COST Act
Sponsored By: Representative Norman
Introduced
Summary
Federal funding disclosure would be mandatory for virtually any program, project, or activity paid for in whole or in part with federal money. The bill would require agencies and all recipients to include clear funding breakdowns in public-facing documents and add OMB oversight to check compliance.
Show full summary
- Agencies and recipients would have to show the share of costs paid by federal funds, the dollar amount of federal funds, and the share and dollar amount paid by nongovernmental sources. This disclosure must appear in press releases, requests for proposals, solicitations, and similar documents and must be certified as part of performance progress reporting; communications of 280 characters or less are exempt.
- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget would have to annually review a random sample of public communications and publish the findings. The Director would also have to set up an anonymous reporting mechanism within one year for people to flag noncompliant communications.
- State and local governments and recipients of federal research grants are explicitly covered, so many grant-funded projects would need to add these funding statements to public materials.
- The public would get clearer, standardized information on who pays for programs, and people could anonymously report missing disclosures.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New disclosure rules for federally funded projects
If enacted, federal agencies, states and localities, and research grantees would face new disclosure rules. In public documents about a federally funded program—except posts with 280 characters or less—they would need to show three things: the share paid by federal funds, the federal dollar amount, and the share and dollar amount from nongovernment sources. They would also have to certify in progress reports whether they followed these rules. OMB would add an anonymous tip tool within one year and publish yearly random-sample review results. Tips would need to include the communication or link and the program info.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Norman
SC • R
Cosponsors
Weber (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 2/14/2025
Self
TX • R
Sponsored 2/14/2025
Edwards
NC • R
Sponsored 2/21/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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