28 C.F.R. § 70.22 Payment.
Title 28 - Judicial Administration
(a) Payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and the issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by other means by the recipients. Payment methods of State agencies or instrumentalities must be consistent with Treasury-State CMIA agreements or default procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205. (b) Recipients may be paid in advance, provided they maintain or demonstrate the willingness to maintain written procedures that minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement by the recipient, and financial management systems that meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established in §70.21. Cash advances to a recipient organization will be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient organization in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or project. The timing and amount of cash advances must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the recipient organization for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. (c) Whenever possible, advances will be consolidated to cover anticipated cash needs for all awards made by the Department to the recipient. (1) Advance payment mechanisms include, but are not limited to, Treasury check and electronic funds transfer. (2) Advance payment mechanisms are subject to 31 CFR part 205. (3) Recipients may be authorized to submit requests for advances and reimbursements at least monthly when electronic fund transfers are not used. (d) Requests for Treasury check advance payment must be submitted on SF–270, “Request for Advance or Reimbursement.” (e) Reimbursement is the method that will be used when the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section cannot be met. The Department may also use this method on any construction agreement, or if the major portion of the construction project is accomplished through private market financing or Federal loans, and the Federal assistance constitutes a minor portion of the project. (1) When the reimbursement method is used, the Department will make payment within 30 days after receipt of the billing, unless the billing is improper. (2) Recipients will be authorized to submit requests for reimbursement at least monthly when electronic funds transfers are not used. (f) If a recipient cannot meet the criteria for advance payments and the Department has determined that reimbursement is not feasible because the recipient lacks sufficient working capital, the Department may provide cash on a working capital advance basis. Under this procedure, the Department will advance cash to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs for an initial period generally geared to the awardee's disbursing cycle. Thereafter, the Department will reimburse the recipient for its actual cash disbursements. The working capital advance method of payment will not be used for recipients unwilling or unable to provide timely advances to their subrecipient to meet the subrecipient's actual cash disbursements. (g) To the extent available, recipients must disburse funds available from repayments to and interest earned on a revolving fund, program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments. (h) Unless otherwise required by statute, the Department will not withhold payments for proper charges made by recipients at any time during the project period unless paragraph (h) (1) or (2) of this section apply. (1) A recipient has failed to comply with the project objectives, the terms and conditions of the award, or the Department's reporting requirements. (2) The recipient or subrecipient is delinquent in a debt to the United States as defined in OMB Circular A–129, “Managing Federal Credit Programs.” Under such conditions, the Department may, upon reasonable notice, inform the recipient that payments must not be made for obligations incurred after a specified date until the conditions are corrected or the indebtedness to the Federal Government is liquidated. (i) Standards governing the use of banks and other institutions as depositories of funds advanced under awards are as follows. (1) Except for situations described in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, the Department will not require separate depository accounts for funds provided to a recipient or establish any eligibility requirements for depositories for funds provided to a recipient. However, recipients must be able to account for the receipt, obligation and expenditure of funds. (2) Advances of the Department funds must be deposited and maintained in insured accounts whenever possible. (j) Consistent with the national goal of expanding the opportunities for women-owned and minority-owned business enterprises, recipients are encouraged to use women-owned and minority-owned banks (a bank which is owned at least fifty percent by women or minority group members). (k) Recipients must maintain advances of the Department's funds in interest bearing accounts, unless paragraphs (k) (1), (2) or (3) of this section apply. (1) The recipient receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per year. (2) The best reasonably available interest bearing account would not be expected to earn interest in excess of $250 per year on Federal cash balances. (3) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so high that it would not be feasible within the expected Federal and non-Federal cash resources. (l) For those entities where CMIA and its implementing regulations do not apply, interest earned on Federal advances deposited in interest bearing accounts must be remitted annually to Department of Health and Human Services, (HHS), Payment Management System, P.O. Box 6021, Rockville, MD 20852. Interest amounts up to $250 per year may be retained by the recipient for administrative expense. State universities and hospitals must comply with CMIA, as it pertains to interest. If an entity subject to CMIA uses its own funds to pay pre-award costs for discretionary awards without prior written approval from the Department, it waives its right to recover the interest under CMIA. In keeping with Electronic Funds Transfer rules, (31 CFR part 206), interest should be remitted to the HHS Payment Management System through an electronic medium such as the FEDWIRE Deposit System. Recipients which do not have this capability should use a check. (m) Recipients must use the SF–270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement or other standard form for all nonconstruction programs when electronic funds transfer is not used. [Order No. 1980–95, 60 FR 38242, July 26, 1995; Order No. 1998–95, 60 FR 57931, Nov. 24, 1995]
Title 28: Judicial Administration
PART 70—UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS (INCLUDING SUBAWARDS) WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Subpart C—Post-Award Requirements
Financial and Program Management
§ 70.22 Payment.
