction work, the Federal

awarding agency may require the recipient to request prior approval

from the Federal awarding agency before making any fund or budget

transfers between the two types of work supported.

(k) For both construction and nonconstruction awards, Federal

awarding agencies shall require recipients to notify the Federal

awarding agency in writing promptly whenever the amount of Federal

authorized funds is expected to exceed the needs of the recipient for

the project period by more than $5000 or five percent of the Federal

award, whichever is greater. This notification shall not be required if

an application for additional funding is submitted for a continuation

award.

(l) When requesting approval for budget revisions, recipients shall

use the budget forms that were used in the application unless the

Federal awarding agency indicates a letter of request suffices.

(m) Within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request

for budget revisions, Federal awarding agencies shall review the

request and notify the recipient whether the budget revisions have been

approved. If the revision is still under consideration at the end of 30

calendar days, the Federal awarding agency shall inform the recipient

in writing of the date when the recipient may expect the decision.

Sec. 3019.26 Non-Federal audits.

(a) Recipients and subrecipients that are institutions of higher

education or other non-profit organizations shall be subject to the

audit requirements contained in OMB Circular A-133, ``Audits of

Institutions of Higher Education and Other Non-Profit Institutions,''

codified at 7 CFR 3051.

(b) State and local governments shall be subject to the audit

requirements contained in the Single Audit Act (31 U.S.C. 7501-7) and

Federal awarding agency regulations implementing OMB Circular A-128,

``Audits of State and Local Governments.''

(c) Hospitals not covered by the audit provisions of OMB Circular

A-133 shall be subject to the audit requirements of the Federal

awarding agencies.

(d) Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit

requirements of the Federal awarding agency or the prime

[[Page 44132]]

recipient as incorporated into the award document.

Sec. 3019.27 Allowable costs.

For each kind of recipient, there is a set of Federal principles

for determining allowable costs. Allowability of costs shall be

determined in accordance with the cost principles applicable to the

entity incurring the costs. Thus, allowability of costs incurred by

State, local or federally-recognized Indian tribal governments is

determined in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A-87,

``Cost Principles for State and Local Governments.'' The allowability

of costs incurred by non-profit organizations is determined in

accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles

for Non-Profit Organizations.'' The allowability of costs incurred by

institutions of higher education is determined in accordance with the

provisions of OMB Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for Educational

Institutions.'' The allowability of costs incurred by hospitals is

determined in accordance with the provisions of Appendix E of 45 CFR

part 74, ``Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and

Development Under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals.'' The

allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations and those

non-profit organizations listed in Attachment C to Circular A-122 is

determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR part 31.

Sec. 3019.28 Period of availability of funds.

Where a funding period is specified, a recipient may charge to the

grant only allowable costs resulting from obligations incurred during

the funding period and any pre-award costs authorized by the Federal

awarding agency.

Property Standards

Sec. 3019.30 Purpose of property standards.

Sections 3019.31 through 3019.37 set forth uniform standards

governing management and disposition of property furnished by the

Federal Government whose cost was charged to a project supported by a

Federal award. Federal awarding agencies shall require recipients to

observe these standards under awards and shall not impose additional

requirements, unless specifically required by Federal statute. The

recipient may use its own property management standards and procedures

provided it observes the provisions of Secs. 3019.31 through 3019.37.

Sec. 3019.31 Insurance coverage.

Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance

coverage for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds as

provided to property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property

need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the

award.

Sec. 3019.32 Real property.

Each Federal awarding agency shall prescribe requirements for

recipients concerning the use and disposition of real property acquired

in whole or in part under awards. Unless otherwise provided by statute,

such requirements, at a minimum, shall contain the following.

(a) Title to real property shall vest in the recipient subject to

the condition that the recipient shall use the real property for the

authorized purpose of the project as long as it is needed and shall not

encumber the property without approval of the Federal awarding agency.

(b) The recipient shall obtain written approval by the Federal

awarding agency for the use of real property in other federally-

sponsored projects when the recipient determines that the property is

no longer needed for the purpose of the original project. Use in other

projects shall be limited to those under federally-sponsored projects

(i.e., awards) or programs that have purposes consistent with those

authorized for support by the Federal awarding agency.

(c) When the real property is no longer needed as provided in

paragraphs (a) and (b), the recipient shall request disposition

instructions from the Federal awarding agency or its successor Federal

awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency shall observe one or more

of the following disposition instructions.

(1) The recipient may be permitted to retain title without further

obligation to the Federal Government after it compensates the Federal

Government for that percentage of the current fair market value of the

property attributable to the Federal participation in the project.

(2) The recipient may be directed to sell the property under

guidelines provided by the Federal awarding agency and pay the Federal

Government for that percentage of the current fair market value of the

property attributable to the Federal participation in the project

(after deducting actual and reasonable selling and fix-up expenses, if

any, from the sales proceeds). When the recipient is authorized or

required to sell the property, proper sales procedures shall be

established that provide for competition to the extent practicable and

result in the highest possible return.

(3) The recipient may be directed to transfer title to the property

to the Federal Government or to an eligible third party provided that,

in such cases, the recipient shall be entitled to compensation for its

attributable percentage of the current fair market value of the

property.

Sec. 3019.33 Federally-owned and exempt property.

(a) Federally-owned property.

(1) Title to federally-owned property remains vested in the Federal

Government. Recipients shall submit annually an inventory listing of

federally-owned property in their custody to the Federal awarding

agency. Upon completion of the award or when the property is no longer

needed, the recipient shall report the property to the Federal awarding

agency for further Federal agency utilization.

(2) If the Federal awarding agency has no further need for the

property, it shall be declared excess and reported to the General

Services Administration, unless the Federal awarding agency has

statutory authority to dispose of the property by alternative methods

(e.g., the authority provided by the Federal Technology Transfer Act

(15 U.S.C. 3710(I)) to donate research equipment to educational and

non-profit organizations in accordance with E.O. 12821, ``Improving

Mathematics and Science Education in Support of the National Education

Goals''). Appropriate instructions shall be issued to the recipient by

the Federal awarding agency.

(b) Exempt property. When statutory authority exists, the Federal

awarding agency has the option to vest title to property acquired with

Federal funds in the recipient without further obligation to the

Federal Government and under conditions the Federal awarding agency

considers appropriate. Such property is ``exempt property.'' Should a

Federal awarding agency not establish conditions, title to exempt

property upon acquisition shall vest in the recipient without further

obligation to the Federal Government.

Sec. 3019.34 Equipment.

(a) Title to equipment acquired by a recipient with Federal funds

shall vest in the recipient, subject to conditions of this section.

(b) The recipient shall not use equipment acquired with Federal

funds to provide services to non-Federal outside organizations for a

fee that is less than private companies charge for

[[Page 44133]]

equivalent services, unless specifically authorized by Federal statute,

for as long as the Federal Government retains an interest in the

equipment.

(c) The recipient shall use the equipment in the project or program

for which it was acquired as long as needed, whether or not the project

or program continues to be supported by Federal funds and shall not

encumber the property without approval of the Federal awarding agency.

When no longer needed for the original project or program, the

recipient shall use the equipment in connection with its other

federally-sponsored activities, in the following order of priority:

(1) Activities sponsored by the Federal awarding agency which

funded the original project, then

(2) Activities sponsored by other Federal awarding agencies.

(d) During the time that equipment is used on the project or

program for which it was acquired, the recipient shall make it

available for use on other projects or programs if such other use will

not interfere with the work on the project or program for which the

equipment was originally acquired. First preference for such other use

shall be given to other projects or programs sponsored by the Federal

awarding agency that financed the equipment; second preference shall be

given to projects or programs sponsored by other Federal awarding

agencies. If the equipment is owned by the Federal Government, use on

other activities not sponsored by the Federal Government shall be

permissible if authorized by the Federal awarding agency. User charges

shall be treated as program income.

(e) When acquiring replacement equipment, the recipient may use the

equipment to be replaced as trade-in or sell the equipment and use the

proceeds to offset the costs of the replacement equipment subject to

the approval of the Federal awarding agency.

(f) The recipient's property management standards for equipment

acquired with Federal funds and federally-owned equipment shall include

all of the following.

(1) Equipment records shall be maintained accurately and shall

include the following information.

(i) A description of the equipment.

(ii) Manufacturer's serial number, model number, Federal stock

number, national stock number, or other identification number.

(iii) Source of the equipment, including the award number.

(iv) Whether title vests in the recipient or the Federal

Government.

(v) Acquisition date (or date received, if the equipment was

furnished by the Federal Government) and cost.

(vi) Information from which one can calculate the percentage of

Federal participation in the cost of the equipment (not applicable to

equipment furnished by the Federal Government).

(vii) Location and condition of the equipment and the date the

information was reported.

(viii) Unit acquisition cost.

(ix) Ultimate disposition data, including date of disposal and

sales price or the method used to determine current fair market value

where a recipient compensates the Federal awarding agency for its

share.

(2) Equipment owned by the Federal Government shall be identified

to indicate Federal ownership.

(3) A physical inventory of equipment shall be taken and the

results reconciled with the equipment records at least once every two

years. Any differences between quantities determined by the physical

inspection and those shown in the accounting records shall be

investigated to determine the causes of the difference. The recipient

shall, in connection with the inventory, verify the existence, current

utilization, and continued need for the equipment.

(4) A control system shall be in effect to ensure adequate

safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the equipment. Any

loss, damage, or theft of equipment shall be investigated and fully

documented; if the equipment was owned by the Federal Government, the

recipient shall promptly notify the Federal awarding agency.

(5) Adequate maintenance procedures shall be implemented to keep

the equipment in good condition.

(6) Where the recipient is authorized or required to sell the

equipment, proper sales procedures shall be established which provide

for competition to the extent practicable and result in the highest

possible return.

(g) When the recipient no longer needs the equipment, the equipment

may be used for other activities in accordance with the following

standards. For equipment with a current per unit fair market value of

$5000 or more, the recipient may retain the equipment for other uses

provided that compensation is made to the original Federal awarding

agency or its successor. The amount of compensation shall be computed

by applying the percentage of Federal participation in the cost of the

original project or program to the current fair market value of the

equipment. If the recipient has no need for the equipment, the

recipient shall request disposition instructions from the Federal

awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency shall determine whether

the equipment can be used to meet the agency's requirements. If no

requirement exists within that agency, the availability of the

equipment shall be reported to the General Services Administration by

the Federal awarding agency to determine whether a requirement for the

equipment exists in other Federal agencies. The Federal awarding agency

shall issue instructions to the recipient no later than 120 calendar

days after the recipient's request and the following procedures shall

govern.

(1) If so instructed or if disposition instructions are not issued

within 120 calendar days after the recipient's request, the recipient

shall sell the equipment and reimburse the Federal awarding agency an

amount computed by applying to the sales proceeds the percentage of

Federal participation in the cost of the original project or program.

However, the recipient shall be permitted to deduct and retain from the

Federal share $500 or ten percent of the proceeds, whichever is less,

for the recipient's selling and handling expenses.

(2) If the recipient is instructed to ship the equipment elsewhere,

the recipient shall be reimbursed by the Federal Government by an

amount which is computed by applying the percentage of the recipient's

participation in the cost of the original project or program to the

current fair market value of the equipment, plus any reasonable

shipping or interim storage costs incurred.

(3) If the recipient is instructed to otherwise dispose of the

equipment, the recipient shall be reimbursed by the Federal awarding

agency for such costs incurred in its disposition.

(4) The Federal awarding agency may reserve the right to transfer

the title to the Federal Government or to a third party named by the

Federal Government when such third party is otherwise eligible under

existing statutes. Such transfer shall be subject to the following

standards.

(i) The equipment shall be appropriately identified in the award or

otherwise made known to the recipient in writing.

(ii) The Federal awarding agency shall issue disposition

instructions within 120 calendar days after receipt of a final

inventory. The final inventory shall list all equipment acquired with

grant funds and federally-owned equipment. If the Federal awarding

agency fails to issue disposition instructions within the 120 calendar

day period, the recipient shall

[[Page 44134]]

apply the standards of this section, as appropriate.

(iii) When the Federal awarding agency exercises its right to take

title, the equipment shall be subject to the provisions for federally-

owned equipment.

Sec. 3019.35 Supplies and other expendable property.

(a) Title to supplies and other expendable property shall vest in

the recipient upon acquisition. If there is a residual inventory of

unused supplies exceeding $5000 in total aggregate value upon

termination or completion of the project or program and the supplies

are not needed for any other federally-sponsored project or program,

the recipient shall retain the supplies for use on non-Federal

sponsored activities or sell them, but shall, in either case,

compensate the Federal Government for its share. The amount of

compensation shall be computed in the same manner as for equipment.

(b) The recipient shall not use supplies acquired with Federal

funds to provide services to non-Federal outside organizations for a

fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services,

unless specifically authorized by Federal statute as long as the

Federal Government retains an interest in the supplies.

Sec. 3019.36 Intangible property.

(a) The recipient may copyright any work that is subject to

copyright and was developed, or for which ownership was purchased,

under an award. The Federal awarding agency(ies) reserve a royalty-

free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or

otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to

do so.

(b) Recipients are subject to applicable regulations governing

patents and inventions, including government-wide regulations issued by

the Department of Commerce at 37 CFR part 401, ``Rights to Inventions

Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under

Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements.''

(c) Unless waived by the Federal awarding agency, the Federal

Government has the right to:

(1) Obtain, reproduce, publish or otherwise use the date first

produced under an award, and

(2) Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise

use such data for Federal purposes.

(d) Title to intangible property and debt instruments acquired

under an award or subaward vests upon acquisition in the recipient. The

recipient shall use that property for the originally-authorized

purpose, and the recipient shall not encumber the property without

approval of the Federal awarding agency. When no longer needed for the

originally authorized purpose, disposition of the intangible property

shall occur in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 3019.34(g).

Sec. 3019.37 Property trust relationship.

Real property, equipment, intangible property and debt instruments

that are acquired or improved with Federal funds shall be held in trust

by the recipient as trustee for the beneficiaries of the project or

program under which the property was acquired or improved. Agencies may

require recipients to record liens or other appropriate notices of

record to indicate that personal or real property has been acquired or

improved with Federal funds and that use and disposition conditions

apply to the property.

Procurement Standards

Sec. 3019.40 Purpose of procurement standards.

Sections 3019.41 through 3019.48 set forth standards for use by

recipients in establishing procedures for the procurement of supplies

and other expendable property, equipment, real property and other

services with Federal funds. These standards are furnished to ensure

that such materials and services are obtained in an effective manner

and in compliance with the provisions of applicable Federal statutes

and executive orders. No additional procurement standards or

requirements shall be imposed by the Federal awarding agencies upon

recipients, unless specifically required by Federal statute or

executive order or approved by OMB.

Sec. 3019.41 Recipient responsibilities.

The standards contained in this section do not relieve the

recipient of the contractual responsibilities arising under its

contract(s). The recipient is the responsible authority, without

recourse to the Federal awarding agency, regarding the settlement and

satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues arising out

of procurements entered into in support of an award or other agreement.

This includes disputes, claims, protests of award, source evaluation or

other matters of a contractual nature. Matters concerning violation of

statute are to be referred to such Federal, State or local authority as

may have proper jurisdiction.

Sec. 3019.42 Codes of conduct.

The recipient shall maintain written standards of conduct governing

the performance of its employees engaged in the award and

administration of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent shall

participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract

supported by Federal funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest

would be involved. Such a conflict would arise when the employee,

officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or

her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any

of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in

the firm selected for an award. The officers, employees, and agents of

the recipient shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or

anything of monetary value from contractors, or parties to

subagreements. However, recipients may set standards for situations in

which the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an

unsolicited item of nominal value. The standards of conduct shall

provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such

standards by officers, employees, or agents of the recipient.

Sec. 3019.43 Competition.

All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner to

provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition.

The recipient shall be alert to organizational conflicts of interests

as well as noncompetitive practices among contractors that may restrict

or eliminate competition or otherwise restrain trade. In order to

ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair

competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft

specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids

and/or requests for proposals shall be excluded from competing for such

procurements. Awards shall be made to the bidder or offeror whose bid

or offer is responsive to the solicitation and is most advantageous to

the recipient, price, quality and other factors considered.

Solicitations shall clearly set forth all requirements that the bidder

or offeror shall fulfill in order for the bid or offer to be evaluated

by the recipient. Any and all bids or offers may be rejected when it is

in the recipient's interest to do so.

Sec. 3019.44 Procurement procedures.

(a) All recipients shall establish written procurement procedures.

These procedures shall provide for, at a minimum, that paragraphs

(a)(1), (a)(2), and (a)(3) of this section apply.

[[Page 44135]]

(1) Recipients avoid purchasing unnecessary items.

(2) Where appropriate, an analysis is made of lease and purchase

alternatives to determine which would be the most economical and

practical procurement for the Federal Government.

(3) Solicitations for goods and services provide for all of the

following:

(i) A clear and accurate description of the technical requirements

for the material, product or service to be procured. In competitive

procurements, such a description shall not contain features which

unduly restrict competition.

(ii) Requirements which the bidder/offeror must fulfill and all

other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals.

(iii) A description, whenever practicable, of technical

requirements in terms of functions to be performed or performance

required, including the range of acceptable characteristics or minimum

acceptable standards.

(iv) The specific features of ``brand name or equal'' descriptions

that bidders are required to meet when such items are included in the

solicitation.

(v) The acceptance, to the extent practicable and economically

feasible, of products and services dimensioned in the metric system of

measurement.

(vi) Preference, to the extent practicable and economically

feasible, for products and services that conserve natural resources and

protect the environment and are energy efficient.

(b) Positive efforts shall be made by recipients to utilize small

businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises,

whenever possible. Recipients of Federal awards shall take all of the

following steps to further this goal.

(1) Ensure that small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's

business enterprises are used to the fullest extent practicable.

(2) Make information on forthcoming opportunities available and

arrange time frames for purchases and contracts to encourage and

facilitate participation by small businesses, minority-owned firms, and

women's business enterprises.

(3) Consider in the contract process whether firms competing for

larger contracts intend to subcontract with small businesses, minority-

owned firms, and women's business enterprises.

(4) Encourage contracting with consortiums of small businesses,

minority-owned firms and women's business enterprises when a contract

is too large for one of these firms to handle individually.

(5) Use the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such

organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Department

of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency in the solicitation

and utilization of small businesses, minority-owned firms and women's

business enterprises.

(c) The type of procuring instruments used (e.g., fixed price

contracts, cost reimbursable contracts, purchase orders, and incentive

contracts) shall be determined by the recipient but shall be

appropriate for the particular procurement and for promoting the best

interest of the program or project involved. The ``cost-plus-a-

percentage-of-cost'' or ``percentage of construction cost'' methods of

contracting shall not be used.

(d) Contracts shall be made only with responsible contractors who

possess the potential ability to perform successfully under the term

and conditions of the proposed procurement. Consideration shall be

given to such matters as contractor integrity, record of past

performance, financial and technical resources or accessibility to

other necessary resources. In certain circumstances, contracts with

certain parties are restricted by agencies' implementation of E.O.s

12549 and 12689, ``Debarment and Suspension.''

(e) Recipients shall, on request, make available for the Federal

awarding agency, pre-award review and procurement documents, such as

request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost

estimates, etc., when any of the following conditions apply.

(1) A recipient's procurement procedures or operation fails to

comply with the procurement standards in the Federal awarding agency's

implementation of this part.

(2) The procurement is expected to exceed the small purchase

threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11) (currently $25,000) and is to be

awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in

response to a solicitation.

(3) The procurement, which is expected to exceed the small purchase

threshold, specifies a ``brand name'' product.

(4) The proposed award over the small purchase threshold is to be

awarded to other than the apparent low bidder under a sealed bid

procurement.

(5) A proposed contract modification changes the scope of a

contract or increases the contract amount by more than the amount of

the small purchase threshold.

Sec. 3019.45 Cost and price analysis.

Some form of cost or price analysis shall be made and documented in

the procurement files in connection with every procurement action.

Price analysis may be accomplished in various ways, including the

comparison of price quotations submitted, market prices and similar

indicia, together with discounts. Cost analysis is the review and

evaluation of each element of cost to determine reasonableness,

allocability and allowability.

Sec. 3019.46 Procurement records.

Procurement records and files for purchases in excess of the small

purchase threshold shall include the following at a minimum:

(a) Basis for contractor selection,

(b) Justification for lack of competition bids or offers are not

obtained, and

(c) Basis for award cost or price.

Sec. 3019.47 Contract administration.

A system for contract administration shall be maintained to ensure

contractor conformance with the terms, conditions and specifications of

the contract and to ensure adequate and timely follow up of all

purchases. Recipients shall evaluate contractor performance and

document, as appropriate, whether contractors have met the terms,

conditions and specifications of the contract.

Sec. 3019.48 Contract provisions.

The recipient shall include, in addition to provisions to define a

sound and complete agreement, the following provisions in all

contracts. The following provisions shall also be applied to

subcontracts.

(a) Contracts in excess of the small purchase threshold shall

contain contractual provisions or conditions that allow for

administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances in which a

contractor violates or breaches the contract terms, and provide for

such remedial actions as may be appropriate.

(b) All contracts in excess of the small purchase threshold shall

contain suitable provisions for termination by the recipient, including

the manner by which termination shall be effected and the basis for

settlement. In addition, such contracts shall describe conditions under

which the contract may be terminated for default as well as conditions

where the contract may be terminated because of circumstances beyond

the control of the contractor.

(c) Except as otherwise required by statute, an award that requires

the contracting (or subcontracting) for construction or facility

improvements shall provide for the recipient to follow its own

requirements relating to bid guarantees, performance bonds, and payment

bonds unless the construction

[[Page 44136]]

contract or subcontract exceeds $100,00. For those contracts or

subcontracts exceeding $100,000, the Federal awarding agency may accept

the bonding policy and requirements of the recipient, provided the

Federal awarding agency has made a determination that the Federal

Government's interest is adequately protected. If such a determination

has not been made, the minimum requirements shall be as follows.

(1) A bid guarantee from each bidder equivalent to five percent of

the bid price. The ``bid guarantee'' shall consist of a firm commitment

such as a bid bond, certified check, or other negotiable instrument

accompanying a bid as assurance that the bidder shall, upon acceptance

of his bid, execute such contractual documents as may be required

within the time specified.

(2) A performance bond on the part of the contractor for 100

percent of the contract price. A ``performance bond'' is one executed

in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the

contractor's obligations under such contract.

(3) A payment bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of

the contract price. A ``payment bond'' is one executed in connection

with a contract to assure payment as required by statute of all persons

supplying labor and material in the execution of the work provided for

in the contract.

(4) Where bonds are required in the situations described herein,

the bonds shall be obtained from companies holding certificates of

authority as acceptable sureties pursuant to 31 CFR part 223, ``Surety

Companies Doing Business with the United States.''

(d) All negotiated contracts (except those for less than the small

purchase threshold) awarded by recipients shall include a provision to

the effect that the recipient, the Federal awarding agency, the

Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly

authorized representatives, shall have access to any books, documents,

papers and records of the contractor which are directly pertinent to a

specific program for the purpose of making audits, examinations,

excerpts and transcriptions.

(e) All contracts, including small purchases, awarded by recipients

and their contractors shall contain the procurement provisions of

Appendix A to this part, as applicable.

Reports and Records

Sec. 3019.50 Purpose of reports and records.

Sections 3019.51 through 3019.53 set forth the procedures for

monitoring and reporting on the recipient's financial and program

performance and the necessary standard reporting forms. They also set

forth record retention requirements.

Sec. 3019.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance.

(a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each

project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the

award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to ensure subrecipients have

met the audit requirements as delineated in Section 3019.26.

(b) The Federal awarding agency shall prescribe the frequency with

which the performance reports shall be submitted. Except as provided in

paragraph (f) of this section, performance reports shall not be

required more frequently than quarterly or, less frequently than

annually. Annual reports shall be due 90 calendar days after the grant

year; quarterly or semi-annual reports shall be due 30 days after the

reporting period. The Federal awarding agency may require annual

reports before the anniversary dates of multiple years awards in lieu

of these requirements. The final performance reports are due 90

calendar days after the expiration or termination of the award.

(c) If inappropriate, a final technical or performance report shall

not be required after completion of the project.

(d) When required, performance reports shall generally contain, for

each award, brief information on each of the following.

(1) A comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and

objectives established for the period, the findings of the

investigator, or both. Whenever appropriate and the output of programs

or projects can be readily quantified, such quantitative data should be

related to cost data for computation of unit costs.

(2) Reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate.

(3) Other pertinent information including, when appropriate,

analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.

(e) Recipients shall not be required to submit more than the

original and two copies of performance reports.

(f) Recipients shall immediately notify the Federal awarding agency

of developments that have a significant impact on the award-supported

activities. Also, notification shall be given in the case of problems,

delays, or adverse conditions which materially impair the ability to

meet the objectives of the award. This notification shall include a

statement of the action taken or contemplated, and any assistance

needed to resolve the situation.

(g) Federal awarding agencies may make site visits, as needed.

(h) Federal awarding agencies shall comply with clearance

requirements of 5 CFR part 1320 when requesting performance data from

recipients.

Sec. 3019.52 Financial reporting.

(a) The following forms or such other forms as may be approved by

OMB are authorized for obtaining financial information from recipients.

(1) SF-269 or SF-269A, Financial Status Report.

(i) Each Federal awarding agency shall require recipients to use

the SF-269 or SF-269A to report the status of funds for all

nonconstruction projects or programs. A Federal awarding agency may,

however, have the option of not requiring the SF-269 or SF-269A when

the SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement, or SF-272, Report of

Federal Cash Transactions, is determined to provided adequate

information to meet its needs, except that a final SF-269 or SF-269A

shall be required at the completion of the project when the SF-270 is

used only for advances.

(ii) The Federal awarding agency shall prescribe whether the report

shall be on a cash or accrual basis. If the Federal awarding agency

requires accrual information and the recipient's accounting records are

not normally kept on the accrual basis, the recipient shall not be

required to convert its accounting system, but shall develop such

accrual information through best estimates based on an analysis of the

documentation on hand.

(iii) The Federal awarding agency shall determine the frequency of

the Financial Status Report for each project or program, considering

the size and complexity of the particular project or program. However,

the report shall not be required more frequently than quarterly or less

frequently than annually. A final report shall be required at the

completion of the agreement.

(iv) The Federal awarding agency shall require recipients to submit

the SF-269 or SF-269A (an original and no more than two copies no later

than 30 days after the end of each specified reporting period for

quarterly and semi-annual reports, and 90 calendar days for annual and

final reports. Extensions of reporting due dates may be approved by the

Federal awarding agency upon request of the recipient.

(2) SF-272, Report of Federal Cash Transactions.

[[Page 44137]]

(i) When funds are advanced to recipients the Federal awarding

agency shall require each recipient to submit the SF-272 and, when

necessary, its continuation sheet, SF-272a. The Federal awarding agency

shall use this report to monitor cash advanced to recipients and to

obtain disbursement information for each agreement with the recipients.

(ii) Federal awarding agencies may require forecasts of Federal

cash requirements in the ``Remarks'' section of the report.

(iii) When practical and deemed necessary, Federal awarding

agencies may require recipients to report in the ``Remarks'' section

the amount of cash advances received in excess of three days.

Recipients shall provide short narrative explanations of actions taken

to reduce the excess balances.

(iv) Recipients shall be required to submit not more than the

original and two copies of the SF-272 15 calendar days following the

end of each quarter. The Federal awarding agencies may require a

monthly report from those recipients receiving advances totaling $1

million or more per year.

(v) Federal awarding agencies may waive the requirement for

submission of the SF-272 for any one of the following reasons:

(A) When monthly advances do not exceed $25,000 per recipient,

provided that such advances are monitored through other forms contained

in this section;

(B) If, in the Federal awarding agency's opinion, the recipient's

accounting controls are adequate to minimize excessive Federal

advances; or

(C) When the electronic payment mechanisms provide adequate data.

(b) When the Federal awarding agency needs additional information

or more frequent reports, the following shall be observed.

(1) When additional information is needed to comply with

legislative requirements, Federal awarding agencies shall issue

instructions to require recipients to submit such information under the

``Remarks'' section of the reports.

(2) When a Federal awarding agency determines that a recipient's

accounting system does not meet the standards in Sec. 3019.21,

additional pertinent information to further monitor awards may be

obtained upon written notice to the recipient until such time as the

system is brought up to standard. The Federal awarding agency, in

obtaining this information, shall comply with report clearance

requirements of 5 CFR part 1320.

(3) Federal awarding agencies are encouraged to shade out any line

item on any report if not necessary.

(4) Federal awarding agencies may accept the identical information

from the recipients in machine readable format or computer printouts or

electronic outputs in lieu of prescribed formats.

(5) Federal awarding agencies may provide computer or electronic

outputs to recipients when such expedites or contributes to the

accuracy of reporting.

Sec. 3019.53 Retention and access requirements for records.

(a) This section sets forth requirements for record retention and

access to records for awards to recipients. Federal awarding agencies

shall not impose any other record retention or access requirements upon

recipients.

(b) Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records,

and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a

period of three years from the date of submission of the final

expenditure report or, for awards that are renewed quarterly or

annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual

financial report, as authorized by the Federal awarding agency. The

only exceptions are the following.

(1) If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the

expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until

all litigation, claims or audit findings involving the records have

been resolved and final action taken.

(2) Records for real property and equipment acquired with Federal

funds shall be retained for 3 years after final disposition.

(3) When records are transferred to or maintained by the Federal

awarding agency, the 3-year retention requirement is not applicable to

the recipient.

(4) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. as

specified in paragraph (g) of this section.

(c) Copies of original records may be substituted for the original

records if authorized by the Federal awarding agency.

(d) The Federal awarding agency shall request transfer of certain

records to its custody from recipients when it determines that the

records possess long term retention value. However, in order to avoid

duplicate recordkeeping, a Federal awarding agency may make

arrangements for recipients to retain any records that are continuously

needed for joint use.

(e) The Federal awarding agency, the Inspector General, Comptroller

General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized

representatives, have the right of timely and unrestricted access to

any books, documents, papers, or other records of recipients that are

pertinent to the awards, in order to make audits, examinations,

excerpts, transcripts and copies of such documents. This right also

includes timely and reasonable access to a recipient's personnel for

the purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents. The

rights of access in this paragraph are not limited to the required

retention period, but shall last as long as records are retained.

(f) Unless required by statute, no Federal awarding agency shall

place restrictions on receipts that limit public access to the records

of recipients that are pertinent to an award, except when the Federal

awarding agency can demonstrate that such records shall be kept

confidential and would have been exempted from disclosure pursuant to

the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) if the records had

belonged to the Federal awarding agency.

(g) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc.

Paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this section apply to the following

types of documents, and their supporting records: indirect cost rate

computations or proposals, cost allocation plans, and any similar

accounting computations of the rate at which a particular group of

costs is chargeable (such as computer usage chargeback rates or

composite fringe benefit rates).

(1) If submitted for negotiation. If the recipient submits to the

Federal awarding agency or the subrecipient submits to the recipient

the proposal, plan, or other computation to form the basis for

negotiation of the rate, then the 3-year retention period for its

supporting records starts on the date of such submission.

(2) If not submitted for negotiation. If the recipient is not

required to submit to the Federal awarding agency or the subrecipient

is not required to submit to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other

computation for negotiation purposes, then the 3-year retention period

for the proposal, plan, or other computation and its supporting records

starts at the end of the fiscal year (or other accounting period)

covered by the proposal, plan, or other computation.

Termination and Enforcement

Sec. 3019.60 Purpose of termination and enforcement.

Sections 3019.61 and 3019.62 set forth uniform suspension,

termination and enforcement procedures.

[[Page 44138]]

Sec. 3019.61 Termination.

(a) Awards may be terminated in whole or in part only if paragraphs

(a)(1), (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this section apply.

(1) By the Federal awarding agency, if a recipient materially fails

to comply with the terms and conditions of an award.

(2) By the Federal awarding agency with the consent of the

recipient, in which case the two parties shall agree upon the

termination conditions, including the effective date and, in the case

of partial termination, the portion to be terminated.

(3) By the recipient upon sending to the Federal awarding agency

written notification setting forth the reasons for such termination,

the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the

portion to be terminated. However, if the Federal awarding agency

determines in the case of partial termination that the reduced or

modified portion of the grant will not accomplish the purposes for

which the grant was made, it may terminate the grant in its entirety

under either paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section.

(b) If costs are allowed under an award, the responsibilities of

the recipient referred to in Sec. 3019.71(a), including those for

property management as applicable, shall be considered in the

termination of the award, and provision shall be made for continuing

responsibilities of the recipient after termination, as appropriate.

Sec. 3019.62 Enforcement.

(a) Remedies for noncompliance. If a recipient materially fails to

comply with the terms and conditions of an award, whether stated in a

Federal statute, regulation, assurance, application, or notice of

award, the Federal awarding agency may, in addition to imposing any of

the special conditions outlined in Sec. 3019.14, take one or more of

the following actions, as appropriate in the circumstances.

(1) Temporarily withhold cash payments pending correction of the

deficiency by the recipient or more severe enforcement action by the

Federal awarding agency.

(2) Disallow (that is, deny both use of funds and any applicable

matching credit for) all or part of the cost of the activity or action

not in compliance.

(3) Wholly or partly suspend or terminate the current award.

(4) Withhold further awards for the project or program.

(5) Take other remedies that may be legally available.

(b) Hearings and appeals. In taking an enforcement action, the

awarding agency shall provide the recipient an opportunity for hearing,

appeal, or other administrative proceeding to which the recipient is

entitled under any statute or regulation applicable to the action

involved.

(c) Effects of suspension and termination. Costs of a recipient

resulting from obligations incurred by the recipient during a

suspension or after termination of an award are not allowable unless

the awarding agency expressly authorizes them in the notice of

suspension of termination or subsequently. Other recipient costs during

suspension or after termination which are necessary and not reasonably

avoidable are allowable if paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section

apply.

(1) The costs result from obligations which were properly incurred

by the recipient before the effective date of suspension or

termination, are not in anticipation of it, and in the case of a

termination, are noncancellable.

(2) The costs would be allowable if the award were not suspended or

expired normally at the end of the funding period in which the

termination takes effect.

(d) Relationship to debarment and suspension. The enforcement

remedies identified in this section, including suspension and

termination, do not preclude a recipient from being subject to

debarment and suspension under E.O.s 12549 and 12689 and the Federal

awarding agency implementing regulations (see Sec. 3019.13).

Subpart D--After-the-Award Requirements

Sec. 3019.70 Purpose.

Sections 3019.71 through 3019.73 contain closeout procedures and

other procedures for subsequent disallowances and adjustments.

Sec. 3019.71 Closeout procedures.

(a) Recipients shall submit, within 90 calendar days after the date

of completion of the award, all financial, performance, and other

reports as required by the terms and conditions of the award. The

Federal awarding agency may approve extensions when requested by the

recipient.

(b) Unless the Federal awarding agency authorizes an extension, a

recipient shall liquidate all obligations incurred under the award not

later than 90 calendar days after the funding period or the date of

completion as specified in the terms and conditions of the award or in

agency implementing instructions.

(c) The Federal awarding agency shall make prompt payments to a

recipient for allowable reimbursable costs under the award being closed

out.

(d) The recipient shall promptly refund any balances of unobligated

cash that the Federal awarding agency has advanced or paid and that is

not authorized to be retained by the recipient for use in other

projects. OMB Circular A-129 governs unreturned amounts that become

delinquent debts.

(e) When authorized by the terms and conditions of the award, the

Federal awarding agency shall make a settlement for any upward or

downward adjustments to the Federal share of costs after closeout

reports are received.

(f) The recipient shall account for any real and personal property

acquired with Federal funds or received from the Federal Government in

accordance with Secs. 3019.31 through 3019.37.

(g) In the event a final audit has not been performed prior to the

closeout of an award, the Federal awarding agency shall retain the

right to recover an appropriate amount after fully considering the

recommendations on disallowed costs resulting from the final audit.

Sec. 3019.72 Subsequent adjustments and continuing responsibilities.

(a) The closeout of an award does not affect any of the following.

(1) The right of the Federal awarding agency to disallow costs and

recover funds on the basis of a later audit or other review.

(2) The obligation of the recipient to return any funds due as a

result of later refunds, corrections, or other transactions.

(3) Audit requirements in Sec. 3019.26.

(4) Property management requirements in Secs. 3019.31 through

3019.37.

(5) Records retention as required in Sec. 3019.53.

(b) After closeout of an award, a relationship created under an

award may be modified or ended in whole or in part with the consent of

the Federal awarding agency and the recipient, provided the

responsibilities of the recipient referred to in Sec. 3019.73(a),

including those for property management as applicable, are considered

and provisions made for continuing responsibilities of the recipient,

as appropriate.

Sec. 3019.73 Collection of amounts due.

(a) Any funds paid to a recipient in excess of the amount to which

the recipient is finally determined to be entitled under the terms and

conditions of the award constitute a debt to the

[[Page 44139]]

Federal Government. If not paid within a reasonable period after the

demand for payment, the Federal awarding agency may reduce the debt by:

(1) Making an administrative offset against other requests for

reimbursements.

(2) Withholding advance payments otherwise due to the recipient.

(3) Taking other action permitted by statute.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Federal awarding

agency shall charge interest on an overdue debt in accordance with 4

CFR Chapter II, ``Federal Claims Collection Standards.''

Appendix A--Contract Provisions

All contracts, awarded by a recipient including small purchases,

shall contain the following provisions as applicable:

1. Equal Employment Opportunity--All contracts shall contain a

provision requiring compliance with E.O. 11246, ``Equal Employment

Opportunity,'' as amended by E.O. 11375, ``Amending Executive Order

11246 Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity,'' and as

supplemented by regulations at 41 CFR part 60, ``Office of Federal

Contract Compliance Programs, Equal Employment Opportunity,

Department of Labor.''

2. Copeland ``Anti-Kickback'' Act (18 U.S.C. 874 and 40 U.S.C.

276c)--All contracts and subgrants in excess of $2000 for

construction or repair awarded by recipients and subrecipients shall

include a provision for compliance with the Copeland ``Anti-

Kickback'' Act (18 U.S.C. 874), as supplemented by Department of

Labor regulations (29 CFR part 3, ``Contractors and Subcontractors

on Public Building or Public Work Financed in Whole or in Part by

Loans or Grants from the United States''). The Act provides that

each contractor or subrecipient shall be prohibited from inducing,

by any means, any person employed in the construction, completion,

or repair of public work, to give up any part of the compensation to

which he is otherwise entitled. The recipient shall report all

suspected or reported violations to the Federal awarding agency.

3. Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 276a to a-7)--When

required by Federal program legislation, all construction contracts

awarded by the recipients and subrecipients of more than $2000 shall

include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40

U.S.C. 276a to a-7) and as supplemented by Department of Labor

regulations (29 CFR part 5, ``Labor Standards Provisions Applicable

to Contracts Governing Federally Financed and Assisted

Construction''). Under this Act, contractors shall be required to

pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the

minimum wages specified in a wage determination made by the

Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors shall be required to

pay wages not less than once a week. The recipient shall place a

copy of the current prevailing wage determination issued by the

Department of Labor in each solicitation and the award of a contract

shall be conditioned upon the acceptance of the wage determination.

The recipient shall report all suspected or reported violations to

the Federal awarding agency.

4. Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327-

333)--Where applicable, all contracts awarded by recipients in

excess of $2000 for construction contracts and in excess of $2500

for other contracts that involve the employment of mechanics or

laborers shall include a provision for compliance with Sections 102

and 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40

U.S.C. 327-333), as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations

(29 CFR part 5). Under Section 102 of the Act, each contractor shall

be required to compute the wages of every mechanic and laborer on

the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the

standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is

compensated at a rate of not less than 1\1/2\ times the basic rate

of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work week.

Section 107 of the Act is applicable to construction work and

provides that no laborer or mechanic shall be required to work in

surroundings or under working conditions which are unsanitary,

hazardous or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the

purchases of supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available

on the open market, or contracts for transportation or transmission

of intelligence.

5. Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement--

Contracts or agreements for the performance of experimental,

developmental, or research work shall provide for the rights of the

Federal Government and the recipient in any resulting invention in

accordance with 37 CFR part 401, ``Rights to Inventions Made by

Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government

Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,'' and any implementing

regulations issued by the awarding agency.

6. Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et. seq.) and the Federal Water

Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), as amended--

Contracts and subgrants of amounts in excess of $100,000 shall

contain a provision that requires the recipient to agree to comply

with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant

to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and the Federal Water

Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).

Violations shall be reported to the Federal awarding agency and the

Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

7. Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352)--Contractors

who apply or bid for an award of $100,000 or more shall file the

required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that

it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any

person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an

officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or

employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in

connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other

award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier shall also disclose any

lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with

obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from

tier to tier up to the recipient.

8. Debarment and Suspension (E.O.s 12549 and 12689)--All parties

doing business with the Department of Agriculture should consult the

Department's regulations for debarment and suspension found at 7 CFR

3017. No contract shall be made to parties listed on the General

Services Administration's List of Parties Excluded from Federal

Procurement or Nonprocurement Programs in accordance with E.O.s

12549 and 12689, ``Debarment and Suspension.'' This list contains

the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by

agencies, and contractors declared ineligible under statutory or

regulatory authority other than E.O. 12549. Contractors with awards

that exceed the small purchase threshold shall provide the required

certification regarding its exclusion status and that of its

principal employees.

[FR Doc. 95-19744 Filed 8-23-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-90-M