Franklin Acts to Improve Grant Access for Smaller Communities

Press Release

Representative Scott Franklin will introduce the Simplifying Grants Act on Friday, which aims to make it easier for small governments serving less than 50,000 people to apply for, receive, and manage federal grants. This bill will be particularly important as Florida communities recover from Hurricane Ian. The Simplifying Grants Act is the House companion bill to S. 4799, which was introduced by Senator Marco Rubio last month.

Smaller governments often face difficulties when applying for federal grant dollars due to the complex, time consuming, and expensive process. Larger cities with bigger budgets can hire grant writers and lobbyists to apply for federal grants, giving them an advantage in the overall process. The Simplifying Grants Act would require agencies to simplify the arduous process for all current and future federal grant opportunities. This will make it easier for 26 of Florida's smaller counties and thousands of other cities, towns, and other local governments across the country to receive federal assistance. While the bill would apply to many types of grants, simplifying the process is timely as Florida communities apply for federal aid as part of the Hurricane Ian recovery process.

"Federal grants are funded by all taxpayers, but larger cities receive a disproportionate share because of their size advantages," said Rep. Franklin. "Smaller, often rural counties pay taxes, too, and deserve a fair shot at obtaining these funds. The Simplifying Grants Act will not only streamline the grant process for disaster relief, but also put rural communities on a more level playing field."

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