Schools and Libraries
About the Schools and Libraries Program:
- Overview of the Program
- Overview of the Process
- Outreach and Training
- Site Visits
- Filing Appeals
- Understanding Audits
Schools and Libraries Tools:
Minutes for October 11, 2006
Service Provider Conference Call Minutes
A. |
Funding Commitments for FY2006 and FY2005
FY2005
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B. |
Update on Ministerial and Clerical Errors As part of our regular PIA review process, we are now asking applicants if they have any ministerial and clerical errors that they would like to correct. We are also informing them of potential errors we have noticed during our review of their applications. FY2006 applicants, prior-year applicants whose applications were still pending as of May 19, 2006, and appeals pending as of May 19, 2006 have an opportunity to correct these errors. |
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C. |
Training Update The 2006 Training sessions are going very well. We are especially pleased to be able to meet many of you at the sessions who also participate on this call. Because a number of attendees have indicated an interest in training specifically for service providers, we are considering some options for providing this additional training in the spring. If you have any thoughts on what should be offered at this training, please send your suggestions through Submit a Question using the Service Provider Conference Call topic. |
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D. |
D. Update on Form 486 Remand Order We are working to restore funding to the applicants listed in the Alaska Gateway Order (DA 06-1871) whose funds were reduced due to the late filing of a Form 486. As funds are restored, both applicants and service providers will receive a new Form 486 Notification Letter. Other applicants may be affected by this guidance as well; we will post more information on the website and in the News Briefs as it becomes available. |
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E. |
Two-in-Five Tool Update We are continuing to work on the Two-in-Five Tool. This tool will allow users to look up the status of an entity or entities under the Two-in-Five Rule for Internal Connections. Because FY2007 is the first year an applicant may be denied funding under this rule, the Two-in-Five status of an entity will be important information for FY2007 funding requests. |
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| F. | Invoicing Update Payments for the month of September totaled $114,348,521.75 against requests for $164.2M. In total, 8,265 invoices were processed for 1,495 service providers. This represented 26,215 lines in September with 98% being completed within 30 days and 440 lines over 30 days. (Most of these 440 lines were paid within 60 days.) There are currently under 20 in-process lines over 30 days old out of 825 lines in process. |
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| G. | Online BEAR Update We are completing development and working on deployment of the Online BEAR Form. The 2006 Training Online BEAR presentation has screen shots of the current version, which we expect to go live soon. Volunteers have already accessed the site and will begin reporting their results today or tomorrow. Watch this website and the weekly News Briefs for the implementation date. Service providers will need an active E-Cert status to review and certify online BEAR Forms when the online system becomes available. Please refer to the E-file User Guide or call 1-888-641-8722 if you have questions. A PIN - good only for filing BEAR Forms - will be issued by mail to applicants who have filed a BEAR Form in the last two years. Mailers have already been created for users who filed BEARs for 2005, and are now being created for the users who filed BEARs in 2004. Applicants who already have a PIN due to the filing of a Form 470, 471, or 486 filing will not be issued new PIN; they can use their existing PINs to file a BEAR Form. |
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| H. | Other No items. |
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| I. | General Questions Received by E-mail 1. I would like some clarification on an issue that comes up frequently with respect to contracts that expire in the middle of the funding year. If an applicant files a form 470, waits for the 28 day posting period, then signs a contract for services for the next funding year and files the respective Form 471 for this service, can this contract take effect prior to the start date of the 471's funding year? If so, would this jeopardize funding for the applicant's current year? An example might illustrate this more clearly: Little Red School House was approved for funding for their telecom services in Yr 9 for a one year contract that expires on January 1st, 2007. Can they post their 470 for 2007, receive bids for the prescribed 28 days, then select a vendor, sign a contract and file the Form 471 if the contract takes effect at the expiration date of their original contract (i.e., 1/1/07)? Would this in any way jeopardize their USF-approved funding for 2006? In the example given, Little Red School House (LRSH) would be eligible for discounts for only the first half of the FY2006 funding year. LRSH cannot request discounts for services provided under the new contract in FY2006. However, assuming that all other program rules are followed, LRSH could file a Form 470 as described, wait 28 days, sign a contract, and then file a Form 471 during the FY2007 application window requesting discounts (starting July 1, 2007) for services provided under that contract. The only exception is if the contract in question is a state replacement contract. Please refer to the State Replacement Contract guidance on this website for the specific requirements that must be met in order to apply for discounts in this situation. |
REMINDER: Please send your questions for the next Service Provider Conference Call using the Submit a Question link on the web site by 5:00 pm EST on Friday, November 3, 2006.
Choose "Service Provider Conference Call" from the Topic Inquiry and then choose "I would like to submit a question for the call" so that your question is routed correctly.
If your question is related to Invoicing, choose "Service Provider Conference Call" and "I have a program question pertaining to invoicing" so that your question is routed directly to our Invoicing Team.
Also, please watch the USAC WEBSITE for program updates.
