Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7025

House Bill Would Require 15 Federal Agencies to Prioritize Proven Programs for Grant Funding

Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

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.

EconomySmall BusinessEducationHousingHealthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(3)

Small Business Owner

Neutral

Must now prove their programs work with data to qualify for federal grants, which adds paperwork but could increase funding if they have evidence.

Farmer Rancher

Neutral

Agricultural support programs must provide evidence of effectiveness, which could improve funding quality but require more documentation.

Tribal Member

Neutral

Tribal organizations may benefit from local preference but need resources to document evidence-based practices.

Positive Impacts(7)

Student

Helps

Education programs serving students will need to show they actually improve outcomes, meaning funding goes to programs that work.

Housing Assistance

Helps

Housing programs must demonstrate effectiveness to get funding, potentially improving quality of housing support available.

Unemployment Benefits

Helps

Job training programs funded by Labor Department will need to prove they help people find work, improving program quality.

Veterans Benefits

Helps

Veterans Affairs grants must show evidence of effectiveness, ensuring support programs for veterans actually deliver results.

Snap Food Stamps

Helps

Agriculture Department nutrition programs must prove they work to receive funding, improving food assistance quality.

Disability Benefits

Helps

Programs serving people with disabilities must demonstrate effectiveness to get grants, ensuring better services.

Immigrant

Helps

Community programs serving immigrants must prove effectiveness, potentially improving quality of integration and support services.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 13, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

1-2 years after bill passes

Agencies publish their definition of evidence-based and how they will evaluate programs

Grant applicants will know exactly what proof they need to show that their programs work

2 years after bill passes

New grant requirements begin for all 15 federal agencies

Organizations applying for federal grants must show they use proven methods and track results

5 years after bill passes

Agencies must prioritize funding for proven programs over unproven ones

Programs with strong evidence they work will get funding first; programs without proof may lose out

Related News

2 articles

The Ripon Advance·2 months ago

Yakym, 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.

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InkFreeNews·2 months ago

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.