[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2392 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2392

To improve the effectiveness of the Government's collection, analysis, 
 and dissemination of business information by using modern interactive 
                           data technologies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 13, 2009

   Mr. Issa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve the effectiveness of the Government's collection, analysis, 
 and dissemination of business information by using modern interactive 
                           data technologies.

    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 Information Transparency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO STANDARDIZATION OF COLLECTION, 
              ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.

    (a) Purposes.--
            (1) In general.--The purpose of this Act is to provide, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, for the Federal Government to 
        standardize the collection, analysis, and dissemination of 
        business and financial information regarding business 
        activities of companies through the use of a single data 
        standard known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language.
            (2) Additional purposes.--In addition, the purposes of this 
        Act are--
                    (A) to require the use of the eXtensible Business 
                Reporting Language standard to establish common 
                definitions and structures that will maximize to the 
                extent practicable the comparability and 
                interoperability of data collected and held by 
                Executive agencies; and
                    (B) to provide for continued upgrading and 
                maintenance of such common definitions and structures 
                to remain current and of maximum utility as 
                technologies and industry-specific or agency-specific 
                content evolve over time.
    (b) Best Practices.--Within 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 
acting through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, shall 
prepare and disseminate to Executive agencies guidance documents 
regarding best practices to accomplish the purposes set forth in 
subsection (a).
    (c) Establishment of Agency Procedures.--Within 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall 
establish procedures for accomplishing the purposes set forth in 
subsection (a) within the agency concerned.
    (d) Public Access to Interactive Data.--Upon establishment of the 
procedures required by subsection (c), the head of each agency shall 
ensure that the information collected under the standard is accessible 
to the general public to the extent permitted by law.

SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
annually thereafter on the anniversary of such date, the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on the status of the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

    In this Act;
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means any executive 
        department, military department, Government corporation, 
        Government controlled corporation, independent establishment, 
        or other establishment in the executive branch of the 
        Government (including the Executive Office of the President), 
        or any independent regulatory agency, but does not include--
                    (A) the Government Accountability Office;
                    (B) the Federal Election Commission;
                    (C) the governments of the District of Columbia and 
                of the territories and possessions of the United 
                States, and their various subdivisions; or
                    (D) Government-owned contractor-operated 
                facilities, including laboratories engaged in national 
                defense research and production activities.
            (2) Executive department, military department, government 
        corporation, government controlled corporation, independent 
        establishment.--The terms ``Executive department'', ``military 
        department'', ``Government corporation'', ``Government 
        controlled corporation'', and ``independent establishment'' 
        have the meanings given those terms by chapter 1 of title 5, 
        United States Code.
            (3) Independent regulatory agency.--The term ``independent 
        regulatory agency'' has the meaning given that term by section 
        3502(5) of title 44, United States Code.
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