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B-203452 1 (1981-12-31)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadcbj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 

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                               THE  COMPTROLLER GENERAL
  DECISION              .      OF   THE UNITED STATES
                      S WAS~tNGTON. 0. C. 20548



  FILE: B-203452.                     DATE:  December 31, 1951

  MATTER CF: Federal Aviation Agency--Disallowance
                 of Indirect Grant Costs

  DIGEST:   1.  Since FMC 74-4 (now OMB Circular No. A-87)
                is management tool that does not have the
            *   force of law, San Diego County may not rely
                on this circular when challenging disallow-
                ance by FAA of. indirect costs in Airport
                Development Aid Program.

            2.  Secretary of Transportation has authority
                under 49 U.S.C. S 1720(a) to decide that
                Indirect costs are not necessary airport
                development project costs and later change
                this policy without changing the result
                retroactively for indirect costs incurred
                prior to changed policy.

     The Acting Auditor and Controller of the County of San Diego,
California (the County), has submitted a claim to this office for
indirect costs incurred in carrying out approved Airport Develzarent
Aid Program (AD?)  activities under grants from the Federal Aiation
Agency (FAA) made prior to September 20, 1979. We deny this claim
for the reasons given below.

     The controversy in this case concerns a change in FAA policy
that resulted in the revision of FAA's regulation in September 1979
to permit indirect costs to be charged to ADAP grants, kAndxmat
14 C.F.R. S 152.47pEnd Appendix J of Part 152, 44 Fed. Reg. 54467-9,
September 20, 1979.  Prior to this change FAA's regulations provided
that indirect costs were not allowable. 14 C.F.R. S 152.47(c)(6)46rd
Appendix J- 1979).  The changed policy did nct permit retroactive al-
lowance of the previously disallowable indirect costs. See bacxgrcund
statement accompanying the amended regulations, 44 Fed. Reg. at 54468,
id.

     The County contends that the indirect costs were all--ble even
before the Septeinber 1979 change in regulations. The County asserts
that Federal Manacement Circular (FMC) 74-4 (now Office of Mana-ement
and Budget (CM'B) Circular A-87,4ranuary 15, 1981), having the force of
law, recuired FA  to provide for indirect costs in its grants. The
County in effect contends that the changed policy is an acmissoon
by FAA that its earlier interpretation of law was wrong and that FAA
should therefore be required to apply this revised view retroactively.

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