Quinn seeks reforms to state grant procedures
CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday urged members of the Illinois Senate to pass a bill he has worked on since February to create a means of strengthening and streamlining requirements for all state grants across all state agencies.
House Bill 3820 would create the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act.It would reform state grant procedures to bring them all up to federal standards; improve conflict of interest disclosure requirements; and calls for strict, real-time auditing of all state grants. Illinois would be 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), Quinn said in a statement.
“It is imperative that all grantees in Illinois have strict oversight and are always held accountable for their work,” Quinn said. The changes, he said, would “make state grantees more accountable than ever.
“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 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 Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, and state Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry.
