,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eif  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ba1        
#bjbe,ms4 ,velzquez 7for herself1 ,mr4  
,torres of ,new ,york1 ,ms4             
,ocasio-,cortez1 ,mrs4 ,ramirez1 ,mr4   
,goldman of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4
 ,espaillat1 and ,mr4 ,hernndez7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to require a    
study relating to the consolidation of  
certain grant programs currently        
available to insular areas and the      
suitability of such consolidation for   
,puerto ,rico1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,report on ,grant ,consolidation
 ,authority for ,puerto ,rico ,act4  #b4
 ,congressional findings and statement  
of purpose  7a7 ,increased burden on the
 public sector of ,puerto ,rico ,the    
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,puerto ,rico faces a severe       
economic crisis1 characterized by the   

largest municipal bankruptcy in the     
,united ,states history1 higher levels  
of poverty and socioeconomic inequality 
when compared to the rest of the ,united
 ,states1 and a reduced labor force4    
7#b7 ,puerto ,rico is managing a large  
recovery and reconstruction process     
prompted by hurricanes ,irma1 ,mara1 and
 ,fiona1 the #bjbj earthquakes1 and the 
,,covid pandemic4  7#c7 ,the set of     
post-disaster conditions has exerted a  
great burden on the public sector of the
 ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico4 ,public
 employees have had to comply with new  
fiscal requirements imposed by the      
,financial ,oversight and ,management   
,board under the ,puerto ,rico          
,oversight1 ,management1 and ,economic  
,stability ,act 7,,promesa71 handle     
historic allocations of ,federal funds1 
which involves engaging with new        
agencies1 programs1 and requirements    
over time1 and balance fiscal           
constraints with the urgency to recruit 
specialized and full-time workforce for 

the best use of disaster funding4  7b7  
,statement of ,purpose ,it is the       
purpose of this ,act to study the       
suitability of grant consolidation to   
minimize the burden upon the public     
sector of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto  
,rico and maximize its available        
resources to access ,federal funding4   
#c4 ,study required  7a7 ,in general    
,not later than #a year after the date  
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report       
containing the results of a study on the
 process by which grants made available 
by the ,federal ,government are         
consolidated for insular areas pursuant 
to part #ig of title #de1 ,code of      
,federal ,regulations4 ,such report     
shall also contain the following3 7#a7  
,an analysis1 in consultation with      
appropriate officials of local agencies 
in ,puerto ,rico1 about the manner in   
which such agencies currently access    

funding from programs that are listed in
 section #ig4ab of such part #ig4  7#b7 
,a list of each grant or other program  
that such officials would recommend     
adding to the list of programs under    
such section #ig4ab4  7#c7 ,any         
challenges noted by the ,comptroller    
,general or by such officials relating  
to meeting the existing requirements for
 obtaining funding for ,puerto ,rico    
from such listed programs4  7#d7 ,an    
assessment by the ,comptroller ,general 
whether any of the challenges described 
pursuant to paragraph 7#c7 with respect 
to existing requirements for obtaining  
funding would be partially or wholly    
addressed by extending access to the    
consolidation of such funding to ,puerto
 ,rico in the same manner and to the    
same extent as the insular areas4  7#e7 
,any recommendations of such officials  
regarding the manner in which that      
current process for access to such      
funding should change1 including        
recommendations relating to extending   

access to the consolidation of such     
funding to ,puerto ,rico4  7b7 ,access  
to prompt and complete information ,any 
official of ,puerto ,rico from whom the 
,comptroller ,general seeks information 
for purposes of the report required by  
subsection 7a7 shall promptly and       
comprehensively respond to such request 
for information1 and in no case later   
than #ij days after the receipt of such 
a request4 ,to the extent appropriate1  
the ,comptroller ,general may interpret 
a lack of response1 or a partial or     
incomplete response1 to any such request
 for information adversely in compiling 
the report required by such subsection4 
7c7 ,appropriate congressional          
committees defined ,in this section1 the
 term appropriate congressional         
committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee  
on ,natural ,resources1 the ,committee  
on ,education and ,labor1 and the       
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7#b7 the ,committee on ,energy and      

,natural ,resources and the ,committee  
on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and     
,pensions of the ,senate4