[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 187 (Friday, September 26, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58045-58047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22997]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Fiscal Service
Public Input on the Establishment of Financial Data Standards
(Data Exchange)
AGENCY: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and Request for Information.
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SUMMARY: The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA
Act) was enacted for purposes that include expanding the Federal
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) to require
the disclosure of direct Federal agency expenditures and information
that links ``Federal . . . spending information to programs of Federal
agencies to enable taxpayers and policy makers to track Federal
spending more effectively.'' Public Law 113-101, 2(1). FFATA, as
amended by the DATA Act, requires the Secretary of the Treasury
(Treasury) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), in consultation with the heads of Federal agencies, to
``establish Government-wide financial data standards for any Federal
funds made available to or expended by Federal agencies and entities
receiving Federal funds.'' 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, Sec. 4(a)(1).
Treasury and OMB shall consult with public and private stakeholders in
establishing the Government-wide financial data standards (data
standards). 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, 4(d). The DATA Act provides that
Treasury and OMB shall issue guidance to Federal agencies on the
established data standards no later than one year after DATA Act
enactment, i.e., by May 9, 2015. Under this Notice, Treasury asks for
input from public and private stakeholders on several data standards
topics and questions, specifically on data exchange, to better ensure
the data standards to be established by Treasury
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and OMB are informed and useful, and to ensure compliance with DATA Act
consultation requirements. Treasury will share all input or information
received with OMB to ensure the proper establishment of data standards
by Treasury and OMB, consistent with DATA Act requirements.
DATES: Submit comments on or before November 25, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket FISCAL-2014-
0004, using the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions on the Web site for submitting comments.
Mail: Ms. Ellen Hilburn, U.S. Department of the Treasury,
Bureau of the Fiscal Service, 401 14th Street, Room 260F, Washington,
DC 20227.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
(``Bureau of the Fiscal Service'') and docket number FISCAL-2014-0004.
In general, comments received will be published on Regulations.gov
without change, including any business or personal information
provided. Comments received will be available for public inspection and
copying at the Treasury Department Library, Main Treasury Building,
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20220. To visit the
library, call (202) 622-0990 for an appointment. Comments received,
including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the
public record and subject to public disclosure. Comments should also
include: (1) The supporting rationale; and (2) alternative approaches,
specific examples and additional options that should be considered, if
any. Do not disclose any information in your comment or supporting
materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate for public
disclosure. Comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or
contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Ho at (202) 622-0550 or
[email protected], or Ellen Hilburn at (202) 874-5724 or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
FFATA requires OMB to ensure the existence and operation of a
single, searchable Web site, accessible to the public at no cost, which
includes specified spending information for each Federal award. 31
U.S.C. 6101, note, 2(b). Under FFATA, as amended by the DATA Act,
Treasury, in consultation with OMB, is required to post additional
specified information on the Web site that links Federal spending
information with Federal agency appropriations and program activity
information. 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, Sec. 3. The current Web site is
USASpending.gov, which was first launched in 2007. In February 2014,
OMB designated Treasury as the Federal agency responsible for operating
and supporting the USASpending.gov Web site. 31 U.S.C. 6101, note,
2(b)(3). Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service administers this
responsibility on behalf of Treasury.
The establishment of the data standards by Treasury and OMB will
better ensure that USASpending.gov, or any successor system, is
properly designed to provide ``consistent, reliable, and searchable
Government-wide spending data that is displayed accurately for
taxpayers and policy makers'' once the data standards are implemented.
Public Law 113-101, 2(2). As a general rule, Federal agencies are
required to report financial and payment information data in accordance
with the data standards no later than two years after Treasury and OMB
establish the data standards. 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, 4(c)(2).
Thereafter, Treasury and OMB are required to ensure the data standards
are applied to specified data made available on the Web site. 31 U.S.C.
6101, note, 4(c)(3). The establishment of informed and useful data
standards is a predicate step, or building block, that will permit DATA
Act requirements to be met, and DATA Act accountability and
transparency purposes or goals to be realized.
Treasury recognizes the paramount importance of providing the
American public, Federal agencies, local and state governments,
lawmakers, media, academia, standard-setting groups, transparency
associations, technology companies, and other stakeholders with
accurate and useful Federal spending and program activity information.
Accordingly, Treasury welcomes the views of any public and private
stakeholders on the types and forms of data standards that may be
appropriate for Treasury and OMB to establish.
II. Context: Data Standards Content, Use, and Application
To assist stakeholders in providing their input, Treasury offers
the following context which provides certain detail on the content of
the data standards, and how they will be used and applied.
A. The DATA Act provides the data standards ``shall include common
data elements for financial and payment information to be reported by
Federal agencies and entities receiving Federal funds.'' 31 U.S.C.
6101, note, 4(a)(2).
B. The DATA Act provides the data standards shall, to the extent
reasonable and practicable--
``(1) Incorporate widely accepted common data elements, such as
those developed and maintained by--
(A) an international voluntary consensus standards body;
(B) Federal agencies with authority over contracting and financial
assistance; and
(C) accounting standards organizations;
(2) incorporate a widely accepted, nonproprietary, searchable,
platform-independent computer-readable format;
(3) include unique identifiers for Federal awards and entities
receiving Federal awards that can be consistently applied Government-
wide;
(4) be consistent with and implement applicable accounting
principles;
(5) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary;
(6) produce consistent and comparable data, including across
program activities; and
(7) establish a standard method of conveying the reporting period,
reporting entity, unit of measure, and other associated attributes.''
31 U.S.C. 3101, note, 4(b).
C. The DATA Act provides that Treasury and OMB shall ensure the
data standards are applied to the data made available on the Web site
(i.e., USASpending.gov). 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, Sec. 4(c)(3). The data
on the Web site is required to include:
(i) For each Federal award (as defined under 31 U.S.C. 6101, note,
Sec. 2(a)(4))--
``(A) the name of the entity receiving the award;
(B) the amount of the award;
(C) information on the award including transaction type, funding
agency, the North American Industry Classification System code or
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number (where applicable),
program source, and an award title descriptive of the purpose of each
funding action;
(D) the location of the entity receiving the award and the primary
location of performance under the award, including the city, State,
congressional district, and country;
(E) a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of
the parent entity of the recipient, should the entity be owned by
another entity;
(F) the names and total compensation of the five most highly
compensated officers of the entity if--
(i) the entity in the preceding fiscal year received--
``(I) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues in Federal
awards; and
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``(II) $ 25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal
awards; and
(ii) the public does not have access to information about the
compensation of the senior executives of the entity. . . .''
31 U.S.C. 6101, note, 2(b)(1).
(ii) For any funds made available to or expended by a Federal
agency or component of a Federal agency, the information to be posted
shall include--
``(1) For each appropriations account, including an expired or
unexpired appropriations account, the amount--
(A) of budget authority appropriated;
(B) that is obligated;
(C) of unobligated balances; and
(D) of any other budgetary resources;
(2) From which accounts and in what amount--
(A) appropriations are obligated for each program activity; and
(B) outlays are made for each program activity;
(3) From which accounts and in what amount--
(A) appropriations are obligated for each object class; and
(B) outlays are made for each object class; and
(4) For each program activity, the amount--
(A) obligated for each object class; and
(B) of outlays made for each object class.
31 U.S.C. 6101, note, Sec. 3.
D. The DATA Act provides the Web site (i.e., USASpending.gov):
``(1) May use as the source of its data the Federal Procurement
Data System, Federal Assistance Award Data System, and Grants.gov, if
all of these data sources are searchable through the Web site and can
be accessed in a search on the Web site required by this Act, provided
that the user may--
(A) specify such search shall be confined to Federal contracts and
subcontracts;
(B) specify such search shall be confined to include grants,
subgrants, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of
financial assistance;
(2) Shall not be considered in compliance if it hyperlinks to the
Federal Procurement Data System Web site, Federal Assistance Award Data
System Web site, Grants.gov Web site, or other existing Web sites, so
that the information elements required by subsection (b)(1) cannot be
searched electronically by field in a single search;
(3) Shall provide an opportunity for the public to provide input
about the utility of the site and recommendations for improvements;
(4) Shall be updated not later than 30 days after the award of any
Federal award requiring a posting;
(5) Shall provide for separate searches for Federal awards
described in subsection (a) to distinguish between the Federal awards
described in subsection (a)(2)(A)(i) and those described in subsection
(a)(2)(A)(ii);
(6) Shall have the ability to aggregate data for the categories
described in paragraphs (1) through (5) without double-counting data;
and
(7) Shall ensure that all information published under this section
is available--
(A) in machine-readable and open formats;
(B) to be downloaded in bulk; and
(C) to the extent practicable, for automated processing.''
31 U.S.C. 6101, note, 2(c).
III. Request for Comments
Treasury is requesting comment from private and public stakeholders
on the process described above. Please provide responsive input to the
following posed topics and questions. We are also asking for input on
whether there are other alternatives to this process that should be
considered. We welcome any other input that would inform our
consideration of the process:
A. Please describe or provide examples of data standards on data
exchange that could ensure the data is ``open.'' Open in this context
means anyone can access, use, or re-use posted information, including
the public, Federal agencies, local and state governments, academia,
media, industry, standard-setting bodies, transparency groups, on a
worldwide scale.
B. What are examples of data standards on data exchange that could
ensure that ``availability'' goals are met? ``Availability'' in this
context means free access to the data standard, both during
development, at final stage, and for translations. Availability is
assurance that core technologies can be implemented royalty-free.
C. What are examples of data standards on data exchange that could
ensure the data provides efficient ``business reach'' to foster private
sector innovation? ``Business reach'' refers to the global reach of the
business community with either local or global integration
opportunities. The end points of business reach are regional (business
integration remains a regional area of opportunity) or international
(business integration has the potential for direct links to the
international community).
D. Please describe or provide examples of data standards on data
exchange that could ensure the implementation of appropriate
``validation'' processes. ``Validation'' in this context means an
ongoing process for validation and integration. Validation has spectrum
end points that are rules-based or document-based. Rules-based refers
to business rules of the data standard which are interwoven into the
fabric of the standard output and standard governance body. Document-
based end points are business rules separately stored and not entirely
contained within the standard output or standard governance body.
E. Please describe or provide examples of data standards on data
exchange that could ensure appropriate ``extensibility.''
``Extensibility'' in this context is defined as functionality for
flexibility (maintenance) of future modification to the data standard.
The end points of the spectrum for these criteria are flexible and
rigid. Flexible references extensibility and implementation ease
whereas rigid relates to the pliability of the construction and rules
integration.
F. Please describe or provide examples of data standards on data
exchange that could ensure Ease of Implementation. Ease of
Implementation refers to integration and interoperability within a
given environment. The related end points are simple (easily integrates
into environment) or difficult (integration into environment
necessitates extra steps).
G. How would the data standards examples or descriptions on data
exchange you provided in A-F above, if implemented, benefit or add
value to your constituent group or pertinent stakeholders?
H. What use cases would you anticipate or envision for information
with data structured in accordance with established data standards on
data exchange?
I. What impact would established and implemented data standards on
data exchange have on you, your business, constituent group or
pertinent stakeholders, and investments?
J. What other criteria should be considered by Treasury and OMB in
establishing the data standards on data exchange?
Kristine C. Conrath,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fiscal Operations and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014-22997 Filed 9-25-14; 8:45 am]
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