Responsive Governments Act

Responsive Governments Act - States that it is the purpose of this Act to increase the capacity of States, units of local government, and combinations thereof, to plan and manage all the resources available to them for achieving the goals of: (1) community betterment, in both rural and urban areas; (2) adequate housing, public facilities, and public services that are required to support an improved quality of life; and (3) conserving and protecting the environment and natural resources for future generations. States that this Act will assist States and units of local government in: (1) developing reliable information on their problems and opportunities; (2) developing and analyzing alternative policies and programs and making recommendations; (3) managing the programs; and (4) evaluating the results, so that programs can be wisely revised or replaced. States that funds provided under this Act may be used by recipients for planning and management activities, including the following: (1) identifying and evaluating the physical, social, and economic needs and opportunities of the geographical areas under the jurisdiction of any State or locality; (2) developing, improving, modernizing, and implementing specific governmental management processes, including personnel, revenue, and resource allocation systems; (3) improving governmental structures, authorities, and coordinating mechanisms for dealing with the physical, social, and economic complexities of modern society; (4) providing planning, management, technical assistance, information, or advisory services to communities and agencies needing such assistance or services in connection with activities related to the purpose of this Act; (5) procuring technical assistance in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of planning and management programs, and (6) participating in organizations for joint or common governmental or governmental and private action, including interstate action, in solving problems of development, planning, resource allocation, or program management. Provides that for the purpose of carrying out this Act there are hereby authorized to be appropriated, without fiscal year limitation, such sums as may be necessary. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States and units of local government to assist them in carrying out activities set forth above. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring the recipient of any grant which he makes under this section to provide any matching or make any other expenditure as a condition to such grant. Requires that prior to the first receipt in any fiscal year of funds by any State or unit of local government, the recipient of such funds shall have prepared a final statement of planning and management activities and projected use of funds for such fiscal year. Requires that at least sixty days prior to preparation of a final statement, a proposed statement shall be published in such manner as to afford the citizens of such State or unit of local government a reasonable opportunity to examine its content and to submit comments on the proposed statement. Provides that no person in the United States shall on the ground of race, color, national origin, or sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any project, program, or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available under this Act. States that if the Secretary, after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing finds that a recipient has failed to comply substantially with any provision of this Act, the Secretary, until he is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply, shall: (1) terminate payments under this Act, or (2) reduce payments under this Act by an amount equal to the amount of such payments which were not expended in accordance with this Act, or (3) limit the availability of payments under this Act to programs not affected by such failure to comply. States that in order to assure that resources provided under this Act are used in accordance with its provisions, each recipient shall use such fiscal, audit, and accounting procedures as may be necessary to assure proper accounting for payments received by it, and proper disbursement of such payments.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on September 27, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.