Requirement to Publish Purpose of State Grants

Overview

Applicable to

State agencies and institutions of higher education.

Summary

Government Code, Chapter 403, Section 403.0245, requires state agencies and institutions of higher education that award a state grant in an amount greater than $25,000 from funds appropriated through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) to publish the purpose for which the grant was awarded on the agency’s public website.

Section 403.0245 does not apply to:

• Recipients of state grants.
• State grants less than or equal to $25,000.
• State grants awarded prior to Sept. 1, 2013.
• Federal grants, private grants, pass-through grants or any other grant where the original funding source is not from state appropriations.

Agencies must send the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller’s office) a single link to a webpage that provides the purposes of all applicable grants. The Comptroller’s office maintains a master listing of links to the agency grant information on the State Grant Listing page on its website. Agencies are responsible for keeping their grant information up to date.

Procedure

1. Determine if your agency has applicable grants that are:
   • Greater than $25,000.
   • From an original state funding source appropriated through the GAA.
   • Effective on or after Sept. 1, 2013.

   Note: This requirement does not include grants from federal funds that may be distributed or passed-through to other entities.

2. Determine if your agency already publishes the purpose of applicable grants on the agency’s public website:
   • If it does not, create a webpage that provides the purpose of all applicable grants. Additional grant details can be published at an agency’s discretion.
   • If it already does, make sure the grant information is consolidated so it can be accessed from a single link.

   Note: The Comptroller’s office does not have a prescribed format for information presentation.

3. If your agency has applicable grants, submit an email to state.grants@cpa.texas.gov that provides:
   • The single URL for your agency grant information.
   • Your state agency name.
   • Contact name, phone number and email.
4. Update your agency webpage whenever applicable grants are awarded to ensure statutory compliance with this requirement.

   The Comptroller’s office does not need to be notified of new applicable grants. However, if the URL of the agency webpage changes, notify the Comptroller’s office at state.grants@cpa.texas.gov.

   Note: Any new grants awarded after Sept. 1, 2013, are subject to this requirement. Agency procedures should ensure any applicable grants are reported.