Grant Transparency Act of 2023

Bill: 118-s-2260
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2023-07-12
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Government information and archives
Latest action: action_date: 2023-12-11
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 269.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Grant Transparency Act of 2023</strong></p> <p>This bill establishes transparency requirements for notices of funding opportunity in applications for competitive grants awarded by federal agencies, excluding the Government Accountability Office.</p> <p>Specifically, each notice of funding opportunity issued by an agency for a competitive grant must include</p> <ul> <li>a description of any rating system and evaluation and selection criteria the agency uses to assess applications for the grant;</li> <li>a statement of whether the agency uses a weighted scoring method and a description of any such method that it uses for the grant, including the amount by which the agency weighs each criterion; and</li> <li>any other qualitative or quantitative merit-based approach the agency uses to evaluate an application for the grant.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 269 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2260 [Report No. 118–125] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 12, 2023 Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Hassan , Mr. Peters , Mr. Thune , Ms. Sinema , Mr. Warnock , and Mr. Kennedy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs December 11, 2023 Reported by Mr. Peters , without amendment A BILL To require transparency in notices of funding opportunity, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grant Transparency Act of 2023 . 2. Notices of funding opportunity transparency (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Agency The term agency — (A) has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code; and (B) does not include the Government Accountability Office. (2) Competitive grant The term competitive grant means a discretionary award (as defined in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations) awarded by an agency— (A) through a grant agreement or cooperative agreement under which the agency makes payment in cash or in kind to a recipient to carry out a public purpose authorized by law; and (B) the recipient of which is selected from a pool of applicants through the use of merit-based selection procedures for the purpose of allocating funds authorized under a grant program of the agency. (3) Evaluation or selection criteria The term evaluation or selection criteria means standards or principles for judging, evaluating, or selecting an application for a competitive grant. (4) Notice of funding opportunity The term notice of funding opportunity has the meaning given the term in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations. (5) Rating system The term rating system — (A) means a system of evaluation of competitive grant applications to determine how such applications advance through the selection process; and (B) includes— (i) a merit criteria rating rubric; (ii) an evaluation of merit criteria; (iii) a methodology to evaluate and rate based on a point scale; and (iv) an evaluation to determine whether a competitive grant application meets evaluation or selection criteria. (b) Transparency requirements Each notice of funding opportunity issued by an agency for a competitive grant shall include— (1) a description of any rating system and evaluation and selection criteria the agency uses to assess applications for the competitive grant; (2) a statement of whether the agency uses a weighted scoring method and a description of any weighted scoring method the agency uses for the competitive grant, including the amount by which the agency weights each criterion; and (3) any other qualitative or quantitative merit-based approach the agency uses to evaluate an application for the competitive grant. (c) Rule of construction With respect to a particular competitive grant, nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede any requirement with respect to a notice of funding opportunity for the competitive grant in a law that authorizes the competitive grant. (d) No additional funds No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out this Act. (e) Effective date (1) In general This Act shall take effect on the date that is 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (2) No retroactive effect This Act shall not apply to a notice of funding opportunity issued before the date of enactment of this Act.

December 11, 2023 Reported without amendment

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2260 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 12, 2023 Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Hassan , and Mr. Peters ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To require transparency in notices of funding opportunity, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grant Transparency Act of 2023 . 2. Notices of funding opportunity transparency (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Agency The term agency — (A) has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code; and (B) does not include the Government Accountability Office. (2) Competitive grant The term competitive grant means a discretionary award (as defined in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations) awarded by an agency— (A) through a grant agreement or cooperative agreement under which the agency makes payment in cash or in kind to a recipient to carry out a public purpose authorized by law; and (B) the recipient of which is selected from a pool of applicants through the use of merit-based selection procedures for the purpose of allocating funds authorized under a grant program of the agency. (3) Evaluation or selection criteria The term evaluation or selection criteria means standards or principles for judging, evaluating, or selecting an application for a competitive grant. (4) Notice of funding opportunity The term notice of funding opportunity has the meaning given the term in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations. (5) Rating system The term rating system — (A) means a system of evaluation of competitive grant applications to determine how such applications advance through the selection process; and (B) includes— (i) a merit criteria rating rubric; (ii) an evaluation of merit criteria; (iii) a methodology to evaluate and rate based on a point scale; and (iv) an evaluation to determine whether a competitive grant application meets evaluation or selection criteria. (b) Transparency requirements Each notice of funding opportunity issued by an agency for a competitive grant shall include— (1) a description of any rating system and evaluation and selection criteria the agency uses to assess applications for the competitive grant; (2) a statement of whether the agency uses a weighted scoring method and a description of any weighted scoring method the agency uses for the competitive grant, including the amount by which the agency weights each criterion; and (3) any other qualitative or quantitative merit-based approach the agency uses to evaluate an application for the competitive grant. (c) Rule of construction With respect to a particular competitive grant, nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede any requirement with respect to a notice of funding opportunity for the competitive grant in a law that authorizes the competitive grant. (d) No additional funds No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out this Act. (e) Effective date (1) In general This Act shall take effect on the date that is 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (2) No retroactive effect This Act shall not apply to a notice of funding opportunity issued before the date of enactment of this Act.