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Federal Register/Vol. 70, No. 168 /Wednesday, August 31, 2005 /Rules and Regulations 51911 <br />A -87. Appendix A to this part contains <br />the guidance that was in Attachment A <br />(general principles) to the OMB circular; <br />Appendix B contains the guidance that <br />was in Attachment B (selected items of <br />cost); Appendix C contains the <br />information that was in Attachment C <br />(state /local -wide central service cost <br />allocation plans); Appendix D contains <br />the guidance that was in Attachment D <br />(public assistance cost allocation plans); <br />and Appendix E contains the guidance <br />that was in Attachment E (state and <br />local indirect cost rate proposals). <br />(b) This part supersedes OMB Circular <br />A -87, as amended May 10, 2004, which <br />superseded Circular A -87, as amended <br />and issued May 4, 1995. <br />§ 225.50 Policy review date. <br />This part will have a policy review <br />three years from the date of issuance. <br />§ 225.55 Information contact. <br />Further information concerning this <br />part may be obtained by contacting the <br />Office of Federal Financial <br />Management, Financial Standards and <br />Reporting Branch, Office of <br />Management and Budget, Washington, <br />DC 20503, telephone 202 - 395 -3993. <br />Appendix A to Part 225 - General <br />Principles for Determining Allowable <br />Costs <br />Table of Contents <br />A. Purpose and Scope <br />1. Objectives <br />2. Policy guides <br />3. Application <br />B. Definitions <br />1. Approval or authorization of the <br />awarding or cognizant Federal agency <br />2. Award <br />3. Awarding agency <br />4. Central service cost allocation plan <br />5. Claim <br />6. Cognizant agency <br />7. Common rule <br />8. Contract <br />9. Cost <br />10. Cost allocation plan <br />11. Cost objective <br />12. Federally- recognized Indian tribal <br />government <br />13. Governmental unit <br />14. Grantee department or agency <br />15. Indirect cost rate proposal <br />16. Local government <br />17. Public assistance cost allocation plan <br />18. State <br />C. Basic Guidelines <br />1. Factors affecting allowability of costs <br />2. Reasonable costs <br />3. Allocable costs <br />4. Applicable credits <br />D. Composition of Cost <br />1. Total cost <br />2. Classification of costs <br />E. Direct Costs <br />1. General <br />2. Application <br />3. Minor items <br />F. Indirect Costs <br />1. General <br />2. Cost allocation plans and indirect cost <br />proposals <br />3. Limitation on indirect or administrative <br />costs <br />G. Interagency Services <br />H. Required Certifications <br />General Principles for Determining <br />Allowable Costs <br />A. Purpose and Scope <br />1. Objectives. This Appendix establishes <br />principles for determining the allowable <br />costs incurred by State, local, and federally - <br />recognized Indian tribal governments <br />(governmental units) under grants, cost <br />reimbursement contracts, and other <br />agreements with the Federal Government <br />(collectively referred to in this appendix and <br />other appendices to 2 CFR part 225 as <br />"Federal awards "). The principles are for the <br />purpose of cost determination and are not <br />intended to identify the circumstances or <br />dictate the extent of Federal or governmental <br />unit participation in the financing of a <br />particular program or project. The principles <br />are designed to provide that Federal awards <br />bear their fair share of cost recognized under <br />these principles except where restricted or <br />prohibited by law. Provision for profit or <br />other increment above cost is outside the <br />scope of 2 CFR part 225. <br />2. Policy guides. <br />a. The application of these principles is <br />based on the fundamental premises that: <br />(1) Governmental units are responsible for <br />the efficient and effective administration of <br />Federal awards through the application of <br />sound management practices. <br />(2) Governmental units assume <br />responsibility for administering Federal <br />funds in a manner consistent with <br />underlying agreements, program objectives, <br />and the terms and conditions of the Federal <br />award. <br />(3) Each governmental unit, in recognition <br />of its own unique combination of staff, <br />facilities, and experience, will have the <br />primary responsibility for employing <br />whatever form of organization and <br />management techniques may be necessary to <br />assure proper and efficient administration of <br />Federal awards. <br />b. Federal agencies should work with <br />States or localities which wish to test <br />alternative mechanisms for paying costs for <br />administering Federal programs. The Office <br />of Management and Budget (OMB) <br />encourages Federal agencies to test fee -for- <br />service alternatives as a replacement for <br />current cost - reimbursement payment <br />methods in response to the National <br />Performance Review's (NPR) <br />recommendation. The NPR recommended the <br />fee - for - service approach to reduce the burden <br />associated with maintaining systems for <br />charging administrative costs to Federal <br />programs and preparing and approving cost <br />allocation plans. This approach should also <br />increase incentives for administrative <br />efficiencies and improve outcomes. <br />3. Application. <br />a. These principles will be applied by all <br />Federal agencies in determining costs <br />incurred by governmental units under <br />Federal awards (including subawards) except <br />those with (1) publicly - financed educational <br />institutions subject to, 2 CFR part 220, Cost <br />Principles for Educational Institutions (OMB <br />Circular A -21), and (2) programs <br />administered by publicly -owned hospitals <br />and other providers of medical care that are <br />subject to requirements promulgated by the <br />sponsoring Federal agencies. However, 2 CFR <br />part 225 does apply to all central service and <br />department /agency costs that are allocated or <br />billed to those educational institutions, <br />hospitals, and other providers of medical <br />care or services by other State and local <br />government departments and agencies. <br />b. All subawards are subject to those <br />Federal cost principles applicable to the <br />particular organization concerned. Thus, if a <br />subaward is to a governmental unit (other <br />than a college, university or hospital), 2 CFR <br />part 225 shall apply; if a subaward is to a <br />commercial organization, the cost principles <br />applicable to commercial organizations shall <br />apply; if a subaward is to a college or <br />university, 2 CFR part 220 (Circular A -21) <br />shall apply; if a subaward is to a hospital, the <br />cost principles used by the Federal awarding <br />agency for awards to hospitals shall apply, <br />subject to the provisions of subsection A.3.a. <br />of this Appendix; if a subaward is to some <br />other non - profit organization, 2 CFR part 230, <br />Cost Principles for Non - Profit Organizations <br />(Circular A -122), shall apply. <br />c. These principles shall be used as a guide <br />in the pricing of fixed price arrangements <br />where costs are used in determining the <br />appropriate price. <br />d. Where a Federal contract awarded to a <br />governmental unit incorporates a Cost <br />Accounting Standards (CAS) clause, the <br />requirements of that clause shall apply. In <br />such cases, the governmental unit and the <br />cognizant Federal agency shall establish an <br />appropriate advance agreement on how the <br />governmental unit will comply with <br />applicable CAS requirements when <br />estimating, accumulating and reporting costs <br />under CAS - covered contracts. The agreement <br />shall indicate that 2 CFR part 225 (OMB <br />Circular A -87) requirements will be applied <br />to other Federal awards. In all cases, only one <br />set of records needs to be maintained by the <br />governmental unit. <br />e. Conditional exemptions. <br />(1) OMB authorizes conditional exemption <br />from OMB administrative requirements and <br />cost principles for certain Federal programs <br />with statutorily - authorized consolidated <br />planning and consolidated administrative <br />funding, that are identified by a Federal <br />agency and approved by the head of the <br />Executive department or establishment. A <br />Federal agency shall consult with OMB <br />during its consideration of whether to grant <br />such an exemption. <br />(2) To promote efficiency in State and local <br />program administration, when Federal non- <br />entitlement programs with common purposes <br />have specific statutorily - authorized <br />consolidated planning and consolidated <br />administrative funding and where most of <br />the State agency's resources come from non- <br />Federal sources, Federal agencies may <br />exempt these covered State - administered, <br />non - entitlement grant programs from certain <br />OMB grants management requirements. The <br />