A Grant Recipient's use of the Institute's electronic Grant Management System or a Grant Applicant's use of the Institute's electronic Application Receipt System to create, exchange, execute, submit, and verify legally binding Grant Contract documents and Grant Award reports or a Grant Application shall be pursuant to an agreement between the Institute and the Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant regarding the use of binding electronic signatures. Such agreement shall include at least the following minimum standards:
  (1) The Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant agrees that by entering the Authorized Signing Official's password in the electronic Grant Management System or Application Receipt System at certain specified points, the Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant electronically signs the Grant Contract document or related form or Grant Application . The Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant further agrees that the electronic signature is the legal equivalent of the Authorized Signing Official's manual signature.
  (2) The Institute may rely upon the electronic signature rendered by entering the Authorized Signing Official's password as evidence that the Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant consents to be legally bound by the terms and conditions of the Grant Contract or related form or Grant Application as if the document was manually signed.
  (3) The Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant shall provide prompt written notification to the Institute of any changes regarding the status or authority of the individual(s) designated by the Grant Recipient or Grant Applicant to be the Grant Recipient's or Grant Applicant's Authorized Signing Official. The notice must be provided to an individual designated by the Institute.

Source Note: The provisions of this §701.25 adopted to be effective March 2, 2014, 39 TexReg 1380; amended to be effective December 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 7063