Hearing on Transparency Bill Set for Next Week
Next week, a Senate Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006." The hearing will examine the merits of legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn (Republican from Oklahoma), Barack Obama (Democrat from Illinois), Tom Carper (Democrat from Delaware) and John McCain (Republican from Arizona), which would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make information on federal contracts and grants publicly accessible through a searchable website. Nonprofits, of course, routinely receive federal grants, and the sector should stay on top of this legislation.
As we've previously reported, also pending in Congress is a competing bill introduced by Sen. John Ensign (Republican from Nevada), S. 2718, the Website for American Taxpayers to Check and Help Deter Out-of-control Government Spending Act or WATCHDOGS Act. This legislation - like S. 2590 - would require OMB to create a searchable website but would establish additional reporting requirements for federal grantees, including nonprofit organizations. According to an analysis by OMB Watch, S. 2718 would "federalize a contractor or grantee if the entity receives 10% of its business expenditures or annual budget from federal funds. In doing this, the contractor or grantee would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to laws that apply to government employees regarding travel, such as the allowable per diem for housing and meals or mileage allowances."
As we've previously reported, also pending in Congress is a competing bill introduced by Sen. John Ensign (Republican from Nevada), S. 2718, the Website for American Taxpayers to Check and Help Deter Out-of-control Government Spending Act or WATCHDOGS Act. This legislation - like S. 2590 - would require OMB to create a searchable website but would establish additional reporting requirements for federal grantees, including nonprofit organizations. According to an analysis by OMB Watch, S. 2718 would "federalize a contractor or grantee if the entity receives 10% of its business expenditures or annual budget from federal funds. In doing this, the contractor or grantee would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to laws that apply to government employees regarding travel, such as the allowable per diem for housing and meals or mileage allowances."
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