Congressional findings and statement of purpose

(a) Increased burden on the public sector of Puerto Rico The Congress makes the following findings: (1) Puerto Rico faces a severe economic crisis, characterized by the largest municipal bankruptcy in the United States history, higher levels of poverty and socioeconomic inequality when compared to the rest of the United States, and a reduced labor force. (2) Puerto Rico is managing a large recovery and reconstruction process prompted by hurricanes Irma, María, and Fiona, the 2020 earthquakes, and the COVID pandemic. (3) The set of post-disaster conditions has exerted a great burden on the public sector of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Public employees have had to comply with new fiscal requirements imposed by the Financial Oversight and Management Board under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), handle historic allocations of Federal funds, which involves engaging with new agencies, programs, and requirements over time, and balance fiscal constraints with the urgency to recruit specialized and full-time workforce for the best use of disaster funding. (b) Statement of Purpose It is the purpose of this Act to study the suitability of grant consolidation to minimize the burden upon the public sector of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and maximize its available resources to access Federal funding.