PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES A. MCCLURE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO

Mr. Chairman, there is little that I can add to the statement made by our colleague from Delaware on the need for passage of H.R. 17112. The need is so obvious that I am amazed a catalog of Federal domestic assistance programs was not inaugurated long ago. But the truth is that the basic needs of the Congress and the people sometimes go unattended while we preoccupy ourselves with finding solutions to far more complicated problems.

Recently, I was glancing through a number of committee reports and was surprised to find how much of the legislation we pass is designed to overcome waste and duplication. It is a recurring ailment of the Federal Government that we are forever solving piecemeal. I can only wonder at what examples of waste will be uncovered once the Program Information Act is in effect.

As a cosponsor of the original Roth bill, I wouldn't want to let the opportunity pass without asking this subcommittee to give its approval to H.R. 17112. We can't eliminate duplication and overlapping of programs until some such act as this is passed to identify those programs.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD J. PATTEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

I would like to join my colleagues in urging swift passage of this extremely important legislation. As the amount of Federal assistance programs grows larger, we find that the State and local officials are becoming more confused about where to turn to obtain the proper type and amount of Federal assistance. The 1970 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, released by OEO, is a substantial step in the right direction, but still falls short in many important areas. For example, the OEO catalog still lacks detailed information describing the specific Federal program adequately.

Aside from making the various corrections in the present catalog, the most important aspect of this bill is that it assures continued excellance and standardization. We owe the recipients of these Federal programs the guarantee that the collection and dissemination of information will be of only the highest quality. Without Federal authority to oversee these operations, we run the risk of slipping from the high standards necessary to make this catalog functional. The Federal supervisory power would also eliminate wasteful duplication. For example, we have catalogued some 33 elementary and secondary education programs administered be seven agencies in the past catalog.

The all-encompassing aspect of H.R. 17112 shows the intensive research and the thoroughness of the work done by Mr. Roth and his staff, and they all should be complimented on their work. It is my hope that the subcommittee will act quickly and favorably on this bill, for it is one that is greatly needed and will benefit many communities in the Nation who are in urgent need of Federal grants and loans.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY L. PETTIS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Mr. Chairman, I wish to express my support for H.R. 17112, the Program Information Act, and respectfully request this subcommittee to act favorably upon it.

This legislation is very similar to H.R. 339, a measure which I cosponsored. It refines the earlier bill and incorporates some suggestions by the Bureau of the Budget and other interested parties which substantially improve the legislation. When we first came to Congress, members of our class ascertained the necessity for a compendium of all Federal domestic programs which could be referred to by our offices and our constituents. The outgrowth of this was the Roth study which has received remarkably wide use as an unofficial reference to the proliferation of Government programs.

Not only have myself and my staff found this document extremely useful, but so have numerous of my constituents including local entities, municipal governments and districts, schools, hospitals, to name but a few.

Under this measure the executive branch would have the responsibility to produce and keep up to date a Government-wide catalog of all Federal domestic assistance programs. The intent is to provide potential beneficiaries with informa

tion on each program in a clear and descriptive manner so that they may determine whether they are eligible for assistance, and be aided in applying for actual benefits. There is an abundance of Government programs providing aid in almost every conceivable area. However, many times it is difficult to know precisely. what assistance may be available for a particular project. This catalog would provide a description of each program and criteria for the reception of benefits, so that each interested party may decide if the program fits his particular purposes.

With the maze of domestic programs already in existence, a comprehensive catalog of them compiled by the Government is demonstrably necessary. I thus respectfully urge this subcommittee to pass favorably upon H.R. 17112.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT O. TIERNAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Mr. Chairman, I come before you today as a cosponsor of H.R. 17112, the Program Information Act. Each and every year the Government of this great Nation, through its numerous agencies, allocates in excess of $20 billion for various domestic assistance programs. Unfortunately, however, many of the people for whom these programs were initially established to benefit are unaware of their existence. These people have to be made knowledgeable of the fact that such aid is available and they must be told how to acquire it. Hopefully through passage of this legislation we can accomplish both of these objectives.

Mr. Chairman, we in the Congress are the guardians of this Nation's purse strings, and as such are under an obligation to insure that the taxpayer's dollars are spent as economically as possible. Passage of H.R. 17112 will undoubtedly result in a great saving of funds that are now being expended fruitlessly. Every one here present has knowledge to some degree of Government waste with particular emphasis on the malady of duplication. Passage of H.R. 17112 will hopefully correct this ailment by making it known exactly where duplication does exist, thus making it possible to eliminate it. Every effort must be made to facilitate access to all available programs which in turn should and must operate as economically as possible. Passage of H.R. 17112 is a step toward insuring that it does and I enthusiastically support this legislation. I urge you to act expeditiously in sending this bill to the House floor.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF JERRY L. MARCHBANKS, VICE PRESIDENT, COMPUTER & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, INC., DIRECTOR, FAIR (FEDERAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION REPORTING)

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, we are privileged to have the opportunity to testify before this subcommittee in support of H.R. 17112, the Program Information Act.

The testimony heretofore presented to this subcommittee has come from the Members of the House and from representatives of the Executive Office of the President; that is, from the creators (legislators) and administrators of Federal assistance programs. Our testimony is presented from the perspective of the users of Federal assistance programs.

FAIR (Federal Assistance Information Reporting) recognizes Federal assistance programs as a major resource available to meet the needs of State and local government in their efforts to raise the quality of life for all Americans. The key to gathering the benefits of these Federal programs is the ability to match what assistance is needed with what assistance is available. This is what FAIR is all about. Although the specific FAIR system is unique, our information requirements on Federal assistance programs are representative of those encountered by State, regional, and local government officials and planners throughout this country. And the difficulties we have had in obtaining such information are also representative. Indeed, we are well versed in these difficulties.

We believe our experience directly pertains to the deliberations of this subcommittee. How the proposals embodied in H.R. 17112 can be of significant help in overcoming present difficulties of users of Federal programs, based upon our experience, is what we wish to testify to today.

THE FAIR SYSTEM

The operation and information needs of the FAIR (Federal assistance information reporting) system in their simplest form as they relate for the considera

tions presented by H.R. 17112 are as follows. FAIR is a computer analysis information network available to public officials in all levels of government. The program was initially developed in the State of West Virginia and tailored to the needs of State, regional, and local government there for coordinated information on Federal assistance programs. Utilizing modern computer capabilities for receiving, storing, assessing, and disseminating vast quantities of information, the present FAIR system provides a national service built around two basic elements:

1. A constantly updated computer file on Federal assistance programs which is the most complete and accurate in existence; coupled with the ability to integrate the basic Federal assistance program file data with on-going program data and current financial abilities of State and local government.

2. A word-by-word search ability of the entire, integrated computer file to locate data and analyze questions on any Federal assistance program and its relation to local projects; the programed ability to handle these questions and answers in simple English and transmit them via telephone lines to an unlimited number of remote access terminals in State and local government centers.

Thus FAIR provides a key information and analysis link between the assistance offered by Federal programs and the needs of the local planners and beneficiaries. Obviously, from this description, it follows that the quality of our analyzed "output" information which we provide State and local government cannot exceed the quality of our "input" information we obtain from the Federal Government. Thus although FAIR is not a direct "user" of Federal assistance programs in that it is not itself a "beneficiary," nevertheless our information needs are precisely the same as those of the public officials and planners of the local governments our system serves. Not only are our information needs the same, but so also have been our difficulties in obtaining this information. And these difficulties have been very real.

THE FEDERAL INFORMATION GAP

Congressman Roth, in his excellent testimony before this subcommittee, spoke of an "information crisis." This expression is well chosen and accurately describes the urgency of the problem to which we have been referring for several years as the "Federal information gap." From our direct experience in trying to close this gap, we can readily testify that it is very real and may very well be termed a "crisis.' Certainly it is the initial, and one of the chief hurdles to successful utilization of Federal assistance programs by those who are intended to receive program benefits at the local level.

Currently there are over 1,300 sources of Federal assistance to State and local government totaling nearly $21 billion in fiscal 1969, more than 10 times the amount available 20 years ago. With the increase in available Federal funds has come increased duplication, program inconsistencies, and an information gap of gigantic size. The result has been that the use of these assistance programs is severely limited because of difficulty in knowing how best to match what is needed with what is available.

For example, often it has not even been possible to accurately determine how many programs are available. The 1969 OEO catalog listed 581 Federal domestic assistance programs; the 1970 effort, only a year later, identified 1,019 such programs. The 1969 listing of Federal assistance programs compiled by the staff of Congressman Roth located 1,315 programs. The Commerce Clearing House identifies approximately 800 programs in its Urban Affairs Reporter. Although many of these "programs" can be cross-related between sources, FAIR, in correlating all of these efforts, has identified almost 1,400 individual programs using the same basic definition for a "program" as used by OEO and Congressman Roth.

Even after determining the available programs, it is often difficult, or impossible, to determine the uses of these programs. Such elements as identification of recipients and beneficiaries are commonly less than clear. For instance, there are 43 identifiable programs which deal directly with the problems of Indians. However, the severe limitations upon the use of many of these programs is not apparent in the catalog listings. Furthermore, many other programs-EDA, health, housing, agriculture, etc.-may also accept Indians as beneficiaries, although this is not specifically stated. Thus we have the paradox that at once there are both fewer and more programs to aid needy Indians than is apparent under present program descriptions.

The present and the projected financial status of many programs is not readily available. The result upon State and local planning can be disastrous. A local planning body may ignore many relevant and necessary programs because it appears that there are no funds available through that particular program; 4

months later funding may be possible, but by then it is too late, the plan is already set. On the other hand, a program which appears replete with funds when planning is begun may be empty 4 months later when application is made.

General information on the current status of programs is usually available only through informal contacts or through a barrage of pamphlets, newsletters, flyers, etc. from each individual agency. Often even these communications are not timely and do not reflect adequately the changes of policy which expand or limit available assistance through a particular program. For example, it was learned that funds for rat control were available as part of urban renewal assistance only through discovering that a specific project grant had been awarded to a city which had successfully applied for such a use.

Finally, even when adequate information on a program is available, it may be impossible to identify the program with the particular needs of the intended beneficiary. Although the FAIR system, through its computerized, word-byword search ability specifically avoids such oversights, many State and local planners who do not currently have such a service available to them have serious difficulties. For instance, one State planner came to us asking for information on "open space" assistance to be included as part of a comprehensive plan. He was only able to identify two standard programs supporting such efforts, neither of which had adequate funds available. The FAIR search located two additional programs which normally he would not have considered.

The difficulties we have cited in using Federal information are not speculative, but very real experiences. These are also not isolated instances, but daily difficulties faced by State and local government officials in handling the Federal information gap.

Minimum information requirements

Obviously, the burden for adequate project planning and operation at the State and local levels ultimately rests with officials and planners at these levels. What should also be obvious is that such planning and development cannot be successfully undertaken when Federal assistance is involved without adequate Federal "tools" of information. The minimum information requirements must include:

(1) An official, accurate, and complete determination of each basic Federal assistance program available;

(2) An official, accurate, and complete description of the elements of each basic program, including the program purposes, eligibility requirements, application process, available benefits, and requirements;

(3) An official, accurate, and complete record of the financial status of each federal assistance program available;

(4) An official, accurate and regular updating procedure to show the current requirements and financial status of each Federal assistance program available. 5. An index which cross-relates programs by function to assist the user in identifying all Federal domestic assistance programs which relate to his particular needs.

The importance to local planning of such a minimum "baseline" of official information on assistance programs cannot be overstated. Without it, efficient and realistic program planning and operation simply are not possible. The cost of needlessly unfulfilled program plans, needlessly misapplied funds and needlessly inefficient utilization of Federal aid to help those who most need help should be sufficient testimony of the need for minimum reform in this area.

Equally clear as the need for such information should be the fact that this information must come from the Federal Government, the dispensers of these programs. It is simply not possible for non-Federal governmental officials and public and private concerns to obtain such an information base from Federal agencies under present procedures. Furthermore, such individual gathering would continue to promote useless duplication of effort many times over, continue the failure to distribute aid to those who most need aid, and continue the failure to provide a trustworthy base of accurate information.

H.R. 17112

H.R. 17112, the Program Information Act, provides for these minimum information requirements. We believe it is a significant measure which draws upon the best experience of the two milestone efforts toward reform in this area. The Listing of Operating Federal Assistance Programs Compiled During the Roth Study produced by Congressman Roth and his staff was the first prodigious achievement in developing program information criteria. A measure of the significance of this compilation from a user-oriented concern is the fact that we felt it neces

sary to redesign the entire FAIR file format to comply with this new program data. The recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance produced by the Office for Economic Opportunity has had similar, if less dramatic, impact. Again we are revising the FAIR format.

Despite the significant steps made by both of these catalogs towards providing local planners and officials with the tools to match available Federal assistance to local needs, we still feel compelled to testify today that from a user-oriented concern they are inadequate. They do not yet meet the minimal needs we outlined earlier:

1. They do not provide either an official or a complete determination of basic Federal assistance programs;

2. They do not provide an official or at all times a complete description of the elements of each basic program;

3. They do not provide an official or at all times a complete record of the financial status of each basic program;

4. They do not provide for a regular updating procedure;

5. They do not provide an adequate index which cross-relates programs by function.

H.R. 17112 does provide for these minimum information requirements. This bill does not guarantee that State and local government agencies will always use program funds wisely, that Federal assistance will always be used as it was intended to be used, that those who most need help will always receive that help. But it does guarantee for the first time that the Federal Government will provide that minimum_information necessary to give State and local government and other users of Federal assistance programs the potential to realize these goals as best they are able. Thus we believe H.R. 17112 is an important investment toward making Federal assistance programs more responsive to the needs of the people served by all levels of government.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF W. J. PIERCE, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, THE DEVELOPING URBAN DETROIT AREA RESEARCH PROJECT

The developing urban Detroit area research project has for 5 years been engaged in a comprehensive urban study of southeastern Michigan, southwestern Canada and northern Ohio. The purpose of the project was to analyze a defined area and to review alternative courses of development the area might undergo between now and the year 2000. The project further sought to develop, through a methodology devised by Doxiadis Associates, technical consultants to this project, an alternative growth pattern which would provide the most in human satisfaction for the doubled population which is projected for the area.

Having completed the research phases, we are initiating steps to determine which agencies at the Federal level would be most concerned with the various aspects of the study and which Federal programs should be solicited for their interest in the study findings.

It has been our experience that it is almost impossible for the layman, and various legislative units in Washington have indicated that they do not have much more success, in trying to determine which Federal agencies are responsible for what programs. Also, we found that very similar programs may be the responsibility of more than one Federal agency.

To put it briefly, what is needed is a centralized information agency in Washington where information concerning various Federal programs can be gotten very readily, and a well documented listing of these programs and agencies.

Accordingly, we submit this statement in support of H.R. 17112.

There being no further witnesses the hearing for today is adjourned. (Whereupon, at 11:55 a.m. the hearing was adjourned.)