We can all agree that good government benefits from increased transparency, but folks in Washington might just be going about it the wrong way.
Earlier this month, the House passed the DATA Act, which would extend the new data reporting requirements that came with stimulus spending across all federal contracts, grants and loans, a huge data management burden for the state and local governments that benefit from these federal resources. While my colleagues in state and local government generally support the goals of the legislation – ensuring that federal funds aren’t subject to fraud or waste – many are frustrated that the DATA Act doesn’t provide money to help them comply with these requirements.
As I work with my clients and others to ensure that the voice of local governments is heard in this debate, we are coming up against a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate that suggests that implementation will not require your governments to commit additional time and staff resources to comply. Were the stimulus reporting requirements burdensome to your community? Do you have a sense of how much the new requirement would cost your government? Thanks for sharing this information with us so that we can bring the local government perspective to decision makers on the Hill.
State and local governments are still struggling financially. When it comes to the DATA Act, I’d suggest that Congress needs to look before they leap!
For more information, you can contact me at [email protected].
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