Public Law 115–3: To ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to information.Public Law3Public Law 115–3131 Stat. 72017-01-312017-01-31United States Government Publishing OfficeNational Archives and Records AdministrationOffice of the Federal Registertext/xmlENPursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.GPO Locator to USLM Converter 4.15.31;Stage2.202507022026-01-02115publicPUBLIC LAW 115–3—JAN. 31, 2017131 STAT. 7Public Law115–3115th CongressAn ActTo ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to information.
Jan. 31, 2017
[H.R. 72]
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
GAO Access and Oversight Act
of 2017.
31 USC 701 note.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the “GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017”.SEC. 2. ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION.(a) Access to Certain Information.—Subchapter II of chapter 7 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:“§ 721.
31 USC 721.
Access to certain information“(a) No provision of the Social Security Act, including section 453(l) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 653(l)), shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to obtain any information or to inspect any record under section 716 of this title.“(b) The specific reference to a statute in subsection (a) shall not be construed to affect access by the Government Accountability Office to information under statutes that are not so referenced.”.(b) Agency Reports.—Section 720(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended—(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “or planned” after “action taken”; and(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:“(1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agency program or activity that is the subject of the recommendation, and the Government Accountability Office before the 61st day after the date of the report; and”.(c) Authority To Obtain Records.—Section 716 of title 31, United States Code, is amended in subsection (a)—(1) by striking “(a)” and inserting “(2)”; and(2) by inserting after the section heading the following:“(a)(1) The Comptroller General is authorized to obtain such agency records as the Comptroller General requires to discharge the duties of the Comptroller General (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), including through the bringing of civil actions under this section.
Courts.
In reviewing a civil action under this section, the court shall recognize the continuing force and effect 131 STAT. 8
of the authorization in the preceding sentence until such time as the authorization is repealed pursuant to law.”.(d) Technical and Conforming Amendment.—The table of sections for chapter 7 of title 31,
31 USC
prec. 701.
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 720 the following:“721. ApprovedJanuary 31, 2017.LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 72:CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017):