[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 859 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 859

    To rescind certain excess conference costs from any agency that 
           overspends on conferences, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2013

Mr. Jordan (for himself and Ms. Speier) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition 
to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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 rescind certain excess conference costs from any agency that 
           overspends on conferences, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Taxpayers' Conference Overspending 
Prevention Act'' or the ``Taxpayers' COP Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORT AND RESCISSION OF EXCESS CONFERENCE COSTS.

    (a) Report.--Not later than October 31 of each fiscal year, each 
executive agency shall submit to the Congress a report listing the 
amount of funds that such agency obligated for conferences in the 
previous fiscal year. The funds described in the report shall include 
pre-planning, travel, and subsistence costs.
    (b) Rescission.--On the date that is 30 days after the date a 
report is submitted by an executive agency under subsection (a), from 
the unobligated funds made available to such agency in the current 
fiscal year for conferences (including pre-planning, travel, and 
subsistence costs), there is rescinded the total amount by which the 
total costs for any conference described in such report exceeds $3,000 
per agency employee attending such conference, or the total amount by 
which the costs for any conference described in such report exceeds 
$600 per day per agency employee attending such conference, whichever 
is higher.
    (c) Exception for Critical Foreign Travel.--
            (1) Certification.--The rescission required under 
        subsection (b) shall not apply to amounts described in a report 
        that are greater than the limits provided in such subsection 
        if--
                    (A) the head of the applicable executive agency 
                certifies in writing to the Director of the Office of 
                Management and Budget that the amounts were for foreign 
                travel and that such travel was critical to the 
                agency's mission; and
                    (B) the Director determines that such certification 
                is valid.
            (2) Report.--Any determination by the Director under 
        paragraph (1) shall be included in the report submitted under 
        subsection (a).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office 
        of Management and Budget;
            (2) the term ``executive agency'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code; and
            (3) the term ``conference'' means a meeting, retreat, 
        seminar, symposium, or event that--
                    (A) is held for consultation, education, 
                discussion, or training; and
                    (B) is not held entirely at a Government facility.
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