This bill orders a study on whether Puerto Rico should be allowed to combine certain federal grants into one application, similar to what other U.S. insular areas can do now. The goal is to cut red tape for Puerto Rico’s public agencies and help them access federal funds more easily, given the strain from disasters, recovery work, and fiscal oversight requirements .

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report to Congress within one year on how Puerto Rico agencies currently get funds from the programs listed under federal rules, which programs might be added, what barriers exist, and whether letting Puerto Rico use a consolidated grant would help. Puerto Rico officials must respond to GAO information requests within 90 days, and GAO can view missing or incomplete answers negatively in the report.

• Who is affected: Puerto Rico’s public agencies that apply for federal grants; GAO as the agency doing the study .
• What changes: No immediate policy change. The bill requires a study of consolidating multiple grants into one application for Puerto Rico, with analysis of current access, challenges, and recommendations .
• When: GAO’s report is due within one year of enactment; Puerto Rico officials must answer GAO within 90 days of a request.