[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5, Parts 1200 to end]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1274.601]

[Page 459]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1274--COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH COMMERCIAL FIRMS--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart F--Reports and Records
 
Sec. 1274.601  Retention and access requirements for records.


    (a) This subpart sets forth requirements for record retention and 
access to records for awards to recipients.
    (b) Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, 
and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a 
period of three years from the date of submission of the final invoice. 
The only exceptions are the following:
    (1) If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the 
expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until all 
litigation, claims or audit findings involving the records have been 
resolved and final action taken.
    (2) Records for real property and equipment acquired with Federal 
funds shall be retained for 3 years after final disposition.
    (3) When records are transferred to or maintained by NASA, the 3-
year retention requirement is not applicable to the recipient.
    (4) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. as 
specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
    (c) Copies of original records may be substituted for the original 
records if authorized by NASA.
    (d) NASA shall request transfer of certain records to its custody 
from recipients when it determines that the records possess long term 
retention value. However, in order to avoid duplicate record keeping, 
NASA may make arrangements for recipients to retain any records that are 
continuously needed for joint use.
    (e) NASA, the Inspector General, Comptroller General of the United 
States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, have the right 
of timely and unrestricted access to any books, documents, papers, or 
other records of recipients that are pertinent to the awards, in order 
to make audits, examinations, excerpts, transcripts and copies of such 
documents. This right also includes timely and reasonable access to a 
recipient's personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion 
related to such documents. The rights of access in this paragraph are 
not limited to the required retention period, but shall last as long as 
records are retained.
    (f) Unless required by statute, NASA shall not place restrictions on 
recipients that limit public access to the records of recipients that 
are pertinent to an award, except when NASA can demonstrate that such 
records shall be kept confidential and would have been exempted from 
disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) if 
the records had belonged to NASA.
    (g) This paragraph applies to the following types of documents, and 
their supporting records: indirect cost rate computations or proposals, 
cost allocation plans, and any similar accounting computations of the 
rate at which a particular group of costs is chargeable (such as 
computer usage chargeback rates or composite fringe benefit rates).
    (1) If submitted for negotiation. If the recipient submits to NASA 
or the subrecipient submits to the recipient the proposal, plan, or 
other computation to form the basis for negotiation of the rate, then 
the 3-year retention period for its supporting records starts on the 
date of such submission.
    (2) If not submitted for negotiation. If the recipient is not 
required to submit to NASA or the subrecipient is not required to submit 
to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other computation for 
negotiation purposes, then the 3-year retention period for the proposal, 
plan, or other computation and its supporting records starts at the end 
of the fiscal year (or other accounting period) covered by the proposal, 
plan, or other computation.