Federal Grant Funding Disclosure: Stevens Amendment

The Stevens Amendment is an appropriations provision that requires a federal grant funding disclosure statement on all state and local projects or programs using federal funds to promote transparency and accountability.

The Employment Development Department (EDD) administers various federal employment and training programs and issues federal grant funding awards to support the workforce system’s programs and initiatives.

What is the Stevens Amendment?

The Stevens Amendment requires grantees, including pass-through entities, of the US Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Education (ED) to include a federal grant funding disclosure statement when communicating projects or programs that are federally financed in whole or in part for a grant project or program.

How do I know if I am required to comply with the Stevens Amendment?

All grantees, including pass-through entities, who receive funding from the DOL, HHS, and ED are required to comply with the Stevens Amendment. This requirement is part of the terms and conditions in the grant agreement and contracts, as applicable.

What does the Stevens Amendment require?

When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole, or in part, with Federal money, a federal grant funding disclosure statement must clearly state the following:

The percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with federal money.
The dollar amount of federal funds for the project or program.
The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.

The federal grant funding disclosure statement is required on any public-facing communication that describes a program or project that is funded in whole or in part with federal money. Additionally, the federal grant funding disclosure statement will be included in all project-related contracts and related grant agreements.

What is considered “describing projects or programs?”

“Describing projects or programs” means public communication related to a project or program that is federally funded. Public communication includes, but is not limited to, press releases, websites, solicitations for proposals, etc.

What does the term “other documents” in the Stevens Amendment provision include?

The term “other documents” means any public-facing communication including, but not limited to, public statements, social media, toolkits, resource guides, websites, and visual presentations. The Stevens Amendment provision requirement does not apply to, but is not limited to, internal policy documents, program intake or application forms, invoices, etc.

In what format should the federal grant funding disclosure be written?

The general format should contain the following:

This [insert name of project/publication, etc…] [is/was] funded by [a grant award/grant awards] totaling [insert total allocation amount ($xxx,xxx) insert percentage(xx%)] from the [insert name of federal agency] with [insert total allocation amount ($xxx,xxx) insert percentage(xx%)] financed from non-federal sources.

Example #1 – Federal disclosure statement with zero financed from non-federal sources:

This Equity and Special Populations Grant Program is funded by a grant award totaling $11.5 million (100%) from the US Department of Labor with $0.00 (0%) financed from non-federal sources.

Alternatively:

This Equity and Special Populations Grant Program is fully funded by a grant award totaling $361,633 (100%) from the US Department of Labor.

Example #2 – Federal disclosure statement with multiple funding sources with some financed by non-federal sources:

This Equity and Special Populations Grant Program is funded by grant awards totaling $1,000,000 (85%) from the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education with $176,470 (15%) financed from State and local sources.

Example #3 – Federal disclosure statement with multiple funding sources with zero financed by non-federal sources stated:

The Equity and Special Populations Grant Program is fully funded by grant awards totaling $1 million (100%) from the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education with $0.00 (0%) financed from non-federal sources.

What if a Local Workforce Development Area (Local Area) receives multiple rounds of the same grant and the grant award spans over multiple program years?

If a Solicitation for Proposal (SFP) award spans multiple years, then the federal grant funding disclosure must include the total award amount. If an SFP is awarded in multiple rounds under the same grant program, then the federal grant funding disclosure must include the total award amount for that round of funding.

Example – Single Award – RETAIN

A Local Area receives a RETAIN grant award totaling $225,000 that spans three years. The Local Area must include the total RETAIN grant award of $225,000 in the federal grant funding disclosure.

Example – Multiple Awards – Workforce Accelerator Fund

A Local Area receives a Workforce Accelerator Fund (WAF) 8.0 award for $150,000 and a WAF 9.0 award for $175,000. The Local Area must include a separate federal grant funding disclosure for each the WAF 8.0 and the WAF 9.0 grant awards. The Local Area would not combine the WAF 8.0 and the WAF 9.0 grant award totals into one federal grant funding disclosure statement.

What amount should be included in the federal grant funding disclosure statement?

The amount in the federal grant funding disclosure statement would not include the proportionate cost to develop a presentation associated with an SFP. The federal grant funding disclosure statement must include the total grant award for the program or project that is financed with federal funds.

Example – Presentation

The EDD awards the Local Area an English Language Learner (ELL) grant award funded with WIOA Title I Governor’s Discretionary funds totaling $275,000. A presentation is developed to announce the project award at a public meeting. The presentation must include the federal grant funding disclosure statement within the presentation as it is a public-facing document associated with the ELL grant. The amount reflected within the presentation should be $275,000, for example:

This English Language Learner grant program is fully funded by a grant award totaling $275,000 (100%) from the Department of Labor.

What types of press releases are subject to the Stevens Amendment?

Any press release that describes projects or programs funded in whole or in part with federal money must include the Stevens Amendment federal grant funding disclosure statement.

Does the Stevens Amendment need to be on the Local Areas website?

Yes. The federal grant funding disclosure statement is required on a Local Area or America’s Job Center of California^SMwebsite because these sites often contain information about various WIOA-funded projects or programs.

Local Areas and other subrecipients of federally funded grants have flexibility when meeting the Stevens Amendment requirement by offering a link to a dedicated webpage that has the federal grant funding disclosure statement posted. There is no requirement for the federal grant funding disclosure statement to be in a specific part of the website, only that the Local Areas and other subrecipients clearly adhere to the Stevens Amendment requirement by including a federal grant funding disclosure statement somewhere on the webpage.

When using social media to announce the grant project and its services, does the post require the federal grant funding disclosure statement? If so, does it need to be in the body of the post or can it be in a tag line?

Local Areas and other subrecipients have flexibility when including the federal grant funding disclosure statement in social media posts by including a link to the press release, website, etc., that has the Stevens Amendment federal grant funding disclosure statement posted. There is no requirement for the federal grant funding disclosure statement to be in a specific part of the communication, only that it clearly state the required information.

Can we use “Local Area xxxxx is fully funded by federal funds through direct awards and subawards” to meet the Stevens Amendment?

No. The stated language does not comply with the Stevens Amendment federal grant funding disclosure statement requirements. It must include the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed by federal funds, and the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources. The statement must include all these elements to be in compliance with the Stevens Amendment federal grant funding disclosure statement requirement.

Examples of Stevens Amendment Statements/Acknowledgments:

Requests for Proposals / Bid Solicitations

Federal Funding Disclosure: This solicitation is funded by the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $5,288,283.60 (100%) with $0 (0%) state, local and/or non-federal sources.

Contracts / Award Agreements

Federal Funding Disclosure: This contract is funded by the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $5,288,283.60 (100%) with $0 (0%) state, local and/or non-federal sources.

Statements, Press Releases, Flyers, and related Documents

The Pathways program is funded by the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $4 million (100%) with $0 (0%) state, local and/or non-federal sources.

For federal funding disclosure information, visit (insert hyperlink).

Webpages

The Community Service Employment Program is funded by the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $350,000 (90%) with $40,000 (10%) in state, local and/or non-federal sources.

For federal funding disclosure information, visit (insert hyperlink).

Social Media

Job seekers! The Pathways program offers free job training and career counseling. For more information visit edd.ca.gov. The Pathways program is funded by the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $4 million (100%) with $0 (0%) financed from state, local and/or non-federal sources.

Job seekers! The Pathways program offers free job training and career counseling. For more information visit edd.ca.gov. For federal funding disclosure information, visit (insert hyperlink).