diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Modals/SearchPanel.vue b/packages/client/src/components/Modals/SearchPanel.vue
index 5654ba8ba..d5d28b2b6 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/Modals/SearchPanel.vue
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Modals/SearchPanel.vue
@@ -26,11 +26,16 @@
               label="Search Title"
               label-for="search-title"
               description="ex. Infrastructure"
+              :invalid-feedback="invalidTitleFeedback"
+              :state="searchTitleState"
             >
               <b-form-input
                 id="search-title"
                 type="text"
+                aria-describedby="input-live-feedback"
                 v-model="formData.searchTitle"
+                required
+                trim
               />
             </b-form-group>
             <b-form-group
@@ -43,6 +48,7 @@
                 id="include-input"
                 type="text"
                 v-model="formData.criteria.includeKeywords"
+                trim
               />
             </b-form-group>
             <b-form-group
@@ -55,6 +61,7 @@
                 id="exclude-input"
                 type="text"
                 v-model="formData.criteria.excludeKeywords"
+                trim
               />
             </b-form-group>
             <b-form-group
@@ -66,6 +73,7 @@
                 id="opportunity-number-input"
                 type="text"
                 v-model="formData.criteria.opportunityNumber"
+                trim
               />
             </b-form-group>
             <b-form-group
@@ -157,6 +165,7 @@
                 id="agency"
                 type="text"
                 v-model="formData.criteria.agency"
+                trim
               />
             </b-form-group>
             <b-form-group
@@ -242,6 +251,7 @@ export default {
         criteria: {
           ...defaultCriteria,
         },
+        searchTitle: null,
         searchId: this.searchId,
       },
       postedWithinOptions: ['All Time', 'One Week', '30 Days', '60 Days'],
@@ -286,18 +296,21 @@ export default {
       savedSearches: 'grants/savedSearches',
       displaySearchPanel: 'grants/displaySearchPanel',
     }),
-    saveEnabled() {
-      // save is enabled if any criteria is not null and a title is set
-      return Object.values(this.formData.criteria).some((value) => value !== null
-      && !(Array.isArray(value) && value.length === 0))
-      && this.formData.searchTitle !== null;
-    },
     isEditMode() {
       return this.searchId !== null && this.searchId !== undefined && this.searchId !== 0;
     },
+    saveEnabled() {
+      return this.searchTitleIsValid() && this.formIsDirty();
+    },
     panelTitle() {
       return this.isEditMode ? 'Edit Search' : 'New Search';
     },
+    searchTitleState() {
+      return this.searchTitleIsValid();
+    },
+    invalidTitleFeedback() {
+      return 'Search Title is required';
+    },
   },
   methods: {
     ...mapActions({
@@ -322,6 +335,12 @@ export default {
     eligibilityLabel({ label }) {
       return label;
     },
+    searchTitleIsValid() {
+      return !!this.formData.searchTitle;
+    },
+    formIsDirty() {
+      return !(JSON.stringify(this.formData.criteria) === JSON.stringify(defaultCriteria));
+    },
     apply() {
       const formDataCopy = { ...this.formData.criteria };
       this.applyFilters(formDataCopy);
diff --git a/packages/client/src/store/modules/grants.js b/packages/client/src/store/modules/grants.js
index 1b2f38e82..42cb94118 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/store/modules/grants.js
+++ b/packages/client/src/store/modules/grants.js
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ function buildGrantsNextQuery({ filters, ordering, pagination }) {
   criteria.excludeKeywords = criteria.excludeKeywords && criteria.excludeKeywords.length > 0 ? criteria.excludeKeywords.split(',').map((k) => k.trim()) : null;
   criteria.eligibility = criteria.eligibility?.map((e) => e.code);
   criteria.fundingTypes = criteria.fundingTypes?.map((f) => f.code);
+  criteria.bill = criteria.bill === 'All Bills' ? null : criteria.bill;
 
   const paginationQuery = Object.entries(pagination)
     // filter out undefined and nulls since api expects parameters not present as undefined