Report on Grant Consolidation Authority for Puerto Rico Act
H.R. 596, the Report on Grant Consolidation Authority for Puerto Rico Act, would require a comprehensive study led by the Comptroller General (GAO) on the use of grant consolidation authorities for insular areas, focusing on Puerto Rico. The study would examine how federal grants that are consolidated under 45 C.F.R. Part 97 are accessed by Puerto Rico’s agencies, identify additional programs that could be added to the consolidation list, and assess whether extending consolidation access to Puerto Rico would ease the public sector’s burden and improve access to funding. The bill aims to determine if streamlining grant access could help Puerto Rico better manage federal funds amid its it’s debt crisis, recovery from disasters, and PROMESA-imposed fiscal oversight. The study must be completed within one year of enactment and would rely on cooperation from Puerto Rico officials, who must respond to information requests within 90 days.
Key Points
- 1Purpose and scope: Requires a GAO study on the consolidation of certain federal grant programs for insular areas under 45 C.F.R. Part 97, with a focus on Puerto Rico’s suitability for such consolidation.
- 2Study content: The GAO would (a) analyze how Puerto Rico agencies currently access funding from programs listed in 45 C.F.R. Part 97.12, (b) identify programs to add to that list, (c) document challenges in meeting funding requirements, (d) assess whether extending consolidation to Puerto Rico would address those challenges, and (e) offer recommendations on how the access process should change, including extending consolidation to Puerto Rico.
- 3Timeline: The GAO must deliver the report to the relevant congressional committees within 1 year of enactment.
- 4Government cooperation: Puerto Rico officials must provide requested information promptly, within 90 days; nonresponse or incomplete responses could affect the GAO’s reporting.
- 5Congressional oversight: Defines the “appropriate congressional committees” in both the House and Senate to receive the GAO report (House: Natural Resources, Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce; Senate: Energy and Natural Resources, and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).