Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act
House Bill Would Require 15 Federal Agencies to Prioritize Proven Programs for Grant Funding
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- A group of lawmakers in Congress introduced a bill to change how the government hands out grant money for public services. It requires 15 major agencies, including the Departments of Education and Labor, to prioritize funding for programs that use "evidence-based" practices, meaning they have proof that their methods actually work.
- Under this plan, any organization applying for a federal grant would need to show they are using proven strategies to reach specific goals. The bill also tells agencies to favor local organizations that are based in the communities they want to help, ensuring the money stays close to the people who need it most.
- The government would be required to perform regular check-ups on these programs to see if they are meeting their targets. These evaluations would be shared with the public, giving taxpayers a clear view of whether their money is being spent effectively or if a program is failing to deliver results.
- This policy aims to stop wasteful spending on programs that sound good but do not produce real-world benefits. By using data and research to decide who gets funding, the government hopes to improve the quality of services like job training, housing support, and community health initiatives.
- The transition to these new rules would happen slowly over five years. This gives local charities, schools, and small businesses time to learn the new requirements and gather the data they need to keep qualifying for federal support.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
How this policy affects specific groups of people
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.
Related News
2 articlesYakym, Bacon, Moore offer bipartisan bill to improve federal grantmaking
U.S. Reps. Rudy Yakym, Don Bacon, and Blake Moore introduced the Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act to ensure federal grant money is allocated to programs with proven results. The bipartisan bill requires 15 federal agencies to prioritize funding for applications that use evidence-based practices.

Yakym: 'Taxpayer Dollars Should Go To What Works, Not What Wastes'
Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) and Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) introduced the Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act. The bill mandates that major federal agencies, including Education and Labor, use data-driven evidence to guide grant spending and ensure transparency for taxpayers.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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