Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn, Maggie Hassan, John Thune, Gary Peters, John Kennedy, and Raphael Warnock have announced the signing into law of their Grant Transparency Act. This legislation aims to provide competitive grant applicants with more detailed information about selection criteria and evaluation processes used by government agencies.

Senator Cornyn stated, “Grant applicants often don’t have enough information to know why they are not awarded a competitive grant despite meeting the criteria. The Grant Transparency Act will require government agencies to shine a light on how they decide between applicants behind closed doors, and I’m glad to see it become law.”

Senator Hassan emphasized the importance of federal grant funding for small towns and organizations but noted that the current process can leave applicants uncertain about evaluation methods. She said, “This bipartisan legislation will help grant applicants understand exactly how they can successfully compete for federal funding that can make a real difference in their local communities.”

Senator Thune highlighted the need for transparency to ensure merit-based funding rather than political favoritism. He remarked, “State and local leaders work hard to develop a strong application process for federal funding. This legislation will require agencies to increase transparency of the grant application process.”

Senator Peters pointed out that grant dollars significantly impact communities but that applicants often lack necessary information. He commented, “This law will help applicants across Michigan and the country better understand how their projects will be evaluated.”

Senator Kennedy expressed satisfaction with the new law's passage: “Louisianians deserve to know how the government chooses competitive grant recipients.”

Senator Warnock mentioned the reliance of Georgia communities on federal grants and noted that previous lack of transparency posed barriers: “Because of our bipartisan efforts, legislation to more easily connect our local communities with federal resources has now become law.”

The Grant Transparency Act mandates that Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for competitive grants must include descriptions of rating systems, evaluation criteria, any weighted scoring methods used by agencies, and other qualitative or quantitative merit-based approaches.

The bill was also cosponsored by Senator Kyrsten Sinema. In addition, U.S. Representatives Russell Fry and Jasmine Crockett led companion legislation in the House.