COST Act
Federal Spending Disclosure Requirements
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
The COST Act was recently introduced in the House and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This is the first step in the legislative process, and no further actions are scheduled at this time. The bill is considered active as it begins its journey through Congress.
Part of: story →Legislative Progress
While transparency is often popular, this bill is sponsored by a small group of Republicans and lacks broad bipartisan support. Most bills introduced early in a session without many cosponsors do not become law.
Key Points
- This bill requires anyone using federal money for a project to tell the public exactly how much tax money is being spent. This includes government agencies, state and local governments, and groups receiving federal research grants.
- When these groups talk about their projects in press releases, bid requests, or other documents, they must list the total dollar amount of federal funds used. They also have to show what percentage of the project's total cost comes from the federal government versus private sources.
- The rule does not apply to very short messages, like social media posts under 280 characters. This ensures that the focus is on official reports and announcements rather than quick updates.
- To make sure people follow the rules, the Office of Management and Budget will check random samples of public announcements every year. They will also set up a way for the public to anonymously report any group that is not being honest about their spending.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
COST Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.