Gallego Fighting to Improve Federal Grants Process for Rural Arizona Communities

The Streamlining Federal Grants Act would increase accessibility of the federal grants process for underserved Arizona communities.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) announced his support for the Streamlining Federal Grants Act, bipartisan legislation that standardizes grant processes across the federal government, which would help Arizona’s rural and underserved communities better navigate historically burdensome federal grants processes.

"Rural and underserved Arizona communities oftentimes do not have the necessary manpower and resources to get the federal grant dollars they need and deserve. Our bipartisan bill cuts through the red tape, so all Arizona communities, nonprofits, and schools are afforded the same opportunities to secure grants – regardless of their size and capacity,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego.

"Far too often, the complexity of seeking out, applying for, and complying with a plethora of systems, requirements, and processes at the federal level in order to utilize grant funding is so daunting that cities and towns in Arizona end up not pursuing federal grant dollars. The shame is that some of the communities that could benefit the most from key federal grant programs end up not seeking those opportunities. Efforts like the Streamlining Federal Grants Act to bring uniformity and simplicity to programs will lower the barrier to entry for smaller, less sophisticated communities which benefits local residents and the state as a whole,” said Tom Belshe, Executive Director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.

Currently, there is no single set of rules or policies for federal grants. For example, federal agencies utilize 191 different grant management IT systems – requiring local governments, nonprofits, and other entities to routinely enter the same information across differing platforms.

The Streamlining Federal Grants Act includes five main directives to simplify grant administration:

• Designate Officials for Grants: Each grant-making agency will designate a Senior Agency Official to streamline grant administration.
• Create a Grants Council: The Grants Council will lead efforts to simplify notice of funding opportunities, implement common data standards, improve interagency data sharing and collection, and support federal grant workforce development.
• Develop and Implement Agency Grant Improvement Plans: The Grants Council and OMB Director will develop guidance requiring agencies to streamline the application process, ensure applicants have opportunities to receive training and assistance, and adopt software solutions that meet shared standards.
• Improve Grants.gov: The HHS Secretary and OMB Director will study and improve Grants.gov, the government’s website for searching and applying for federal grants. 
• Require GAO Evaluations: The Comptroller General will identify barriers to accessing federal grants for underserved communities and evaluate the bill’s implementation.

A summary of the legislation is available here. Full text of the bill is available here.

Rep. Gallego’s office is here to help eligible Arizona organizations navigate the federal grants process. Find more information here.