Senator’s bipartisan legislation increases transparency of the grantmaking process, addressing concerns raised by Arizona towns and counties, nonprofits, health care systems, and other local entities
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the Grant Transparency Act – bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, and introduced by Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas), making the grantmaking process more transparent for Arizona communities – including towns, counties, council of governments, health care systems, law enforcement, and more.
“I’m working to ensure Arizonans can thrive. That is why our commonsense bipartisan legislation increases transparency for Arizona communities as they apply for federal grants, which support projects critical to Arizona’s economy,” said Sinema.
Arizona communities have shared with Sinema their frustration at the confusing and unclear decision-making process the federal government uses when awarding grants – especially when these towns, counties, and law enforcement meet all the criteria and requirements for these grants but ultimately do not receive the funds.
Sinema’s bipartisan Grant Transparency Act addresses Arizonans’ concerns by requiring federal agencies to provide grant applicants with more information about selection criteria. The bipartisan legislation requires competitive grants applications to describe any rating systems and selection criteria used when evaluating grants, a statement describing their scoring method, and any other qualitative or quantitative merit-based approach used.
This legislation is part of Sinema’s work ensuring Arizona receives the best resources and tools available for Arizonans to thrive and build better lives for themselves. The Senator has a team of experts prepared to assist with federal grant applications by reaching out to Grants@Sinema.Senate.Gov.
In May, Sinema met with her Rural Development Working Group – an assembly of local leaders from rural communities across the state – to hear about the opportunities and challenges they face in accessing federal resources. The Senator heard from rural Arizona leaders about how difficult and complex the grant application process can be, which her bipartisan legislation seeks to correct.