Working to Enact Grant Reform for All State Agencies
CHICAGO - As legislators head back to Springfield, Governor Pat Quinn urged members of the Illinois Senate to pass House Bill 3820. The bill, which the Governor has been working to enact since February, would create the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act to strengthen and streamline requirements for all state grants across all state agencies.
The bill`s reforms include stronger state grant procedures to bring them all up to federal standards; improved conflict of interest disclosure requirements; and strict, real-time auditing of all state grants. It would make Illinois the first state in the nation with a comprehensive set of uniform rules covering the entire life cycle of a grant (pre-award, award and post-award).
"It is imperative that all grantees in Illinois have strict oversight and are always held accountable for their work," Governor Quinn said. "That's why I am working to pass House Bill 3820 this legislative session that will reform grant procedures and strengthen oversight to make state grantees more accountable than ever.
"I salute the sponsors for their work to pass this reform legislation.
"With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, I urge the Senate to pass this important bill."
The legislation was recommended by the Illinois Single Audit Commission, which Governor Quinn worked with legislators to create. The legislation also builds on a law the Governor signed in 2012 that strengthened grant procedures for human service agencies.
The bill has already passed the House and is currently before the Senate. It is sponsored by State Representative Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) and State Senator Pam Althoff (R-McHenry), and the Chief Co-Sponsors are State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) and State Representative Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale).
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