H.R. 1387 – COST Act | Legislate.dev

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Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:37 AM UTC

The Cost Openness and Spending Transparency (COST) Act would make it mandatory for federal agencies and any organization that receives federal funds to clearly disclose how much of a program’s total cost is covered by federal money versus non‑government sources in most public statements about the program. It also creates reporting and oversight mechanisms to ensure the disclosures are made and to let the public flag missing information. The bill mainly affects federal agencies, state and local governments, and other entities that receive federal grants or contracts.

Key Provisions

Any federal agency or any entity (including state or local governments and grant recipients) that runs a program, project, or activity using federal money must state in public documents (press releases, RFPs, bid solicitations, etc.) the percentage and dollar amount of federal funding and the percentage and dollar amount of non‑government funding, except for very short messages of 280 characters or less.
The entity must certify in its performance progress report that it complied with these disclosure rules.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must each year review a random sample of such public communications for compliance and make the results public.
Within one year of the law’s enactment, OMB must set up an anonymous system for the public to report communications that fail to include the required cost information.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

February 14, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 14, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

February 14, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 14, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1387

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 14, 2025

Mr. Norman (for himself, Mr. Weber of Texas, and Mr. Self) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To require the disclosure of information relating to the cost of programs, projects, or activities carried out using Federal funds.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cost Openness and Spending Transparency Act of 2025 or the COST Act.

2.

Disclosure requirements for Federal funds

(a)

In general

Subchapter III of chapter 13 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

1356.

Disclosure requirements for Federal funds

(a)

Definition

In this section, the term agency means—

(1)

an Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5; and

(2)

an independent regulatory agency, as defined in section 3502 of title 44.

(b)

Disclosure requirements

An agency and an individual or entity (including a State or local government and a recipient of a Federal research grant) carrying out a program, project, or activity that is, in whole or in part, carried out using Federal funds shall clearly state in any statement, press release, request for proposals, bid solicitation, or other document describing the program, project, or activity, other than a communication containing not more than 280 characters—

(1)

the percentage of the total costs of the program, project, or activity which will be financed with Federal funds;

(2)

the dollar amount of the Federal funds made available for the program, project, or activity; and

(3)

the percentage of the total costs of, and dollar amount for, the program, project, or activity that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.

(c)

Certification

An individual or entity carrying out a program, project, or activity that is, in whole or in part, carried out using Federal funds shall, as part of the performance progress reporting regarding the program, project, or activity, include a certification indicating whether the individual or entity complied with the disclosure requirements.

(d)

Compliance review

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall annually—

(1)

review a random sampling of public communications issued by agencies and recipients of Federal funds for compliance with the disclosure requirements under subsection (b); and

(2)

make publicly available the findings of the review under paragraph (1).

(e)

Public reporting

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make available to the public a mechanism to anonymously report communications that do not comply with the disclosure requirements under subsection (b), which shall require that such a report include—

(1)

the noncompliant communication or, if publicly available, the location of the noncompliant communication; and

(2)

identifying information regarding the program, project, or activity that is, in whole or in part, carried out using Federal funds.

.

(b)

Technical and conforming amendment

The table of sections for subchapter III of chapter 13 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

1356. Disclosure requirements for Federal funds.

.