Simplify The Compliance Certification Process

Eliminate Needless Paperwork by Simplifying the Compliance
Certification Process

Background

States and localities are required to provide assurance of compliance
with 18 cross-cutting federal requirements contained in the SF-424,
"Application for Federal Assistance," every single time a grant
application is submitted to an individual federal agency. In addition,
there are other cross-cutting assurances not contained in the Standard
Form. These assurances, which consist of two pages in the standard
federal grant application for state and local governments, stipulate
that the applicant will comply with statutes such as the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, the Hatch Act and the Davis-Bacon Act (see Appendix C).
States and localities submit thousands of grant applications each year
and are currently required to recertify each time.

Need for Change

Thousands of pages of duplicative certifications are being needlessly
prepared, processed, and stored every year.