If your local government receives federal grant funding, you may have encountered references to the Stevens Amendment in federal grant agreements or award documents. In short, the Amendment requires the recipients of certain federal funds to disclose the source and amount of federal financial in communications about the federally funded program or project, including press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other materials describing the project.
Although the Stevens Amendment has existed for decades, it has recently received renewed attention, perhaps in part because of the Office of Management and Budget’s 2026 proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance. These changes place greater emphasis on accountability and recipients’ compliance with federal grant requirements when federal agencies make and oversee awards. As a result, compliance with requirements such as the Stevens Amendment may become increasingly important—not only for complying with the terms of an existing award, but also for an organization’s ability to secure future federal funding.
This blog post highlights important takeaways for public entities about the Stevens Amendment, including funding sources to which the Stevens Amendment applies, what constitutes sufficient disclosure language, and where disclosure language must be included.
What is the Stevens Amendment?
The Stevens Amendment (also referred to as the “Amendment” in this blog) is a federal appropriations provision that requires recipients of certain federal funds to acknowledge the source and amount of federal financial assistance in publications and other materials when describing projects or programs funded by those awards. The Amendment first appeared in Section 511 of Public Law 101-166, the appropriations act for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1990. (The federal government’s fiscal year spans from October 1 of one calendar year through September 30 of the next year.) As described in a 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office, the Amendment is intended to promote transparency by informing the public when federal funds support a project or program.
Unlike many federal grant requirements, the Amendment is not part of the Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Instead, Congress includes it each year in appropriations legislation for specific federal agencies. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, Public Law 119-75, the requirement appeared in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (the “Act”) at Section 505.
Many resources describe the Amendment as applying only to funds from Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. However, this is not the case; the Amendment’s disclosure requirements have occasionally applied to funding from other agencies. For example, the Amendment appeared in Section 631 of the Act, which allocated money to the Treasury, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and independent agencies, such as the Small Business Administration and the Election Assistance Commission.[1] Ultimately, public entities should not assume the Amendment does not apply simply because the funding comes from an agency other than the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, or Education. Instead, public entities should review the applicable appropriations provisions, award terms and conditions, agency or pass-through entity guidance, and grant documents to determine whether a disclosure requirement applies.
What Does the Stevens Amendment Require?
When applicable, the Stevens Amendment requires recipients to disclose federal funding information in public-facing materials that describe a program or project funded in whole or in part with federal funds. The disclosure must include:
- Federal share percentage: The percentage of the total project or program costs financed with federal funds;
- Federal dollar amount: The dollar amount of federal funding for the project or program; and
- Non-federal share and dollar amount: The percentage and dollar amount financed by non-federal sources, if any.
Materials explicitly covered by the Amendment include statements, press releases, requests for proposals, and bid solicitations. The Amendment also applies to “other documents” describing a federally funded project. Although the legislative language does not define “other documents,” covered materials may include websites, social media posts, email newsletters, visual presentations (e.g., PowerPoint presentations), toolkits, and procurement solicitations other than requests for proposals. Ultimately, the key question is whether the communication is “describing” the federally funded program or project.
To ensure compliance with the Amendment, public entities should consider interpreting the “other documents” language broadly when determining which communications require a disclosure. Federal agencies and pass-through entities, such as the North Carolina Department of Commerce, regularly advise recipients to include disclosures in any communication “made in furtherance of accomplishing the goals” of the federally funded project or program.
Many federal agencies provide model language that recipients can use to satisfy the requirement. For example, in this Department of Labor desk aid, the following language is suggested:
[Organization Name]’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor. A total of $250,000, or 50 percent, of the program is financed with federal funds, and $250,000, or 50 percent, is funded by other sources.
The desk aid also provides the following general format:
The [project/program] is supported by the [federal agency]. A total of $[amount], or [percentage] percent of [project/program] [is/will be] financed with federal funds, and $[amount], or [percentage] percent [is/will be] funded by other sources.
However, not all relevant federal agencies or programs provide detailed recommended language, so public entities should independently confirm applicability of the Amendment.
General statements do not meet the requirements of the Amendment. The disclosure must provide specific information about the source, amount, and percentage of federal and non-federal funding. For example, the North Carolina Department of Commerce in Operational Guide OG-08-2022 explains that a statement such as “staff development opportunities, resource purchases, equipment and personnel have been funded in whole or in part with Federal entitlement dollars” does not achieve the specificity required by the Amendment.
Finally, some federal agencies require separate disclaimers stating that the contents or viewpoints in a publication or communication are solely the recipient’s and do not represent the views of the federal agency or the federal government. These disclaimers do not arise from the Stevens Amendment, although they are often included alongside the Stevens Amendment funding disclosure.
Tips and Takeaways for Public Entities
The Stevens Amendment is a relatively straightforward requirement, mandating disclosure of three things for federally funded projects or programs: federal share percentage, federal dollar amount, and non-federal share and dollar amount.
Determining if the Amendment applies to a particular federal award can be challenging. Public entities that receive federal funding, particularly directly or indirectly from the Departments of Labor, Education, or Health and Human Services, should review each award to determine whether the Amendment applies and what communications require a disclosure. Here are a few tips to help ensure compliance:
- Review federal awards and applicable pass-through entity requirements for Stevens Amendment language during the grant acceptance process.
- Coordinate with grant administrators and public information or communications staff before publishing materials describing federally funded projects or programs.
- Develop standard disclosure language for each applicable grant.
- Train applicable staff to recognize when federal disclosure requirements apply.
- Remember to interpret the disclosure requirement broadly; it applies to communications describing the federally funded program or project and those made in furtherance of accomplishing the goals of the program or project.
- Maintain copies of materials containing the required Stevens Amendment disclosures as part of the grant records.
If you have any questions about the Stevens Amendment, please reach out to me at cuccaro@sog.unc.edu.
[1] Specifically, the Act provided $20 million to the Small Business Administration for grants to States to carry out programs that assist small business concerns and $45 million to the Election Assistance Commission for payments to States for activities to improve the administration and security of elections for federal office.
