June 11, 1976
Page 17664
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, S. 3281, the Program Information Act, represents an important step toward providing complete and accurate information about Federal programs to all potential recipients. This legislation would establish an information system which will allow all users of the Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog to compete for Federal dollars on a more equitable basis.
One of the most frequent complaints heard from local officials is the lack of comprehensive information about Federal programs and the difficulty in dealing with the information that is available. A quick glance at the Federal domestic assistance program shows why.
The catalog lists almost 1,000 programs administered by some 52 departments and agencies. In the health field alone there are 228 different programs administered by 10 separate Federal agencies. Under the category of community development there are 156.
As the number of programs has increased, so has the difficulty in dealing with the system. A recent General Accounting Office report states, in fact: "... many State and local officials don’t learn about the available assistance or learn of it too late to apply."
The Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations recently held a day of hearings on the two bills that were combined in S. 3281. The testimony given by local officials clearly indicated the need for this legislation. As the town managerof Kennebunk, Maine, Kenneth W. Barrett, put it:
The (computer) program, for the administrator of a small town is superb. It gives him all the information he needs.
Mr. President, it is clear to me that many smaller units of State and local government suffer because they are not able to take full advantage of available Federal dollars. S. 3281 will serve to solve that problem and close the information gap that now exists.