Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washougal, and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, introduced a bill meant to “standardize and coordinate” administration of and applications for federal grants called the “Streamlining Federal Grants Act,” according to a news release.
“I’ve heard from local governments, first responders and nonprofits across Southwest Washington that accessing federal grant funding is just too difficult,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in the release. “(The legislation) would cut unnecessary red tape by standardizing the rules, forms and notices for grant applications across federal agencies. It would make a real difference for small, rural and underserved communities in our district.”
There is no single set of rules, forms or policies for the administration of federal grants and federal agencies utilize 191 different grant management IT systems, the news release stated. This means applicants are routinely asked to enter the same information across forms and software systems.
The legislation would also aim to improve grants.gov, the government’s website for searching and applying for federal grants.
According to a news release from Gluesenkamp Perez’s office, the burdens of unclear rules weigh especially on applicants in small, rural and underserved communities.
“Our nation’s federal grant system is in dire need of targeted reform — the Streamlining Federal Grants Act offers Congress a necessary step towards achieving that end,” Foxx said, later adding, “I’m proud to co-lead this legislation alongside Representative Gluesenkamp Perez to right the ship and ensure government-wide compliance.”
