[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 939 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 939

   To require the evaluation and consolidation of duplicative green 
           building programs within the Department of Energy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 2015

 Mr. Flake (for himself and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the evaluation and consolidation of duplicative green 
           building programs within the Department of Energy.

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

SECTION 1. EVALUATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF DUPLICATIVE GREEN BUILDING 
              PROGRAMS WITHIN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrative expenses.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``administrative 
                expenses'' has the meaning given the term by the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget under 
                section 504(b)(2) of the Energy and Water Development 
                and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (31 
                U.S.C. 1105 note; Public Law 111-85).
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``administrative 
                expenses'' includes, with respect to an agency--
                            (i) costs incurred by--
                                    (I) the agency; or
                                    (II) any grantee, subgrantee, or 
                                other recipient of funds from a grant 
                                program or other program administered 
                                by the agency; and
                            (ii) expenses relating to personnel 
                        salaries and benefits, property management, 
                        travel, program management, promotion, reviews 
                        and audits, case management, and communication 
                        regarding, promotion of, and outreach for 
                        programs and program activities administered by 
                        the agency.
            (2) Applicable program.--The term ``applicable program'' 
        means any program that is--
                    (A) listed in Table 9 (pages 348-350) of the report 
                of the Government Accountability Office entitled ``2012 
                Annual Report: Opportunities to Reduce Duplication, 
                Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance 
                Revenue''; and
                    (B) administered by the Secretary.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (4) Service.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                term ``service'' has the meaning given the term by the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
                    (B) Requirements.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (A), the term ``service'' shall be limited to 
                activities, assistance, or other aid that provides a 
                direct benefit to a recipient, such as--
                            (i) the provision of technical assistance;
                            (ii) assistance for housing or tuition; or
                            (iii) financial support (including grants, 
                        loans, tax credits, and tax deductions).
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2015, the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress and make available on the 
        public Internet website of the Department of Energy a report 
        that describes the outcomes of all applicable programs.
            (2) Requirements.--In preparing the report under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) determine the total administrative expenses of 
                each applicable program;
                    (B) determine the expenditures for services for 
                each applicable program;
                    (C) estimate the number of--
                            (i) clients served by each applicable 
                        program; and
                            (ii) beneficiaries who received services 
                        under the applicable program (if applicable);
                    (D) estimate--
                            (i) the number of full-time employees who 
                        administer each applicable program; and
                            (ii) the number of full-time equivalents 
                        (the salary of whom is paid in part or full by 
                        the Federal Government through a grant or 
                        contract, a subaward of a grant or contract, a 
                        cooperative agreement, or another form of 
                        financial award or assistance) who assist in 
                        administering the applicable program;
                    (E) describe the type of services each applicable 
                program provides, such as grants, technical assistance, 
                loans, tax credits, or tax deductions;
                    (F) describe the type of recipient who benefits 
                from the services provided under the applicable 
                program, such as individual property owners or renters, 
                local governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, 
                or State governments; and
                    (G) identify whether written program goals are 
                available for each applicable program.
    (c) Recommendations.--Not later than January 1, 2016, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
            (1) an analysis of whether any applicable program should be 
        eliminated or consolidated, including any legislative changes 
        that would be necessary to eliminate or consolidate applicable 
        programs; and
            (2) methods to improve the applicable programs by 
        establishing program goals or increasing collaboration to 
        reduce the overlap and duplication identified in--
                    (A) the 2011 report of the Government 
                Accountability Office entitled ``Federal Initiatives 
                for the NonFederal Sector Could Benefit from More 
                Interagency Collaboration''; and
                    (B) the report of the Government Accountability 
                Office entitled ``2012 Annual Report: Opportunities to 
                Reduce Duplication, Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve 
                Savings, and Enhance Revenue''.
    (d) Analyses.--Not later than January 1, 2016, the Secretary shall 
identify--
            (1) which applicable programs were specifically authorized 
        by Congress; and
            (2) which applicable programs are carried out solely under 
        the discretionary authority of the Secretary.
                                 <all>