Federal Grant Accountability Act
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- senate
- president
Last progress January 15, 2025 (10 months ago)
Introduced on January 15, 2025 by Benjamin Cline
House Votes
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Last progress January 15, 2025 (10 months ago)
Introduced on January 15, 2025 by Benjamin Cline
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
This bill would cap the “indirect” (overhead) costs that colleges and universities can charge on federal research awards. The cap would match the average overhead rate allowed by private research funders, and the Office of Management and Budget would set that private average each year. Indirect costs are the expenses that keep research running—like buildings, utilities, and admin support—not costs tied to one specific project .
It also orders a federal study to compare overhead rates on federal and private research awards, look at which fields get the most funding, review how much overhead pays for administrative staff (including diversity, equity, and inclusion roles), and check whether agencies apply the rules consistently. A report with recommendations is due within one year of the law taking effect.