SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

GSA, on behalf of the Federal Grants Streamlining Initiative, proposes to issue a new standard form, the Real Property Status Report (SF-XXXX). The SF-XXXX will be used to collect information related to real property when required by a Federal financial assistance award. The SF-XXXX includes a cover page, an Attachment A and Attachment B. The purpose of this new form is to report real property status or to request agency instructions on real property that was or will be provided or acquired, in whole or in part, under a Federal financial assistance award ( e.g., grant, cooperative agreement, etc.), including real property that was improved (special circumstances apply to improvements) using Federal funds and real property that was donated to a Federal project in the form of a match or cost sharing donation. The form does not create any new reporting requirements. It does establish a standard format for reporting real property status under financial assistance awards. It does establish a standard annual reporting date of September 30 to be used, if an award does not specify an annual reporting date. The standard form will replace any agency unique forms currently in use to allow uniformity of collection and to support future electronic submission of information.

Background

Public Law 106-107 requires the OMB to direct, coordinate, and assist Executive Branch departments and agencies in establishing an interagency process to streamline and simplify Federal financial assistance procedures for non-Federal entities. The law also requires executive agencies to develop, submit to Congress, and implement a plan for that streamlining and simplification. Twenty-six Executive Branch agencies jointly submitted a plan to the Congress in May 2001. The plan described the interagency process through which the agencies would review current policies and practices and seek to streamline and simplify them. The process involved interagency work groups under the auspices of the U.S. Chief Financial Officers Council, Grants Policy Committee. The plan also identified substantive areas in which the interagency work groups had begun their review. Those areas are part of the Federal Grants Streamlining Initiative.

This proposed form is an undertaking of the interagency Post-Award Workgroup that supports the Federal Grants Streamlining Initiative. Additional information on the Federal Grants Streamlining Initiative, which focuses on implementing the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-107), is set forth in the Federal Register published on September 13, 2006 (71 FR 54098). An overview of the SF-XXXX and five other report forms being developed under the Initiative was provided during a webcast of the Grants Policy Committee of the U.S. Chief Financial Officer Council held on March 8, 2007 (72 FR 7090, February 14, 2007).

Under the standards for management and disposition of federally-owned property and real property acquired under assistance awards (real property status) in 2 CFR Part 215, the “Uniform ( printed page 64647) Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations,” and the “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with State and Local Governments,” codified by Federal agencies at 53 FR 8048, on March 11, 1988, recipients may be required to provide Federal agencies with information concerning property in their custody annually, at award closeout or when the property is no longer needed. During the public consultation process mandated by Public Law 106-107, recipients suggested the need for clarification of these requirements and the establishment of a standard form to help them submit appropriate property information when required. The Real Property Status Report (SF-XXXX) is to be used in connection with requirements listed in the table below and Federal awarding agency guidelines:

B. Annual Reporting Burden

This form will be used by Federal agencies to collect information related to real property when required by a Federal financial assistance award. Since this form will be used primarily for reporting related to grants, and the GSA does not award grants, we are providing a burden estimate for one respondent.

Respondents: Assistance recipients.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1.666667.

Estimated Cost: There is no expected cost to the respondents or to GSA.

( printed page 64648)

Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (VIR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 501-4755, or by faxing your request to (202) 501-4067. Please cite the title, OMB Control No. 3090-00XX, Real Property Status Report, in all correspondence.