PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to watch how certain grants are used and to report about that work. Key words: "applicable committees" are the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A "covered grant" is a grant under this Act (except sections 703–707), including some SAMHSA grants under section 1536 of title 21. A "grantee" is the grant recipient. The "Secretary" means the HHS Secretary. Grantees must report how well their grant activities work, how many people were served, and how many sought help but could not be served, plus other data HHS asks for. By July 22, 2017 (one year after July 22, 2016) HHS, with its Inspector General, must report to the applicable committees on rules to stop waste, fraud, and abuse, including rules to stop unauthorized spending and duplicate grants. No more than $20,000 of HHS grant funds may be used for any conference unless a program head gives written pre-approval that includes a full cost estimate (food, drinks, A/V, speaker fees, entertainment). HHS must also send the applicable committees an annual report of approved conference spending.

Title 42, §290aa–15

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(1)In this section:

(A)The term “applicable committees” means—

(i)the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate; and

(ii)the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.

(B)The term “covered grant” means a grant awarded by the Secretary under a program established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act, other than sections 703 through 707), including any grant administered by the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under section 1536 of title 21.

(C)The term “grantee” means the recipient of a covered grant.

(D)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(2)Each covered grant shall be subject to the following accountability requirements:

(A)The Secretary shall require grantees to report on the effectiveness of the activities carried out with amounts made available to carry out the program under which the covered grant is awarded, including the number of persons served by such grant, if applicable, the number of persons seeking services who could not be served by such grant, and such other information as the Secretary may prescribe.

(B)(i)Not later than 1 year after July 22, 2016, the Secretary, in coordination with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall submit to the applicable committees a report on the policies and procedures the Department has in place to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration of covered grants.

(ii)The policies and procedures referred to in clause (i) shall include policies and procedures that are designed to—

(I)prevent grantees from utilizing funds awarded through a covered grant for unauthorized expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs; and

(II)ensure grantees will not receive unwarranted duplicate grants for the same purpose.

(C)(i)No amounts made available to the Secretary under this Act (or in a provision of law amended by this Act, other than sections 703 through 707) may be used by the Secretary, or by any individual or entity awarded discretionary funds through a cooperative agreement under a program established under this Act (or in a provision of law amended by this Act), to host or support any expenditure for conferences that uses more than $20,000 in funds made available by the Secretary, unless the head of the relevant operating division or program office provides prior written authorization that the funds may be expended to host or support the conference. Such written authorization shall include a written estimate of all costs associated with the conference, including the cost of all food, beverages, audio-visual equipment, honoraria for speakers, and entertainment.

(ii)The Secretary (or the Secretary’s designee) shall submit to the applicable committees an annual report on all conference expenditures approved by the Secretary under this subparagraph.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in pars. (1)(B) and (2)(C)(i), is Pub. L. 114–198, July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 695, known as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. section 703 of the Act is not classified to the Code, and sections 704 to 707 of the Act enacted section 1320a–7n of this title, amended section 1395w–101, 1395w–104, 1395w–152, 1395ddd, 1395iii, 1396a, 1396r–8, 1396w–1, and 1397bb of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 1395w–101 and 1396r–8 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 2016 Amendment note set out under section 201 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Additional Report Pub. L. 114–198, title VII, § 701(e), July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 740, provided that: “In the case of a report submitted under subsection (c) [enacting this section] to the applicable committees, if such report pertains to a grant under section 103 [21 U.S.C. 1536], that report shall also be submitted, in the same manner and at the same time, to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.”

§290aa–15 Department of Health and Human Services Grant Accountability