I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5775 
To require the establishment of a commission on earmark reform, to consoli-
date and streamline the grants management structure of the Federal 
Government, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 19, 2010 
Mr. SESTAK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
Committees on the Budget and Rules, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the establishment of a commission on earmark 
reform, to consolidate and streamline the grants manage-
ment structure of the Federal Government, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grant Accessibility and 
Transparency Enhancement Act of 2010’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON EARMARK REFORM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish 
a commission to be known as the ‘‘National Commission 
on Earmark Reform’’ (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Commission’’. 
(b) DUTIES
OF COMMISSION.—The duties of the 
Commission are— 
(1) to study the laws and practices related to 
replacing earmarks with a full grant-making process; 
and 
(2) to develop a proposed plan that includes ob-
jectives, priorities, policies, and long-term plans to 
transition from congressional member-directed ear-
marks to a grant-making process. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of— 
(1) the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget, who shall be the chairman of the Com-
mission; and 
(2) such other members as the President may 
appoint, after consultation with the majority and mi-
nority leadership of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives. 
(d) EXPERT GRANT AWARD PANELS.—In carrying 
out its duties, the Commission shall propose legislative or 
regulatory changes to implement a grant-making applica-
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tion and review process modeled after the Assistance to 
Firefighters Grant Program of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, under which a panel of subject area 
experts (including representatives of the Federal agency 
with appropriate jurisdiction) receives, reviews, and 
awards grant funding on a merit-based system. At a min-
imum, the Commission shall propose changes that estab-
lish rules for— 
(1) the review and reporting of grant applica-
tions and awards; 
(2) hardship exemptions from specific reporting 
or application requirements; and 
(3) recommended changes in law to support the 
implementation of expert grant award panels. 
(e) CONSOLIDATION AND STREAMLINING OF GRANTS 
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.—In carrying out its duties, 
the Commission shall propose legislative or regulatory 
changes to implement a specific governance structure for 
all grant functions, including grants management, within 
the Federal Government. At a minimum, the Commission 
shall propose changes for ensuring that the activities at 
Grants.gov and the policy recommendations of the Grants 
Policy Committee (of the Chief Financial Officers Council) 
are connected, by proposing the establishment of an Office 
of Grant Making within the Office of Management and 
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Budget to cover all grants activity of the Federal Govern-
ment, including the management of Grants.gov. The Com-
mission shall include, at a minimum, in its recommenda-
tions regarding the Office of Grant Making, the following: 
(1) The Office should have an advisory com-
mittee that includes representation from elected 
local, State, Federal and tribal governments, institu-
tions of higher education, vendors, and non-profits. 
(2) The meetings of the advisory committee 
should be conducted in an open and transparent 
way. 
(3) The Office should review all grant pro-
grams, including the implementation of the expert 
grant award panels, and ensure the consistency of 
audits of grant programs. 
(f) INVOLVEMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS.—In carrying 
out its duties, the Commission shall propose legislative or 
regulatory changes to involve non-Federal participants in 
the 
grant-making 
process, 
including 
involvement 
through— 
(1) consultation with representatives of elected 
local, State, and tribal governments, institutions of 
higher education, vendors, non-profits, and other 
non-Federal participants as early as possible to get 
their input on any effort by the Federal Government 
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to change or improve proposed grant products, in-
cluding new forms and formats, and or to change or 
improve the tracking and reporting of Federal fund 
data; and 
(2) participation and collaboration in the devel-
opment of a training and certification program for 
grants management professionals. 
(g) OPERATIONS OF COMMISSION.—In carrying out 
its duties, the Commission shall— 
(1) operate a publicly accessible Web site and 
make available information about the Commission, 
including its membership and the report required 
under subsection (h); 
(2) hold 8 public hearings before publication of 
the report required under subsection (h); and 
(3) provide for a period of 45 days immediately 
before publication of the report required under sub-
section (h) for submission of comments and rec-
ommendations from private and public groups and 
individuals. 
(h) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall— 
(1) submit to Congress a report containing the 
plan developed under subsection (b) and its findings 
and recommendations; and 
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(2) publish the report on the Commission’s pub-
licly accessible Web site. 
(i) APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated $1,000,000 for the Commission to carry out 
this section. 
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF GRANT MAKING. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days after 
the publication of the Commission report under section 
2(h), the Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et shall establish an office within the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget to be known as the ‘‘Office of Grant 
Making’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Office’’). 
(b) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be overseen by a 
Director, who shall be designated from among Federal of-
ficers and employees by the Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Office and Director 
shall— 
(A) in consultation with agency heads, rep-
resentatives of local, State and Federal Govern-
ment, and other non-Federal entities, direct and 
coordinate the development of the expert grant 
award panels (referred to in section 2) and the 
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specific recommendations of the National Com-
mission on Earmark Reform; and 
(B) 
be 
responsible 
for 
maintaining 
Grants.gov, in accordance with section 5. 
(2) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Di-
rector shall also support Federal agencies in estab-
lishing— 
(A) a common grant application and re-
porting system; and 
(B) an interagency process for addressing 
the following: 
(i) Ways to streamline and simplify 
Federal grant administrative procedures 
and reporting requirements for non-Fed-
eral entities. 
(ii) Improved interagency and inter-
governmental coordination of information 
collection and sharing of data pertaining to 
Federal grants. 
(iii) Improvements in the timeliness, 
completeness, and quality of information 
received by Federal agencies from recipi-
ents of Federal grants. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal years 
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2011 through 2013 for purposes of establishing and oper-
ating the Office. 
SEC. 4. STREAMLINING OF ROLE OF FEDERAL AGENCIES IN 
GRANT MAKING PROCESS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR PLAN.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Fed-
eral agency shall develop and implement a plan that— 
(1) streamlines and simplifies the application, 
administrative, and reporting procedures for Federal 
grants administered by the agency; 
(2) demonstrates a process to actively partici-
pate in the expert grants awards panels referred to 
in section 2; 
(3) demonstrates appropriate agency use, or 
plans for use, of a common grant application and re-
porting system; 
(4) designates a lead agency official for car-
rying out the responsibilities of the agency under 
this Act; 
(5) allows grant applicants to electronically 
apply for, and report on the use of funds from, the 
Federal grants administered by the agency; 
(6) ensures recipients of Federal grants provide 
timely, complete, and high-quality information in re-
sponse to Federal reporting requirements; and 
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(7) in cooperation with recipients of Federal 
grants, establishes specific annual goals and objec-
tives to further the purposes of this Act and meas-
ures annual performance in achieving those goals 
and objectives. 
(b) EXTENSION.—If a Federal agency is unable to 
comply with subsection (a), the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget may extend for up to 30 days 
the period for the agency to develop and implement a plan. 
(c) COMMENT
AND CONSULTATION
ON AGENCY 
PLANS.— 
(1) COMMENT.—Each agency shall publish the 
plan developed under this section in the Federal 
Register and receive public comment on the plan 
through the Federal Register and other means (in-
cluding electronic means). To the maximum extent 
practicable, each Federal agency shall hold public fo-
rums on the plan. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The lead official des-
ignated by each Agency shall consult with represent-
atives of State, local, and tribal governments, and 
other non-Federal entities, during development and 
implementation of the plan. 
(d) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—Each Federal agency 
shall submit the plan developed under this section to the 
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