Amending Federal Financial Assistance-Related Forms To Include Universal Identifier, 32416 [E8-12560]
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32416
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 110 / Friday, June 6, 2008 / Notices
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET
Amending Federal Financial
Assistance-Related Forms To Include
Universal Identifier
Office of Federal Financial
Management and Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget.
ACTION: Final Notice.
AGENCY:
The Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) has issued a
memorandum authorizing each Federal
agency to add a field for the applicant’s
Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to
application forms for types of Federal
financial assistance that are subject to
the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109–
282, ‘‘the Transparency Act’’). The OMB
memorandum broadens the effect of a
policy issued in 2003, which authorized
agencies to include a DUNS number
field in applications for grants and
cooperative agreements. It broadens the
2003 policy to other forms of Federal
financial assistance subject to the
Transparency Act, including loans and
subawards. The additional authority is
needed in order for agencies to
implement the requirements of the
Transparency Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marguerite Pridgen, Office of Federal
Financial Management, Office of
Management and Budget, 725 17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503;
telephone 202–395–7844; fax 202–395–
3952.
SUMMARY:
Authority: Sec. 2, Pub. L. 109–282, 102
Stat. 1186.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES2
I. Background
On August 2, 2007 [72 FR 42444],
OMB proposed to authorize Federal
agencies to add a field for the DUNS
numbers of applicants other than
individual persons to Federal financial
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:05 Jun 05, 2008
Jkt 214001
assistance application forms that were
previously approved by OMB. The
purpose of the proposal was to allow
agencies to comply with the reporting
requirements of the Transparency Act.
The Transparency Act requires OMB
to ensure the existence and operation of
a Web site at which the public can
access and search data on Federal
financial assistance awards (note that
the Web site has been established at
http://www.usaspending.gov). A
universal identifier for the award
recipient is one of the data elements for
each award that the Act requires to be
available at the Web site. In
implementing the Act, OMB established
the DUNS number as the universal
identifier that would be used. Therefore,
an agency must be able to collect DUNS
numbers for recipients in order to be
able to comply with the Act, and
collecting them in the application is the
most efficient way to do that.
Prior to the August 2007 proposal,
there was authority in a 2003 OMB
policy issuance for agencies to collect
DUNS numbers in applications for
grants and cooperative agreements.
Therefore, the proposal in the Federal
Register notice in August was to
broaden the earlier policy so that it also
would apply to other forms of Federal
financial assistance subject to the
Transparency Act and not just to grants
and cooperative agreements.
II. Comment and Response
OMB received one public comment in
response to the August 2, 2007, proposal
in the Federal Register. The comment
was considered in developing this final
version of the update to the 2003 OMB
policy. The comment and our response
are summarized in the following
paragraphs.
Comment: A business commented
that it was having difficulty obtaining a
DUNS Number and expressed concern
about associated fees.
Response: There is no fee associated
with obtaining a DUNS Number through
Dun and Bradstreet’s Web site or toll-
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
free phone number. To assist Federal
contractors and grant recipients with
entities obtaining a DUNS Number, Dun
and Bradstreet maintains a Web site
with general information at http://
fedgov.dnb.com/webform/display
HomePage.do;jsessionid=
735D9C974C65C66AEE38AD
278154DBDA.
III. Next Steps
The OMB memorandum is an interim
measure, pending issuance of more
permanent policy for Transparency Act
reporting requirements. In the document
following this one in this section of
today’s Federal Register, we are
proposing guidance to Federal agencies
that would be issued in title 2 of the
Code of Federal Regulations. The
proposed guidance covers collection of
DUNS numbers from applicants as part
of a larger set of actions implementing
the Transparency Act for Federal
financial assistance. When the guidance
is issued in final form, we therefore
anticipate that it will supersede the
memorandum to agencies described in
this notice, as well as the 2003 policy
issuance on use of DUNS numbers for
grants and cooperative agreements.
Because the Transparency Act applies
to Federal procurement, as well as
Federal financial assistance, a final
point to note is that the memorandum
described in this notice applies only to
Federal financial assistance. The
implementation of the Transparency Act
as it applies to Federal procurement
contracts, purchase orders, task orders,
and delivery orders is separately
addressed by Federal Acquisition
Regulation issuances under the purview
of the Civilian Agency Acquisition
Council and Defense Acquisition
Regulations Council.
Danny Werfel,
Deputy Controller.
[FR Doc. E8–12560 Filed 6–5–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110–01–P
E:\FR\FM\06JNN2.SGM
06JNN2
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 32416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12560]
[[Page 32415]]
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Part III
Office of Management and Budget
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2 CFR Part 33
Amending Federal Financial Assistance-Related Forms To Include
Universal Identifier; Notice
Requirements for Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
Implementation; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 110 / Friday, June 6, 2008 /
Notices
[[Page 32416]]
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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Amending Federal Financial Assistance-Related Forms To Include
Universal Identifier
AGENCY: Office of Federal Financial Management and Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
ACTION: Final Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a
memorandum authorizing each Federal agency to add a field for the
applicant's Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number to application forms for types of Federal financial assistance
that are subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency
Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282, ``the Transparency Act''). The OMB
memorandum broadens the effect of a policy issued in 2003, which
authorized agencies to include a DUNS number field in applications for
grants and cooperative agreements. It broadens the 2003 policy to other
forms of Federal financial assistance subject to the Transparency Act,
including loans and subawards. The additional authority is needed in
order for agencies to implement the requirements of the Transparency
Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marguerite Pridgen, Office of Federal
Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20503; telephone 202-395-7844; fax 202-395-3952.
Authority: Sec. 2, Pub. L. 109-282, 102 Stat. 1186.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On August 2, 2007 [72 FR 42444], OMB proposed to authorize Federal
agencies to add a field for the DUNS numbers of applicants other than
individual persons to Federal financial assistance application forms
that were previously approved by OMB. The purpose of the proposal was
to allow agencies to comply with the reporting requirements of the
Transparency Act.
The Transparency Act requires OMB to ensure the existence and
operation of a Web site at which the public can access and search data
on Federal financial assistance awards (note that the Web site has been
established at http://www.usaspending.gov). A universal identifier for
the award recipient is one of the data elements for each award that the
Act requires to be available at the Web site. In implementing the Act,
OMB established the DUNS number as the universal identifier that would
be used. Therefore, an agency must be able to collect DUNS numbers for
recipients in order to be able to comply with the Act, and collecting
them in the application is the most efficient way to do that.
Prior to the August 2007 proposal, there was authority in a 2003
OMB policy issuance for agencies to collect DUNS numbers in
applications for grants and cooperative agreements. Therefore, the
proposal in the Federal Register notice in August was to broaden the
earlier policy so that it also would apply to other forms of Federal
financial assistance subject to the Transparency Act and not just to
grants and cooperative agreements.
II. Comment and Response
OMB received one public comment in response to the August 2, 2007,
proposal in the Federal Register. The comment was considered in
developing this final version of the update to the 2003 OMB policy. The
comment and our response are summarized in the following paragraphs.
Comment: A business commented that it was having difficulty
obtaining a DUNS Number and expressed concern about associated fees.
Response: There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS Number
through Dun and Bradstreet's Web site or toll-free phone number. To
assist Federal contractors and grant recipients with entities obtaining
a DUNS Number, Dun and Bradstreet maintains a Web site with general
information at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/
displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=735D9C974C65C66AEE38AD278154DBDA.
III. Next Steps
The OMB memorandum is an interim measure, pending issuance of more
permanent policy for Transparency Act reporting requirements. In the
document following this one in this section of today's Federal
Register, we are proposing guidance to Federal agencies that would be
issued in title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The proposed
guidance covers collection of DUNS numbers from applicants as part of a
larger set of actions implementing the Transparency Act for Federal
financial assistance. When the guidance is issued in final form, we
therefore anticipate that it will supersede the memorandum to agencies
described in this notice, as well as the 2003 policy issuance on use of
DUNS numbers for grants and cooperative agreements.
Because the Transparency Act applies to Federal procurement, as
well as Federal financial assistance, a final point to note is that the
memorandum described in this notice applies only to Federal financial
assistance. The implementation of the Transparency Act as it applies to
Federal procurement contracts, purchase orders, task orders, and
delivery orders is separately addressed by Federal Acquisition
Regulation issuances under the purview of the Civilian Agency
Acquisition Council and Defense Acquisition Regulations Council.
Danny Werfel,
Deputy Controller.
[FR Doc. E8-12560 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P