Back to main Grant Streamlining page Background Information

• Grant Streamlining Law To Develop Uniform Procedures, Forms
• Text of Public Law 106-107, the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999
• Results of OMB Watch Survey of Nonprofits (06/24/02)
• Agency Timeline for Implementation (03/01/02)
• Plan Submitted to Congress, But Implementation Slow (03/01/02)

Past Action OMB Asks for Comments on Proposed Changes to Audit Form Nonprofits that get federal grants have an opportunity to suggest ways audit forms can be streamlined for reports auditors make to them and reports grantees must submit to the federal government. A Federal Register notice invites comments on changes proposed for current audit forms, including the SF-SAC and single audit reporting packages. Comments are due on or before October 14. Read more Proposed Universal Grant Applicant ID Numbers OMB has proposed a policy requiring all federal agencies to use a common identifying number for all federal grant applicants and grantees. Our comments support this concept, but oppose proposed use of Dun and Bradstreet's system for this purpose. You can download the original copy of our comments, or read the summary here:

• OMB Watch Comments (01/02/03)
• Federal Register Announcement (11/12/02)

Standard Format for Grant Announcements and Website The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published several Federal Register notices on August 12, 2002 seeking comments on proposed steps toward simplification of the federal grant process. The Streamlining Grants Management Project filed comments on a proposed standard format for federal grant opportunity announcements, based on feedback from nonprofits. It praised the effort as a positive first step, and make suggestions about additional information nonprofits said would be very helpful.

• OMB Watch Comments on Proposed Web Portal for Grant Announcements (04/28/03)
• OMB Watch Comments on Proposed Standard Format for Grant Announcements (12/23/02)
• Federal Register Announcement (08/22/02)

Uniform Information Requirements for Applications A Federal Register notice published April 8, 2003 from the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) - Notice of Proposed Requirement to Establish Standard Data Elements - proposed uniform information requirements for all federal grant applications. Their goal is to have an electronic application system operational by October 2003. OMB Watch and the National Council of Nonprofit Associations filed joint comments urging a greater focus on simplification.

• See our summary of the Federal Register announcement (04/14/03)
• Federal Register Announcement (04/14/03)
• See the OMB Watch and NCNA comments (06/09/03)

Uniform Financial Reports The Office of Federal Financial Management proposed consolidation of several financial reporting forms into a single, uniform report for grant recipients in an April 8, 2003 Federal Register Notice. It would apply to discretionary and formula grants and cooperative agreements. The proposed form consolidates the current “Financial Status Report” (SF-269 and 269a) and the “Federal Cash Transaction Report (SF 272 and 272a).

• See our summary (04/14/03)
• Federal Register Announcement (04/14/03)
• See OMB Watch comments (06/10/03)