Federal Subaward Reporting System Modernization and Expansion Act
The Federal Subaward Reporting System Modernization and Expansion Act would require the Inspector General (IG) of the General Services Administration (GSA) to prepare a comprehensive evaluation of the FFATA subaward reporting system (the subaward data system used to track federal grant and assist award subcontracts) within 180 days of enactment. The IG’s report must identify problems causing inaccurate or incomplete reporting and offer recommendations. It also directs the administration (and Director and Secretary) to develop and implement a plan to update and expand the FFATA system so it provides accurate, timely, and comprehensive information on subawards, starting with the first tier of subawards and, over time, expanding to the first two tiers and ultimately the final recipient of subawards. The plan includes standardized reporting requirements, efforts to reduce administrative burden, increased public accessibility of data, and strong enforcement mechanisms. The bill sets a phased timeline: annual plan submissions thereafter, agency implementation within two years, and ongoing annual reporting on progress to Congress. The act leverages FFATA data elements and expands data collection and public transparency, with revisions to reporting rules and potential changes to how recipients are required to certify when no subaward is made.
Key Points
- 1IG report on FFATA subaward system due within 180 days: The Inspector General must review the current FFATA subaward reporting system, identify causes of inaccurate/incomplete data, and provide concrete recommendations for improvement, including assessment of data accuracy, cross-agency reporting consistency, recipient burden, data accessibility, and enforcement adequacy.
- 2Plan to modernize and expand the system: Within one year of enactment (and annually thereafter until fully implemented), the federal administrator (GSA) in consultation with the Director and the Secretary must submit a plan to update the FFATA system. The plan aims for accurate, timely, and comprehensive first-tier subaward data, standardized agency reporting, measures to reduce recipient burden, better public access, and stronger enforcement.
- 3Expansion to two subaward tiers and final recipients: Beginning within one year after the first plan is submitted, agencies must begin collecting information on the first two tiers of subawards (as defined by FFATA data elements). The plan must address accuracy, standardization, burden reduction, broader accessibility (including information about final recipients), and enforcement, with an implementation path.
- 4Implementation timeline and ongoing reporting: Not later than two years after enactment, agency heads begin implementing the plan. The Administrator must, with the Director, report to Congress on the expansion plan not later than one year after enactment and annually thereafter until full implementation.
- 5Definitions and scope: The bill uses FFATA definitions and references the FFATA subaward reporting system (as described in FFATA) and applies to data elements required under FFATA for subawards. The Administrator refers to the Administrator of General Services; key terms like Director, Federal agency, Federal award, and Secretary align with FFATA’s definitions.