,i  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjie  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #af1 #bjbb,mr4 
,cline introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,science1 ,space1 and ,technology  ,a   
,,bill  ,to impose limitations on the   
amount of indirect costs allowable under
 ,federal research awards to            
institutions of higher education1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,federal 
,grant ,accountability ,act4  #b4       
,limitations on indirect costs allowable
 under ,federal research awards  7a7    
,limit on indirect costs ,the total     
amount of indirect costs allowable under
 a ,federal research award to an        
institution of higher education may not 
exceed the total amount of indirect     
costs allowable under private research  
awards1 as calculated using the average 
indirect cost rate applicable to such   
awards4  7b7 ,private research award    
rate ,the ,director of the ,office of   

,management and ,budget shall determine1
 not less frequently than annually1 the 
average indirect cost rate applicable to
 private research awards for purposes of
 subsection 7a74  #c4 ,comptroller      
,general study on indirect costs under  
,federal and private research awards    
7a7 ,study ,the ,comptroller ,general of
 the ,united ,states shall conduct a    
study on--  7#a7 the indirect cost rates
 allowable under ,federal research      
awards to institutions of higher        
education1 including awards made by the 
,national ,institutes of ,health1 the   
,national ,science ,foundation1 and     
other such organizations2 and  7#b7 the 
indirect cost rates allowable under     
private research awards to institutions 
of higher education4  7b7 ,elements ,the
 study under subsection 7a7 shall       
include an assessment of-- 7#a7 the     
average indirect cost rates allowable   
under ,federal and private research     
awards1 respectively2  7#b7 the research
 fields that receive the highest levels 

of funding from ,federal and private    
research awards1 respectively2  7#c7 the
 average amount indirect costs allowable
 under ,federal and private research    
awards that are used to fund            
administrative staff1 including         
administrative staff with               
responsibilities relating to diversity1 
equity1 and inclusion2 and  7#d7 the    
measures implemented by organizations   
that make ,federal research awards1     
including the ,national ,institutes of  
,health and the ,national ,science      
,foundation1 to ensure such             
organizations are implementing indirect 
cost rate-setting guidance in a         
consistent manner4  7c7 ,report ,not    
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
,congress a report on the results of the
 study conducted under subsection 7a74  
,the report shall include such          
recommendations as the ,comptroller     
,general considers appropriate to       

improve the system for determining      
indirect cost rates and tracking        
reimbursements for indirect costs under 
,federal research awards4  #d4          
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,institution of higher education ,the   
term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given that term in section 
#ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb74  7#b7      
,federal research award ,the term       
,federal research award means support   
provided to an individual or entity by a
 department or agency of the ,federal   
,government to carry out research       
activities1 which may include support in
 the form of a grant1 contract1         
cooperative agreement1 or other such    
transaction4  7#c7 ,private research    
award ,the term private research award  
means an award made by a private sector 
organization to support research        
activities at an institution of higher  
education4