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Congress·In Committee·about 1 month ago

Federal Grants: Simplifying the Application Process

Also known as: Streamlining Federal Grants Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

  • This bill, introduced by Senators Peters and Lankford, aims to make it easier for local governments, charities, and small organizations to apply for and manage federal money. Currently, the process is often so complicated that only large organizations with specialized staff can successfully navigate it.
  • Every federal agency would be required to create a plan to use plain language in their grant announcements. They would also need to provide a short, 500-word summary of each funding opportunity so people can quickly understand if they qualify without reading dozens of pages of legal text.
  • The government would be required to study and fix the Grants.gov website within three years to make it more user-friendly. This includes adding better training materials and clear contact information for people who need help during the application process.
  • A new Grants Council would be formed to oversee these changes and ensure different agencies are working together. They will specifically look for ways to help people with limited English skills and those from communities that have not received much federal funding in the past.
  • The bill requires a formal study to find out why rural towns, small communities, and faith-based groups often choose not to apply for federal grants. The goal is to identify and remove the specific barriers that prevent these groups from getting the financial help they need.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jan 28, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Jan 28, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Streamlining Federal Grants Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 3709
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

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