GONE Act
Public Law 114-117 · S. 1115 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 28, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Ron Johnson
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act or the GONE Act
(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to instruct each agency, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to submit to Congress and HHS by December 31 of the first calendar year beginning after this Act's enactment a report that:
• lists each federal grant award held by such agency;
• provides the total number of federal grant awards, including the number of grants by time period of expiration, the number with zero dollar balances, and the number with undisbursed balances;
• describes the challenges leading to delays in grant closeout; and
• explains, for the 30 oldest federal grant awards, why each has not been closed out.
If an agency head is unable to submit all of such information, the report shall include an explanation of why the information was not available, including any shortcomings with and plans to improve existing grant systems, including data systems.
Each agency, within one year after submitting such report, shall provide notice to HHS specifying: (1) whether it has closed out all of the federal grant awards in the report, and (2) which awards have not been closed out. HHS, within 90 days after all of such notices have been provided or by March 31 of the calendar year following the first calendar year beginning after this Act's enactment, whichever is sooner, shall compile, and report to Congress on, such notices.
The Inspector General of an agency with more than $500 million in annual grant funding, within one year after such agency has provided the notice to Congress, shall conduct a risk assessment to determine if an audit or review of the agency's grant closeout process is warranted.
The OMB, within six months after the second such report on notices is submitted, shall report to Congress on recommendations for legislation to improve accountability and oversight in grants management, including the timely closeout of a federal grant award.
The bill defines "federal grant award" as a grant, including a cooperative agreement, in an agency cash payment management system held by the U.S. government for which: (1) the grant award period of performance has been expired for more than two years, and (2) closeout has not yet occurred.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3089Related bill
Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Jan 28, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-117.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 19, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 11, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1115.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Chaffetz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jan 4, 2016FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Dec 18, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 30, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 303.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-169.
- Jun 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Apr 28, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2940SenateSen. Deb FischerR-NE· offered Dec 18, 2015Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 18, 2015: Amendment SA 2940 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.