| Schools and Libraries News
Brief
August 28, 2009
TIP OF THE WEEK: If you have not
yet reserved a hotel room for one of the fall USAC training
sessions, do so as soon as possible (see below). Remember
that registering with USAC for a training session does not automatically
reserve a room for you at the conference hotel.
Commitments for
Funding Years 2009
Funding Year 2009. USAC
will release FY2009 Wave 19 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs)
September 3. This wave includes commitments
for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance for
schools and libraries at 85% and above. As of August 28, FY2009
commitments total over $720 million.
On the day the FCDLs
are mailed, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC’s
Automated
Search of Commitments tool.
Update on Fall
Applicant Training
To sign up for one
of USAC's fall applicant training sessions, visit the 2009
Schools and Libraries Fall Applicant Trainings page and register for
the training that is most convenient for you. You can also find
information on the conference hotel for each training session. Remember
that registering with USAC does not automatically reserve a hotel room for
you at the conference hotel.
Here are the last dates
you can make a hotel reservation at the conference rate. The conference
rate is not guaranteed – and rooms may not be available – after the cutoff
dates listed below.
| Location |
Cutoff Date |
| Washington DC |
September 2 |
| Newark NJ |
September 2 |
| Atlanta GA |
September 8 |
| Chicago IL |
September 17 |
| Orlando FL |
September 7 |
| Los Angeles CA |
September 15 |
| Portland OR |
September 14 |
| Houston TX |
September 21 at 5p.m. CDT |
Note that there is
still space available in Houston,
Orlando, and Newark for the fall training. If you have
registered for a training session and your plans change, please email USAC to cancel your
registration so USAC can open a slot for someone else.
Non-recurring
Services and Contracts, Part 2
In the August 21 SL News Brief, we
discussed requesting a service delivery extension request for
non-recurring services and the importance of requesting the extension no
later than the deadline for receipt of those services.
In many cases,
contracts must also be extended and the new contract extension date
reported to USAC. This is important because USAC will not pay
invoices for eligible non-recurring services delivered or installed after
the last day to receive service (the service delivery deadline), or the
last day your contract is valid (the contract expiration date), whichever
is earlier.
Extending a
contract expiration date for non-recurring services
Applicants report the
contract expiration date in Item 20b of the Form 471. USAC will not pay
invoices for products and services installed and/or delivered after the
contract expiration date on file with USAC. If a service delivery
extension has been approved – either automatically or upon request –
applicants and service providers will need to change the contract
expiration date on file with USAC if products and services will be
delivered after the date currently on file.
Please note: The
contract extensions we discuss here are solely for the purpose of
completing the delivery of services for commitments on Funding Request
Numbers (FRNs) for the original funding year, not for extending the
services to a new FRN for an upcoming funding year (see below).
If a contract expires
before services will be delivered, applicants should do the
following:
- Check the FRN
Extension Table to verify that USAC has extended the service
delivery deadline for the FRN.
- Determine that an
extension of the contract is allowed under the terms of the contract and
under state and local procurement rules and regulations.
- If allowed,
negotiate an extension of the contract with the service provider.
- File a Form
500, Adjustment to Funding Commitment and Modification to Receipt of
Service Confirmation Form, to change the contract expiration
date on file with USAC.
- After USAC
issues a Form 500 Notification Letter, the products and services
can be delivered and installed and USAC can be invoiced.
Note that this kind of
contract extension is different from a "contract with voluntary
extensions." A contract with voluntary extensions allows the
applicant and service provider to extend an existing contract and
apply for discounts on services in an upcoming funding year in addition to
the current one. If the applicant did not indicate the intention to enter
into a contract with voluntary extensions (Item 7b on the Form 470) and
then signed such a contract, the applicant would have to file a new Form
470 for the upcoming funding year and conduct a new competitive bidding
process. For information on contracts with voluntary extensions, refer to
the Contract
Guidance document on the USAC website.
Tips for
funding commitments that include non-recurring services
To make this process
easier, consider the following:
- If possible, set
your contract to expire on September 30 rather than June 30 if the
contract contains non-recurring services. This does not violate program
rules and obviates the need to file a Form 500 if the work will be
completed by the original deadline.
- Communicate
regularly with your service provider, especially if there may be
delays. Knowing early that a problem exists gives you more time to plan
for the best solution.
- An approved service
delivery deadline extension does not automatically extend a contract or
change the contract expiration date on file with USAC. Similarly, a Form
500 does not act as a service delivery extension request or
extend the service delivery deadline.
- Act promptly if you
need to extend a contract or request a deadline extension. USAC receives
a higher volume of requests when deadlines approach and it may take
longer for USAC to process your request if you wait until the last
minute.
- Remember that USAC
cannot act on a service delivery extension request filed after the last
date to receive service.
Protecting
Children in the 21st Century Act
Last Friday, August 21st, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
circulated an item related to the E-rate program to the other
commissioners. The E-rate item is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) seeking comment on updating the program to comply with last year's
Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act. The Protecting Children in
the 21st Century Act added requirements to those already mandated for
certain E-rate recipients by the Children's Internet Protection Act
(CIPA). The NPRM must now be voted on by the other four commissioners
before it will be released by the Commission.
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