Administrative and Audit Requirements and Cost Principles for Assistance Programs

This interim rule is in response to the issuance of Executive Order 13043 of April 16, 1997, ``Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States.'' Section 1(c) requires that each Federal agency, in contracts, subcontracts, and grants entered into after the date of the Order, shall seek to encourage contractors, subcontractors, and grantees to adopt and enforce on-the-job seat belt policies and programs for their employees when operating company-owned, rented, or personally owned vehicles. Section 2 of the Order directs all agencies of the executive branch to promulgate rules and take other appropriate measures within their existing programs to further the policies of the Order. The Department is publishing this rule in the absence of a Government-wide implementation of this policy for its applicability to grants awarded, and in order to provide a regulatory basis for the inclusion of a provision in grants and cooperative agreements awarded by the Department. In the event that the Office of Management and Budget chooses to implement this requirement through the issuance of a Government-wide directive, the Department will revise this regulation, as appropriate.