US HB596

Requires the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress within 1 year studying whether federal grant consolidation authority currently available to insular areas (under 45 CFR Part 97) should be extended to Puerto Rico

Study must analyze how Puerto Rico agencies currently access funding from listed programs, identify additional programs officials recommend adding, and document challenges meeting existing funding requirements

Report must assess whether extending grant consolidation access to Puerto Rico would address identified funding challenges, and include recommendations from local officials on process improvements

Puerto Rico officials must respond to Comptroller General information requests within 90 days; incomplete responses may be interpreted adversely in the final report

Congressional findings cite Puerto Rico's economic crisis, the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, recovery from Hurricanes Irma, María, and Fiona, 2020 earthquakes, and COVID-19 as factors burdening the public sector's ability to manage federal funds