--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 290aa–15" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "290aa–15" heading: "Department of Health and Human Services grant accountability" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/290aa-15" units: - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service" - "Subchapter III–A — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration" - "Part A — Organization and General Authorities" --- # §290aa–15. Department of Health and Human Services grant accountability - (1) **Definitions—** In this section: - (A) **Applicable committees—** The term “applicable committees” means— - (i) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate; and - (ii) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. - (B) **Covered grant—** The term “covered grant” means a grant awarded by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) under a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act, other than sections [703](/usc/42/703.md) through [707](/usc/42/707.md)), including any grant administered by the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration under [section 1536 of title 21](/usc/21/1536.md). - (C) **Grantee—** The term “grantee” means the recipient of a covered grant. - (D) **Secretary—** The term “[Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)” means the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a). - (2) **Accountability measures—** Each covered grant shall be subject to the following accountability requirements: - (A) **Effectiveness report—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall require grantees to report on the effectiveness of the activities carried out with amounts made available to carry out the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under which the covered grant is awarded, including the number of persons served by such grant, if applicable, the number of persons seeking [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) who could not be served by such grant, and such other information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may prescribe. - (B) **Report on prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse—** - (i) **In general—** Not later than 1 year after July 22, 2016, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), in coordination with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), shall submit to the applicable committees a report on the policies and procedures the Department has in place to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration of covered grants. - (ii) **Contents—** The policies and procedures referred to in [clause (i)](#2-B-i) shall include policies and procedures that are designed to— - (I) prevent grantees from utilizing funds awarded through a covered grant for unauthorized expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs; and - (II) ensure grantees will not receive unwarranted duplicate grants for the same purpose. - (C) **Conference expenditures—** - (i) **In general—** No amounts made available to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) under this Act (or in a provision of law amended by this Act, other than sections [703](/usc/42/703.md) through [707](/usc/42/707.md)) may be used by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), or by any individual or entity awarded discretionary funds through a cooperative agreement under a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) established under this Act (or in a provision of law amended by this Act), to host or support any expenditure for conferences that uses more than $20,000 in funds made available by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), unless the head of the relevant operating division or [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) office provides prior written authorization that the funds may be expended to host or support the conference. Such written authorization shall include a written estimate of all costs associated with the conference, including the cost of all food, beverages, audio-visual equipment, honoraria for speakers, and entertainment. - (ii) **Report—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) (or the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)’s designee) shall submit to the applicable committees an annual report on all conference expenditures approved by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) under this subparagraph. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 114–198, title VII, § 701(c), July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 738.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text This Act, referred to in pars. (1)(B) and (2)(C)(i), is Pub. L. 114–198, July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 695, known as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Section 703 of the Act is not classified to the Code, and sections 704 to 707 of the Act enacted section 1320a–7n of this title, amended sections 1395w–101, 1395w–104, 1395w–152, 1395ddd, 1395iii, 1396a, 1396r–8, 1396w–1, and 1397bb of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 1395w–101 and 1396r–8 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2016 Amendment note set out under section 201 of this title and Tables. ### Codification Section was enacted as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter. ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Additional Report Pub. L. 114–198, title VII, § 701(e), July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 740, provided that: “In the case of a report submitted under subsection (c) [enacting this section] to the applicable committees, if such report pertains to a grant under section 103 [21 U.S.C. 1536], that report shall also be submitted, in the same manner and at the same time, to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.”