[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2743 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2743

To require the Comptroller General to prepare statements for bills and 
resolutions reported by committees of the House of Representatives and 
    the Senate on whether any new entities, programs, or functions 
  authorized by the bills or resolutions are redundant with existing 
Federal entities, programs, or functions and could be more efficiently 
 performed by an existing Federal entity, program, or function, and to 
      require such statements to accompany reports on legislation.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2003

Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the 
 Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Comptroller General to prepare statements for bills and 
resolutions reported by committees of the House of Representatives and 
    the Senate on whether any new entities, programs, or functions 
  authorized by the bills or resolutions are redundant with existing 
Federal entities, programs, or functions and could be more efficiently 
 performed by an existing Federal entity, program, or function, and to 
      require such statements to accompany reports on legislation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Government Accountability and 
Streamlining Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR GAO STATEMENTS ON LEGISLATION PROVIDING NEW 
              ENTITY, PROGRAM, OR FUNCTION.

    (a) GAO Statement Required.--The Comptroller General shall, to the 
extent practicable, prepare for each bill or joint resolution of a 
public character reported by any subcommittee or committee of the House 
or Representatives or the Senate, and submit to such subcommittee or 
committee, a statement containing--
            (1) a determination of whether new Federal entities, 
        programs, or functions are authorized by the bill or 
        resolution; and
            (2) if a new entity, program, or function is so authorized, 
        a determination of--
                    (A) whether an existing Federal entity or program 
                carries out functions that are the same or similar to 
                those authorized by the bill or resolution; and
                    (B) if such an entity or program exists, whether 
                such entity or program may more effectively and 
                efficiently perform the functions and carry out the 
                purposes of the bill or resolution than the entity or 
                program authorized by the bill or resolution.
    (b) Requirement To Include GAO Statement in Reports on 
Legislation.--Whenever a committee of either House reports to its House 
a bill or joint resolution of a public character, the report 
accompanying that bill or joint resolution shall contain the statement 
prepared by the Comptroller General for that bill or resolution under 
subsection (a). If the statement is not available when the committee 
report is filed, the committee shall make such information available to 
Members as soon as practicable upon submission of the statement to the 
committee by the Comptroller General.
    (c) Exercise of Congressional Rulemaking Power.--The provisions of 
this Act are enacted by Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such they 
        shall be considered a part of the rules of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate and such rules shall supersede 
        other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent 
        therewith; and
            (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
        either House to change such rules (so far as relating to such 
        House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent 
        as in the case of any other rule of such House.
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