# Plain Language Summary: Grant Transparency Act of 2023

This bill requires the federal government to make information about government grants much easier for the public to find and understand. Right now, when federal agencies give out grants to states, cities, nonprofits, and other organizations, that information is scattered across different websites and databases, making it hard for ordinary people to track where their tax dollars are going. This bill would create a more centralized, user-friendly system so anyone can search for and see details about federal grants in one place.

The practical effect is that taxpayers, journalists, researchers, and community members would be able to look up grants awarded in their area or to specific organizations without having to hunt through multiple government websites. For example, if you wanted to know how much federal money your city received for infrastructure projects or how much a local nonprofit got for a community program, you could find that information more easily. The bill also requires that grant information be presented in a standardized format, so it's consistent and comparable across different agencies and programs.

This transparency measure is designed to increase accountability and help the public understand how federal funding is being distributed. It doesn't change how much money agencies give out or who gets grants—it simply makes the existing grant system more visible and accessible. Government agencies would need to report grant information in a way that's easy to search and understand, which could require some updates to their systems and processes, but the core goal is giving citizens better visibility into federal spending.

Grant Transparency Act of 2023

Cornyn, John

Grant Transparency Act of 2023 This bill establishes transparency requirements for notices of funding opportunity in applications for competitive grants awarded by federal agencies, excluding the Government Accountability Office. Specifically, each notice of funding opportunity issued by an agency for a competitive grant must include <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>