83 FR 51955 - Submission for OMB Review; System for Award Management Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 199 (October 15, 2018)

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve revisions to the currently approved information collection requirement regarding the pre-award registration requirements for federal Prime Grant Recipients. These revisions will enable non-Federal entities to complete governmentwide certifications and representations for Federal financial assistance at the time of registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51955-51957]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22407]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 3090-0290; Docket No. 2018-0001; Sequence No. 16]


Submission for OMB Review; System for Award Management 
Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients

AGENCY: Office of the Integrated Award Environment, General Services 
Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding revisions to an 
existing OMB information collection.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve revisions 
to the currently approved information collection requirement regarding 
the pre-award registration requirements for federal Prime Grant 
Recipients. These revisions will enable non-Federal entities to 
complete governmentwide certifications and representations for Federal 
financial assistance at the time of registration in the System for 
Award Management (SAM).

DATES: Submit comments on or before November 14, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for GSA, Room 10236, NEOB, Washington, 
DC 20503. Additionally submit a copy to GSA by any of the following 
methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching the OMB 
control number 3090-0290. Select the link ``Comment Now'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 3090-0290, System for Award 
Management Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients''. 
Follow the instructions provided on the screen. Please include your 
name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection 3090-0290, 
System for

[[Page 51956]]

Award Management Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients'' 
on your attached document.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Mandell/IC 3090-0290.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 3090-0290, System for Award Management Registration 
Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients, in all correspondence related 
to this collection. Comments received generally will be posted without 
change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal and/or 
business confidential information provided. To confirm receipt of your 
comment(s), please check regulations.gov approximately two to three 
days after submission to verify posting (except allow 30 days for 
posting of comments submitted by mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nancy Goode, Program Manager, IAE 
Outreach and Stakeholder Management Division, at telephone number 703-
605-2175; or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    This information collection requires information necessary for 
prime applicants and recipients, excepting individuals, of Federal 
grants to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and 
maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all 
times during which they have an active Federal award or an application 
or plan under consideration by an agency pursuant to 2 CFR Subtitle A, 
Chapter I, and Part 25 (75 FR 55673 as amended at 79 FR 75879). 2 CFR 
Subtitle A, Chapter I, and Part 25 designates SAM as the governmentwide 
repository for standard information about applicants and recipients. 2 
CFR Subtitle A, Chapter II, and Part 200 (80 FR 43308) also designates 
SAM as the system recipients are required to report certain civil, 
criminal, or administrative proceedings if they meet certain 
conditions. Further, Federal awarding agencies are required to check 
SAM for pre-award purposes in accordance with 2 CFR part 180. This 
information collection requires that all prime grant awardees, subject 
to the requirements in 2 CFR Subtitle A, Chapter I, and Part 25 
register and maintain their registration in SAM.
    Pursuant to 2 CFR Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart C, 
Section 200.208 Certifications and representations, Federal agencies 
are authorized to require non-Federal entities to submit certifications 
and representations required by Federal statutes, or regulations on an 
annual basis. Currently, most Federal agencies require non-Federal 
entities to submit certifications with each Federal assistance 
application by use of the Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-
424B) and on an annual basis thereafter.
    To streamline this data collection and to reduce burden, OMB, in 
conjunction with the Federal assistance community, developed standard 
governmentwide certifications and representations to be certified by 
the non-Federal entity when registering in SAM. In Fiscal Year 2019, 
OMB will reemphasize that SAM is the repository for standard 
information about applicants and recipients and that the standard 
governmentwide certifications and representations are to be certified 
within SAM at the time of registration and/or registration renewal 
should meet the need of governmentwide certifications and 
representations. This will reduce the unnecessary, duplicative practice 
of agencies requesting certifications and representations with the 
submission of each application and lead to phasing out the use of the 
SF-424B, thereby decreasing the burden level of Federal grant 
recipients and Federal agencies.

B. Discussion and Analysis

    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register at 83 FR 24311 on 
May 25, 2018. Five respondent's comments were received. The following 
are summaries of those comments and GSA's responses:
    Comment: The respondent stated support for this proposal, citing 
that hard copies of assurance forms are signed multiple times 
throughout the year. By incorporating the assurances into the SAM 
registration, the processing of grants and cooperative agreements would 
be streamlined, thereby reducing the paperwork burden for both their 
agency and their subrecipients.
    Response: GSA agrees that incorporating grants certifications and 
representation into the SAM registration process will result in a 
burden reduction for grantees, subrecipients and federal awarding 
agencies.
    Comment: The respondent stated their support for incorporating 
governmentwide certifications and representations in SAM to reduce the 
duplicative collection of such documents by multiple Federal agencies.
    Response: GSA agrees that incorporating grants certifications and 
representations into the SAM registration process will reduce the 
duplicative collection of such documents.
    Comment: One respondent questioned whether non-Federal entities 
self-identify if they are (or anticipate being) a prime or 
subrecipient.
    Response: Non-Federal entities registering in SAM do not self-
identify whether they are a prime or sub-recipient. Many registered 
entities may be both a prime recipient and subrecipient for different 
awards.
    Comment: One respondent commented that in order to continue 
collecting the SF424B Assurances from entities exempt from SAM (i.e. 
individuals), a corresponding form would still need to be maintained 
outside of SAM.gov.
    Response: GSA has informed OMB of this requirement.
    Comment: One respondent asked whether the system update to add the 
grant certifications and representations will trigger an unscheduled 
registration update requirement for all registered entities.
    Response: The implementation of the grants certifications and 
representations in SAM will not trigger an unscheduled registration 
update for registered entities. Once the grant certifications and 
representations become active in SAM, per OMB guidance, all registered 
entities will complete their initial certifications in SAM during their 
annual re-registration. Federal agencies will continue to use their 
current processes for the submission of assurances (SF-424B) until such 
time that all their active grant recipients have completed their 
registrations in SAM.
    Comment: One respondent asked if entities will be required to 
complete all certifications at each annual re-registration and 
suggested that a new collection may only be needed if the individual 
responsible for the submission at the registered entity changes in the 
future.
    Response: The initial implementation will require entities to 
provide the certification during their initial registration and each 
subsequent annual re-registration. GSA is continually looking at ways 
to improve the SAM customer experience and will take the recommendation 
under advisement.
    Comment: One respondent proposed the elimination of SF-424D--
Assurances for Construction Programs and the incorporation of the form 
into the certifications and representations in SAM.

[[Page 51957]]

    Response: GSA will implement additional certifications and 
representations into SAM, as directed by OMB. At this time, only the 
assurances in the SF-424B are being incorporated.
    Comment: One respondent stated that the SAM registration process is 
time-consuming and frustrating for their foreign-based recipients and 
they object to adding another layer to the process. They further stated 
that their grants are usually under $10,000.
    Response: Although 2 CFR 25--Universal Identifier and System for 
Award Management, requires that all entities applying for or receiving 
federal awards, including subrecipients of federal awards, must 
register in SAM, there are conditions under which a federal agency may 
exempt a foreign entity from this requirement. 2 CFR 25.110 (d)(2)(ii) 
allows agencies to determine the practicality of whether a ``foreign 
entity applying for or receiving an award or subaward for a project or 
program outside the United States valued at less than $25,000'' must 
comply with the SAM registration requirement.
    Comment: One respondent stated that eliminating an agency's ability 
to require certifications and assurances on their own application is 
impractical.
    Response: Although the standard governmentwide certifications and 
representations will be certified in SAM, Federal agencies will still 
be able to require the submission of agency or program specific 
certifications and representations with applications.
    Comment: One respondent stated that the cost and implementation 
timeline considerations for agencies with online project and grant 
application systems. The respondent further stated that they could not 
implement system changes by October 1.
    Response: GSA has informed OMB of this consideration. The 
implementation date for entities to begin providing certifications 
during their initial registration and their subsequent annual re-
registration will be no earlier than January 1, 2019. The full 
transition to grant certifications in SAM will not be completed for a 
year, since existing registrants will complete the certifications in 
their annual re-certification process. Once a recipient has registered 
or re-registered, the Federal agency will be able to download or print 
a copy of the entity's certification to be entered into the entity's 
grant award file.

C. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 143,334.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Total annual responses: 143,334.
    Hours per Response: 2.5.
    Total Burden Hours: 358,335.
    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the System for Award Management Registration Requirements 
for Prime Grant Recipients, whether it will have practical utility; 
whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of 
information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and 
methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents in hard-copy or electronic format. 
Hard copy: General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat 
Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-
501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090-0290, System for Award 
Management Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients, in all 
correspondence.

    Dated: October 4, 2018.
David A. Shive,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-22407 Filed 10-12-18; 8:45 am]
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