SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Financial Status Report (SF-269a)
Justification
1. Necessity of Information
The Financial Status Report is used to comply with the financial reporting guidelines as authorized under 28 CFR Parts 66 and 70. The Office of the Justice Programs will not make new discretionary awards or payments on existing awards if the Financial Status Report has not been filed within the 45 days of the end of the quarter.
2. Needs and Uses
The Department of Justice is attempting, via the attachment, to obtain information from the grantees on grant funds used as confidential funds and program income earned using grant funds. We would like to add this information to Section 12 on the SF 269a. In addition, these reports contain the actual expenditures and unliquidated obligations as incurred for the reporting periods, and cumulative for the award.
3. Use of Technology
Currently, there is no information technology which could reduce the burden . However, the Office of Justice Programs is in the process of implementing a web-based Financial Status Report System.
4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
The Financial Status Report that is currently available does not provide a
section for reporting confidential funds and program income. The Department of Justice is the only agency that appears to use appropriated dollars to fund State and local law enforcement activities. Confidential funds are used by law enforcement officers to buy information, evidence, and services. Program income is generated as a result of Department of Justice grant dollars. The Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, issued audit findings on both of these issues because our grantees were not reporting confidential funds and program income. In order to address these audit findings, we request approval to gather such information using the Financial Status Report.
5. Impact on Small Businesses
The collection of information does not have a significant impact on businesses or other small entities.
6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection
The Office of the Justice Programs is requesting a extension of the currently approved Financial Status Report form. This will enables us to obtain additional financial data from the grant recipient to support our financial statements. If the information is not obtained, the government would run the risk of funds being expended for unintended purposes and the risk of potential questioned costs would increase. The Office of the Justice Programs requires that grantees submit their Financial Status Report within 45 days of the end of the most recently past quarterly reporting period in order to receive payment.
7. Special Circumstances Influencing Collection
There are no special circumstances identified at this time.
8. Federal Register Publication and Consultation
Federal registers notices will be published in the Federal register soliciting public comments prior to final approved by OMB.
9. Payment or Gift to Respondents
No gifts or reenumeration are provided to grantees or contractors other than funds being authorized under the intended purpose of the Federal award.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality
We do not assure confidentiality of the information collected as this subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
11. Justification for Sensitive Questions
There are no questions of a sensitive nature contained in the questionnaire.
12. Estimate of Hour Burden
Estimated burden hours: 11,292 respondents. The respondents would submit the information on a quarterly basis for each grant. The average time to prepare the Financial Status Report is projected to be 90 minutes ( 1.5 hours) per grant. Therefore, the total
burden hours are 67,752. In the past, OJP has averaged about 20,321 grants per fiscal year. Since the Financial Status Reports are submitted quarterly, this computes to 81, 284 responses per year.
13. Estimate of Cost Burden
This collection will not any affect on the capital or start-up costs of an organization nor the operations. There are no cost to the respondents.
14. Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
Since the respondents are already submitting this information and it is being reviewed by agency staff, it is not anticipated that there will be any additional annualized costs for this revision.
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
This is a new information collection, therefore there are no program changes or adjustments.
16. Plans for Publication
This information will not be published.
17. Expiration Date Approval
The Office of Justice Programs will display the expiration date.
18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement
There are no statistics associated with this collection.
| File Type | application/octet-stream |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 0000-00-00 |