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Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

(Public Law No: 109-282, 9/26/06)

Purpose:  To require full disclosure of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds.

Analysis

Senate Committee 109-329 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006'.

 

SEC. 2. FULL DISCLOSURE OF ENTITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDING.

(a) Definitions- In this section:

(1) ENTITY- The term `entity'--

(A) includes, whether for profit or nonprofit--

(i) a corporation;

(ii) an association;

(iii) a partnership;

(iv) a limited liability company;

(v) a limited liability partnership;

(vi) a sole proprietorship;

(vii) any other legal business entity;

(viii) any other grantee or contractor that is not excluded by subparagraph (B) or (C); and

(ix) any State or locality;

(B) on and after January 1, 2009, includes any subcontractor or subgrantee; and

(C) does not include--

(i) an individual recipient of Federal assistance; or

(ii) a Federal employee.

(2) FEDERAL AWARD- The term `Federal award'--

(A) means Federal financial assistance and expenditures that--

(i) include grants, subgrants, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance;

(ii) include contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, task orders, and delivery orders;

(B) does not include individual transactions below $25,000; and

(C) before October 1, 2008, does not include credit card transactions.

(3) SEARCHABLE WEBSITE- The term `searchable website' means a website that allows the public to--

(A) search and aggregate Federal funding by any element required by subsection (b)(1);

(B) ascertain through a single search the total amount of Federal funding awarded to an entity by a Federal award described in paragraph (2)(A)(i), by fiscal year;

(C) ascertain through a single search the total amount of Federal funding awarded to an entity by a Federal award described in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), by fiscal year; and

(D) download data included in subparagraph (A) included in the outcome from searches.

(b) In General-

(1) WEBSITE- Not later than January 1, 2008, the Office of Management and Budget shall, in accordance with this section, section 204 of the E-Government Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-347; 44 U.S.C. 3501 note), and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403 et seq.), ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award--

(A) the name of the entity receiving the award;

(B) the amount of the award;

(C) information on the award including transaction type, funding agency, the North American Industry Classification System code or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number (where applicable), program source, and an award title descriptive of the purpose of each funding action;

(D) the location of the entity receiving the award and the primary location of performance under the award, including the city, State, congressional district, and country;

(E) a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of the parent entity of the recipient, should the entity be owned by another entity; and

`(F) the names and total compensation of the five most highly compensated officers of the entity if--

`(i) the entity in the preceding fiscal year received--

`(I) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues in Federal awards; and

`(II) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal awards; and

`(ii) the public does not have access to information about the compensation of the senior executives of the entity through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.'.

(G) any other relevant information specified by the Office of Management and Budget.

(2) SCOPE OF DATA- The website shall include data for fiscal year 2007, and each fiscal year thereafter.

(3) DESIGNATION OF AGENCIES- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is authorized to designate one or more Federal agencies to participate in the development, establishment, operation, and support of the single website. In the initial designation, or in subsequent instructions and guidance, the Director may specify the scope of the responsibilities of each such agency.

(4) AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES- Federal agencies shall comply with the instructions and guidance issued by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under paragraph (3), and shall provide appropriate assistance to the Director upon request, so as to assist the Director in ensuring the existence and operation of the single website.

(c) Website- The website established under this section--

(1) may use as the source of its data the Federal Procurement Data System, Federal Assistance Award Data System, and Grants.gov, if all of these data sources are searchable through the website and can be accessed in a search on the website required by this Act, provided that the user may--

(A) specify such search shall be confined to Federal contracts and subcontracts;

(B) specify such search shall be confined to include grants, subgrants, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance;

(2) shall not be considered in compliance if it hyperlinks to the Federal Procurement Data System website, Federal Assistance Award Data System website, Grants.gov website, or other existing websites, so that the information elements required by subsection (b)(1) cannot be searched electronically by field in a single search;

(3) shall provide an opportunity for the public to provide input about the utility of the site and recommendations for improvements;

(4) shall be updated not later than 30 days after the award of any Federal award requiring a posting; and

(5) shall provide for separate searches for Federal awards described in subsection (a) to distinguish between the Federal awards described in subsection (a)(2)(A)(i) and those described in subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii).

(d) Subaward Data-

(1) PILOT PROGRAM-

(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than July 1, 2007, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall commence a pilot program to--

(i) test the collection and accession of data about subgrants and subcontracts; and

(ii) determine how to implement a subaward reporting program across the Federal Government, including--

(I) a reporting system under which the entity issuing a subgrant or subcontract is responsible for fulfilling the subaward reporting requirement; and

(II) a mechanism for collecting and incorporating agency and public feedback on the design and utility of the website.

(B) TERMINATION- The pilot program under subparagraph (A) shall terminate not later than January 1, 2009.

(2) REPORTING OF SUBAWARDS-

(A) IN GENERAL- Based on the pilot program conducted under paragraph (1), and, except as provided in subparagraph (B), not later than January 1, 2009, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget--

(i) shall ensure that data regarding subawards are disclosed in the same manner as data regarding other Federal awards, as required by this Act; and

(ii) shall ensure that the method for collecting and distributing data about subawards under clause (i)--

(I) minimizes burdens imposed on Federal award recipients and subaward recipients;

(II) allows Federal award recipients and subaward recipients to allocate reasonable costs for the collection and reporting of subaward data as indirect costs; and

(III) establishes cost-effective requirements for collecting subaward data under block grants, formula grants, and other types of assistance to State and local governments.

(B) EXTENSION OF DEADLINE- For subaward recipients that receive Federal funds through State, local, or tribal governments, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget may extend the deadline for ensuring that data regarding such subawards are disclosed in the same manner as data regarding other Federal awards for a period not to exceed 18 months, if the Director determines that compliance would impose an undue burden on the subaward recipient.

(e) Exception- Any entity that demonstrates to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget that the gross income, from all sources, for such entity did not exceed $300,000 in the previous tax year of such entity shall be exempt from the requirement to report subawards under subsection (d), until the Director determines that the imposition of such reporting requirements will not cause an undue burden on such entities.

(f) Construction- Nothing in this Act shall prohibit the Office of Management and Budget from including through the website established under this section access to data that is publicly available in any other Federal database.

(g) Report-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives an annual report regarding the implementation of the website established under this section.

(2) CONTENTS- Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include--

(A) data regarding the usage and public feedback on the utility of the site (including recommendations for improving data quality and collection);

(B) an assessment of the reporting burden placed on Federal award and subaward recipients; and

(C) an explanation of any extension of the subaward reporting deadline under subsection (d)(2)(B), if applicable.

(3) PUBLICATION- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website established under this section.

Amended by P. L. 110-252, Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008, 'Section 6202 (a) above in red and 6202 (b) Regulations Required- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall promulgate regulations to implement the amendment made by this chapter. Such regulations shall include a definition of `total compensation' that is consistent with regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission at section 402 of part 229 of title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations (or any subsequent regulation).

Section 2. Full disclosure of entities receiving Federal funding

Subsection (a) defines key terms used throughout the bill: entity, Federal award, and searchable Web site.

`Entity' is defined as any of the following type of for-profit or non-profit organizations: corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), limited liability partnership (LLP), sole proprietorship, other legal business entities and States or localities. The bill does not require the Web site to provide information about Federal funding received by individuals, such as a Social Security check or the salary of a Federal employee. The definition was drafted broadly with the intention of ensuring that information on financial transactions with all types of entities is included on the Web site. In addition, nothing in this bill prevents the Office of Management and Budget from making available on the Web site additional publicly-available Federal funding information.

The definition of `Entity' exempts subcontractors and subgrantees until January 1, 2009. In place of a requirement to provide subaward information concurrently with other required information, this bill establishes a pilot program for collecting and reporting subaward information, as detailed in subsection (d). The exception for subaward recipient information is made to address the concern that collecting subaward information will be more difficult than collecting information on prime funding recipients, and more time is needed to identify best practices for collection and reporting of subaward information. The presence of the delayed timetable in the bill is not intended to indicate that this information is less important than information on prime awards, but it does recognize that additional time might be needed to develop a system that balances access to information with the burden of reporting subaward data.

`Federal award' is defined as any expenditure of Federal funds through: grants, subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, purchase orders, task orders, delivery orders, or other forms of financial assistance. The definition does not include individual transactions below $25,000 and, before October 1, 2008, does not include credit card transactions. The definition of this term is intentionally broad so as to capture as much Federal funding as possible. The inclusion of various types of financial arrangements is not in any way intended to limit the types of transactions that should be recorded on the Web site. The purpose of this legislation is to provide the public with a broad and highly detailed view of Federal funding, and the definition of what constitutes a Federal award is to be interpreted equally broadly.

`Searchable Web site' means a Web site that allows the public to search by any of the elements listed and explained in subsection (b)(1). This definition is intended to guarantee that the Web site is not only available to the general public, but that it is also easily usable. The bill is intended to ensure that the Web site can be searched using similar techniques as those used on popular search engine Web sites. The language of this bill does not preclude the inclusion of an advanced search capability on the Web site.

Subsection (b) provides general provisions regarding the Web site and the data to be submitted to the Web site.

Paragraph (1) requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure that the Web site is operational and available to the general public no later than January 1, 2008. This provision does not preclude OMB from making the Web site available prior to January 2008. It also requires that the Web site comply with Section 204 of the E-Government Act of 2002, which states that the Director of OMB `shall work with the Administrator of the General Services Administration and other agencies to maintain and promote an integrated Internet-based system of providing the public with access to Government information and services.'

This paragraph also requires that there be no cost to the public to access the Web site.

Finally, this paragraph requires that the Web site include certain data regarding each `Federal award' including: (1) the name of the entity receiving the award; (2) the dollar amount of the award; (3) information on the award including--transaction type, funding agency (as well as the program within the agency), the North American Industry Classification System code (used to identify market sector) or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number, and purpose of the funding; (4) location of the entity receiving the award as well as the primary location of performance under the award, including city, State, congressional district, and country; (5) a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of the parent entity of the recipient, when applicable; and (6) other information that OMB deems relevant.

Paragraph (2) specifies that the Web site shall include data for fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter.

Paragraphs (3) and (4) authorize OMB to delegate the work of developing and maintaining the Web site to one or more Federal agencies.

Subsection (c) of the bill addresses several provisions related to the operation of the Web site.

Paragraph (1) specifies that OMB may use existing Federal databases, such as the Federal Procurement Data System, Federal Assistance Award Data System, and Grants.gov, as sources of data for the searchable Web site. Paragraph (2), however, specifies that the Web site will not be in compliance with the requirements of the bill if it simply hyperlinks to other Federal databases. The objective in establishing the Web site is to prevent the need for citizens to search multiple sites and learn the operations of multiple databases to know where their tax dollars are being spent. Citizens should be able to access information on all Federal awards through a single Web site, regardless of how many separate systems feed into it.

Paragraph (3) requires that the Web site provide an opportunity for public feedback on the utility of the site and recommendations for improvements. This should provide an opportunity for feedback from entities receiving Federal funds and thus required to provide information, as well as anyone from the general public who uses the Web site for private research. Opportunities to provide feedback should be continuous, and improvements to the Web site should be on-going.

Paragraph (4) requires that all funding information required in the bill be posted to the Web site no later than thirty (30) days after the transaction has occurred. This means thirty calendar days and not thirty business days.

The Committee believes that the Web site should be easy for the public to locate and access, either through its own domain name or through prominence on a central Federal Web site, such as Firstgov.gov.

Subsection (d) requires the Director of OMB to establish a pilot program to address the issue of collecting subaward data. The Committee expects the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to incorporate the lessons learned and public feedback from the pilot program as it implements the subaward reporting requirements of this bill.

The Director is required to establish the pilot program no later than July 1, 2007, to determine the most efficient and least burdensome means of collecting subaward data. The pilot project will last for two years, after which all subaward data will begin to be collected and integrated into the Web site. The Director of OMB may extend the subaward reporting requirement for subawardees that receive funding through State, local, and tribal governments for up to 18 months, to prevent imposing an undue burden on subaward recipients.

Subsection (e) allows that any entity with a gross income of less than $300,000 in the previous tax year will be exempt from the subaward reporting requirements until the Director of OMB determines that the reporting requirements do not cause an undue burden on these entities.

Subsection (f) specifies that nothing in the Act shall prohibit OMB from including on the Web site information that is publicly available from any other Federal database.

Subsection (g) requires the Director of OMB to report to appropriate congressional committees regarding usage and public feedback on the Web site, the reporting burden placed on prime and subaward recipients, and the Director's use of the extension allowed in subsection (d).
SEC. 3. CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

Nothing in this Act shall require the disclosure of classified information.

Section 3. Classified information.

This section clarifies that the Act shall not require disclosure of classified information.
SEC. 4. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

Not later than January 1, 2010, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on compliance with this Act.

 
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