Peters Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Coordination Between Federal Agencies and State and Local Governments to Implement Critical Federal Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize and improve the way federal agencies interact with state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments so they can more efficiently implement important federal programs. The federal government provides many essential services to Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, including unemployment insurance and certain health benefits. Peters’ bill will streamline efforts to deliver these services, save taxpayer dollars and improve government efficiency by requiring the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Director the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (OIA) to develop a strategic plan to increase cooperation between the federal and state and local governments.

“Local governments play a vital role in delivering the federal resources that communities in Michigan and across the country rely on each and every day, but often don’t have the necessary tools and resources to ensure these important benefits and services reach every American who needs them,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill will increase cooperation between all levels of government to improve the ability of state and local governments to provide critical services more efficiently and save taxpayer dollars as they help carry out many federal programs.”

The federal government currently lacks a strategic plan to coordinate with localities to administer and oversee important services – leading to state and local governments often acquiring wasteful, duplicative, or ineffective systems to carry out federal policies. Peters’ bipartisan bill will help ensure tax dollars are not spent on unnecessary resources to execute core government responsibilities.

The Improving Intergovernmental Cooperation and Reducing Duplication Act amends the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 to modernize how federal and local governments cooperate so that SLTTs can better assist in the delivery of federal services. The bill requires the OMB Director and OIA Director to develop a strategic plan to increase intergovernmental cooperation to improve coordination between federal and SLTT governments, increase efficiency, and reduce costs to taxpayers. The legislation would require the OMB director update the more than 50 year old guidance on intergovernmental cooperation to ensure more effective delivery of federal services at all levels of government.

Peters has led numerous efforts to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. He recently convened a hearing to ensure pandemic emergency relief funds have been effectively used to help Americans affected by COVID-19. Peters’ bipartisan bill to save taxpayer dollars by ensuring federal property assets are disaster resilient has advanced in the Senate. As a part of the American Rescue Plan, Peters secured $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund to modernize federal government systems that deliver critical services, like unemployment insurance, to Americans. Peters’ provision to help save billions of federal taxpayer dollars by curbing erroneous payments to deceased individuals was signed into law last Congress.  A law written by Peters to reduce duplicative software purchases called the MEGAByte Act has saved taxpayers more than $450 million since 2016.

###