LIHEAP AT 2011-2 Financial Reporting Requirement for Grantees-SF 269A Report

Publication Date: December 14, 2010
Current as of:

Transmittal No.  LIHEAP-AT-2011-02                                                                                      

TO: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) STATE GRANTEES

GUIDANCE INTENDED FOR:      X  STATES
                                                      X  TRIBES/TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS
                                                      X  TERRITORIES


SUBJECT:  Financial Reporting Requirement for All LIHEAP Grantees — SF 269A Report

RELATED REFERENCES:
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act, Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35, as amended; Final Rule amending the HHS block grant regulations (45 CFR 96.30(b)), as published in the Federal Register on October 15, 1999 (64 FR 55843-55858); LIHEAP AT-2000-2, dated November 18, 1999, transmitting a copy of the Final Rule; LIHEAP AT-2001-1, dated October 18, 2000; and LIHEAP-AT-2010-1, dated October 8, 2009.

PURPOSE:
To provide LIHEAP grantees with guidance and instructions in meeting the requirement that they file a Standard Form (SF) 269A report on the obligation of LIHEAP grant funds.  This report is due on December 31, 2010.  In addition, grantees have the option to file the SF 269A electronically through the ACF Online Data Collection (OLDC) system. (See Attachments 1 through 4 for more information.)

BACKGROUND:
On October 15, 1999, a Final Rule amending the regulations governing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services block grants (including LIHEAP) was published in the Federal Register (64 FR 55843-55858).  The Rule took effect on November 15, 1999, and among other things, included a new requirement that recipients of HHS block grants must report on the obligation and/or expenditure of block grant funds.

The final rule required that LIHEAP grantees submit, within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year, a report on the dollar amount of the funds obligated by the grantee during the fiscal year and the date of the last obligation of funds for the fiscal year.  The form to be used is the OMB Standard Form 269A, Financial Status Report (Short Form).  This requirement is found in the regulations at 45 CFR 96.30(b).

Content: All LIHEAP grantees, including tribal and territorial grantees, must submit a report on Standard Form (SF) 269A describing the amount of LIHEAP funds obligated during each fiscal year.  The next report is due on December 31, 2010 for LIHEAP obligations that took place in Federal fiscal year (FY) 2010 (October 1, 2009 — September 30, 2010).

NOTE:  A new form, Standard Form (SF) 425, “Federal Financial Report”, will be required beginning next year, for grantee reports due by December 31, 2011 on the obligation of FY 2011 LIHEAP funds.  This will replace the SF 269A form, which is being terminated for all federal funds reporting.  However, grantees should continue to use the 269-A form for this year’s reporting on FY 2010 LIHEAP obligations.

Separate SF 269A reports must be filed for block grant funds, emergency contingency funds, leveraging incentive funds, and Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Program (REACH) funds that are awarded each year to LIHEAP grantees.  More information on the timing of the 269A reports for each category of funding is provided in this Action Transmittal.

The SF 269A Reporting Requirements
                                   
Grantees should follow the general instructions provided on the back of the SF 269A form, but be advised that only certain information is required for the LIHEAP program.  Attachment 1 provides guidance on how the SF 269A should be completed when reporting on LIHEAP funds, with specific instructions for supplying information under each of the identified item numbers.  Attachment 2 provides an example of a completed SF 269A with the information to be filled in for LIHEAP.  This includes the requirement under Item #12 that grantees provide the date of the last LIHEAP obligation for the reporting period.  Attachment 3 provides a blank SF 269A form.

Specific Instructions for LIHEAP Block Grants and Contingency Funds
                                   
In FY 2010, LIHEAP grantees received grant awards for regular block grant funds and contingency funds.  For the report due December 31, 2010, grantees must report obligations of LIHEAP funds for Federal fiscal year 2010, October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010.  Some grantees may have also carried over FY 2009 funds to obligate in FY 2010.  Grantees must report on the obligations of all these different types of LIHEAP funds (regular block, contingency, and carryover) and must use separate SF 269A forms for each type.  These different funding types will be distinguished by the accounting information on the Notice of Grant Awards, under the Common Accounting Number or “CAN” and the “Grant Document Number.”  

CAN Numbers

FY 2010 Regular Block Grant Funds:   2010 G992201
FY 2010 Contingency Funds:  2010 G992212  and/or  2010 G99CX11
FY 2009 Regular Block Grant Funds carried over into FY 2010:   2009 G992201
FY 2009 Contingency Funds carried over into FY 2010: 2009 G992212
Grant Document Numbers

For States and Territories: Grant Document numbers will look something like this: G-10B1xxLIEA

ForTribes/Tribal Organizations:Grant Document numbers will look something like this: G-10LLxxLIEA
                       
(The “xx” represents a unique identifier that is designated by ACF for each LIHEAP grantee).

Therefore, each grantee will submit a SF 269A for regular block grant funding, a SF 269A for contingency funding and one or more SF 269A forms for FY 2009 funds carried over and obligated in FY 2010.  If no FY 2009 funds were carried over into FY 2010 for obligation, then a SF 269A form for carried over funds will not be required.

Specific Instructions for LIHEAP Leveraging and REACH Funds
                       
In FY 2010, some LIHEAP grantees received grant awards under the leveraging and REACH programs.  Unlike block grant funds, leveraging and REACH funds can be obligated in the year they were awarded or the year following, but must be fully obligated before the end of the second year.

For the reports due December 31, 2010, grantees must report obligations of leveraging and REACH funds for Federal fiscal year 2010, October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010.  If no FY 2010 leveraging or REACH funds were obligated in FY 2010, then a 269A form will not be required until filing the SF 425 report, due by December 31, 2011.

We accepted REACH applications from grantees that were due on March 30, 2009 and announced that grants from these applications would be awarded in FY 2010.  (LIHEAP funds were not designated for REACH in FY 2009.)  A “first round” of  FY 2010 REACH awards was made in October 2009 based on the FY 2009 applications, with a “second round” awarded in June 2010 for applications that were due March 30, 2010.  Therefore, FY 2010 REACH grantees will report on the obligation of FY 2010 funds in this year’s SF 269A report due December 31, 2010.

CAN Number      

FY 2010 Leveraging Grant Funds:                   2010 G992204
FY 2010 REACH Funds:                                 2010 G992206

Filing the SF 269A Report

The SF 269A Reports for FY 2010 are due December 31, 2010.  The report may be submitted electronically or in hard copy.

Paper Filing:  LIHEAP grantees should continue to submit the SF 269A reports to the Office of Grants Management (not to the Division of Energy Assistance).  The address and other contact information for the Grants office is listed below. 

Electronic Filing:  LIHEAP grantees can now choose to submit the SF 269A reports electronically through the ACF Online Data Collection (OLDC) system.  Many grantees may already be familiar with OLDC through their SF 269A reporting for other ACF programs.  We strongly encourage you to use the OLDC system to file your LIHEAP SF 269A reports electronically.  Attachment 4 provides the OLDC request form, and instructions to request a new OLDC account or to add additional permissions to an existing account. The completed request form and all questions about OLDC access should be sent to Lydia Peele in the Office of Grants Management via the contact information provided below.

SUBMISSIONS TO: Administration for Children and Families
Office of Administration
Office of Grants Management
Division of Mandatory Grants
Attention:  Lydia Peele, Mail Stop: OA/OGM/DMG
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C.  20447
Telephone:  (202) 401-6493
Fax:  (202) 401-5519
E-mail:  Lydia.Peele@acf.hhs.gov

ATTACHMENTS:  (1)      LIHEAP Guidance on Completing the SF 269A Report

                             (2)      Example of a Completed SF 269A Report

                             (3)      Blank SF 269A Form and General Instructions

                             (4)      OLDC Form and Instructions to Request OLDC Access

 

INQUIRIES TO:
Lydia Peele
Office of Grants Management
Division of Mandatory Grants
Telephone:  (202) 401-6493
E-mail:Lydia.Peele@acf.hhs.gov

 

 

          /s/                     

Nick St.Angelo
Director
Division of Energy Assistance