[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3869-H3872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ACCESS TO CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORTS ACT

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2485) to require the Director of the Government Publishing 
Office to establish and maintain an online portal accessible to the 
public that allows the public to obtain electronic copies of all 
congressionally mandated reports in one place, and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2485

       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 ``Access to Congressionally 
     Mandated Reports Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Congressionally mandated report.--

[[Page H3870]]

       (A) In general.--The term ``congressionally mandated 
     report'' means a report of a Federal agency that is required 
     by statute to be submitted to either House of Congress or any 
     committee of Congress or subcommittee thereof.
       (B) Exclusions.--
       (i) Patriotic and national organizations.--The term 
     ``congressionally mandated report'' does not include a report 
     required under part B of subtitle II of title 36, United 
     States Code.
       (ii) Inspectors general.--The term ``congressionally 
     mandated report'' does not include a report by an office of 
     an inspector general.
       (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the Government Publishing Office.
       (3) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
     meaning given the term ``federal agency'' under section 102 
     of title 40, United States Code, but does not include the 
     Government Accountability Office or an element of the 
     intelligence community.
       (4) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence 
     community'' has the meaning given that term in section 3 of 
     the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
       (5) Open format.--The term ``open format'' means a file 
     format for storing digital data based on an underlying open 
     standard that--
       (A) is not encumbered by any restrictions that would impede 
     reuse; and
       (B) is based on an underlying open data standard that is 
     maintained by a standards organization.
       (6) Reports online portal.--The term ``reports online 
     portal'' means the online portal established under section 
     3(a).

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE PORTAL FOR CONGRESSIONALLY 
                   MANDATED REPORTS.

       (a) Requirement To Establish Online Portal.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish and 
     maintain an online portal accessible by the public that 
     allows the public to obtain electronic copies of 
     congressionally mandated reports in one place.
       (2) Existing functionality.--To the extent possible, the 
     Director shall meet the requirements under paragraph (1) by 
     using existing online portals and functionality under the 
     authority of the Director.
       (3) Consultation.--In carrying out this Act, the Director 
     shall consult with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, 
     the Secretary of the Senate, and the Librarian of Congress 
     regarding the requirements for and maintenance of 
     congressionally mandated reports on the reports online 
     portal.
       (b) Content and Function.--The Director shall ensure that 
     the reports online portal includes the following:
       (1) Subject to subsection (c), with respect to each 
     congressionally mandated report, each of the following:
       (A) A citation to the statute requiring the report.
       (B) An electronic copy of the report, including any 
     transmittal letter associated with the report, in an open 
     format that is platform independent and that is available to 
     the public without restrictions, including restrictions that 
     would impede the re-use of the information in the report.
       (C) The ability to retrieve a report, to the extent 
     practicable, through searches based on each, and any 
     combination, of the following:
       (i) The title of the report.
       (ii) The reporting Federal agency.
       (iii) The date of publication.
       (iv) Each congressional committee or subcommittee receiving 
     the report, if applicable.
       (v) The statute requiring the report.
       (vi) Subject tags.
       (vii) A unique alphanumeric identifier for the report that 
     is consistent across report editions.
       (viii) The serial number, Superintendent of Documents 
     number, or other identification number for the report, if 
     applicable.
       (ix) Key words.
       (x) Full text search.
       (xi) Any other relevant information specified by the 
     Director.
       (D) The date on which the report was required to be 
     submitted, and on which the report was submitted, to the 
     reports online portal.
       (E) To the extent practicable, a permanent means of 
     accessing the report electronically.
       (2) A means for bulk download of all congressionally 
     mandated reports.
       (3) A means for downloading individual reports as the 
     result of a search.
       (4) An electronic means for the head of each Federal agency 
     to submit to the reports online portal each congressionally 
     mandated report of the agency, as required by section 4.
       (5) In tabular form, a list of all congressionally mandated 
     reports that can be searched, sorted, and downloaded by--
       (A) reports submitted within the required time;
       (B) reports submitted after the date on which such reports 
     were required to be submitted; and
       (C) to the extent practicable, reports not submitted.
       (c) Noncompliance by Federal Agencies.--
       (1) Reports not submitted.--If a Federal agency does not 
     submit a congressionally mandated report to the Director, the 
     Director shall to the extent practicable--
       (A) include on the reports online portal--
       (i) the information required under clauses (i), (ii), (iv), 
     and (v) of subsection (b)(1)(C); and
       (ii) the date on which the report was required to be 
     submitted; and
       (B) include the congressionally mandated report on the list 
     described in subsection (b)(5)(C).
       (2) Reports not in open format.--If a Federal agency 
     submits a congressionally mandated report that is not in an 
     open format, the Director shall include the congressionally 
     mandated report in another format on the reports online 
     portal.
       (d) Deadline.--The Director shall ensure that information 
     required to be published on the online portal under this Act 
     with respect to a congressionally mandated report or 
     information required under subsection (c) of this section is 
     published--
       (1) not later than 30 days after the information is 
     received from the Federal agency involved; or
       (2) in the case of information required under subsection 
     (c), not later than 30 days after the deadline under this Act 
     for the Federal agency involved to submit information with 
     respect to the congressionally mandated report involved.
       (e) Exception for Certain Reports.--
       (1) Exception described.--A congressionally mandated report 
     which is required by statute to be submitted to a committee 
     of Congress or a subcommittee thereof, including any 
     transmittal letter associated with the report, shall not be 
     submitted to or published on the reports online portal if the 
     chair of a committee or subcommittee to which the report is 
     submitted notifies the Director in writing that the report is 
     to be withheld from submission and publication under this 
     Act.
       (2) Notice on portal.--If a report is withheld from 
     submission to or publication on the reports online portal 
     under paragraph (1), the Director shall post on the portal--
       (A) a statement that the report is withheld at the request 
     of a committee or subcommittee involved; and
       (B) the written notification provided by the chair of the 
     committee or subcommittee specified in paragraph (1).
       (f) Free Access.--The Director may not charge a fee, 
     require registration, or impose any other limitation in 
     exchange for access to the reports online portal.
       (g) Upgrade Capability.--The reports online portal shall be 
     enhanced and updated as necessary to carry out the purposes 
     of this Act.

     SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES.

       (a) Submission of Electronic Copies of Reports.--Not 
     earlier than 30 days or later than 45 days after the date on 
     which a congressionally mandated report is submitted to 
     either House of Congress or to any committee of Congress or 
     subcommittee thereof, the head of the Federal agency 
     submitting the congressionally mandated report shall submit 
     to the Director the information required under subparagraphs 
     (A) through (D) of section 3(b)(1) with respect to the 
     congressionally mandated report. Notwithstanding section 6, 
     nothing in this Act shall relieve a Federal agency of any 
     other requirement to publish the congressionally mandated 
     report on the online portal of the Federal agency or 
     otherwise submit the congressionally mandated report to 
     Congress or specific committees of Congress, or subcommittees 
     thereof.
       (b) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
     Management and Budget, in consultation with the Director, 
     shall issue guidance to agencies on the implementation of 
     this Act.
       (c) Structure of Submitted Report Data.--The head of each 
     Federal agency shall ensure that each congressionally 
     mandated report submitted to the Director complies with the 
     open format criteria established by the Director in the 
     guidance issued under subsection (b).
       (d) Point of Contact.--The head of each Federal agency 
     shall designate a point of contact for congressionally 
     mandated reports.
       (e) Requirement for Submission.--The Director shall not 
     publish any report through the online portal that is received 
     from anyone other than the head of the applicable Federal 
     agency, or an officer or employee of the Federal agency 
     specifically designated by the head of the Federal agency.

     SEC. 5. CHANGING OR REMOVING REPORTS.

       (a) Limitation on Authority To Change or Remove Reports.--
     Except as provided in subsection (b), the head of the Federal 
     agency concerned may change or remove a congressionally 
     mandated report submitted to be published on the reports 
     online portal only if--
       (1) the head of the Federal agency consults with each 
     committee of Congress or subcommittee thereof to which the 
     report is required to be submitted (or, in the case of a 
     report which is not required to be submitted to a particular 
     committee of Congress or subcommittee thereof, to each 
     committee with jurisdiction over the agency, as determined by 
     the head of the agency in consultation with the Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of 
     the Senate) prior to changing or removing the report; and
       (2) a joint resolution is enacted to authorize the change 
     in or removal of the report.
       (b) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the head 
     of the Federal agency concerned--
       (1) may make technical changes to a report submitted to or 
     published on the online portal;

[[Page H3871]]

       (2) may remove a report from the online portal if the 
     report was submitted to or published on the online portal in 
     error; and
       (3) may withhold information, records, or reports from 
     publication on the online portal in accordance with section 
     6.

     SEC. 6. WITHHOLDING OF INFORMATION.

       (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
     to--
       (1) require the disclosure of information, records, or 
     reports that are exempt from public disclosure under section 
     552 of title 5, United States Code, or that may be withheld 
     under section 552a of title 5, United States Code; or
       (2) impose any affirmative duty on the Director to review 
     congressionally mandated reports submitted for publication to 
     the reports online portal for the purpose of identifying and 
     redacting such information or records.
       (b) Withholding of Information.--
       (1) In general.--Consistent with subsection (a)(1), the 
     head of a Federal agency may withhold from the Director, and 
     from publication on the online portal, any information, 
     records, or reports that are exempt from public disclosure 
     under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, or that may 
     be withheld under section 552a of title 5, United States 
     Code.
       (2) National security.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
     construed to require the publication, on the online portal or 
     otherwise, of any report containing information that is 
     classified, or the public release of which could have a 
     harmful effect on national security.

     SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION.

       (a) Reports Submitted to Congress.--
       (1) In general.--This Act shall apply with respect to any 
     congressionally mandated report which--
       (A) is required by statute to be submitted to the House of 
     Representatives, or the Speaker thereof, or Senate, or the 
     President or President Pro Tempore thereof, at any time 
     before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act; 
     or
       (B) is included by the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate (as the case 
     may be) on the list of reports received by the House of 
     Representatives or Senate (as the case may be) at any time 
     before the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (2) Transition rule for previously submitted reports.--To 
     the extent practicable, the Director shall ensure that any 
     congressionally mandated report described in paragraph (1) 
     which was required to be submitted to Congress by a statute 
     enacted before the date of the enactment of this Act is 
     published on the online portal under this Act not later than 
     1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Reports Submitted to Committees.--In the case of 
     congressionally mandated reports which are required by 
     statute to be submitted to a committee of Congress or a 
     subcommittee thereof, this Act shall apply with respect to--
       (1) any such report which is first required to be submitted 
     by a statute which is enacted on or after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act; and
       (2) to the maximum extent practical, any congressionally 
     mandated report which was required to be submitted by a 
     statute enacted before the date of enactment of this Act 
     unless--
       (A) the chair of the committee, or subcommittee thereof, to 
     which the report was required to be submitted notifies the 
     Director in writing that the report is to be withheld from 
     publication; and
       (B) the Director publishes the notification on the online 
     portal.

     SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure before us.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative   Mike Quigley for his 
persistence in pursuing this good government legislation. Hopefully, we 
can get this bill enacted this Congress.
  H.R. 2485, the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, is a 
non-controversial bill that has been approved by the Oversight and 
Reform Committee many times.
  The bill is a commonsense measure that would make the government more 
transparent and accountable. It would create a one-stop-shop where 
Congress and members of the public could access agency reports to 
Congress.
  Federal agencies submit thousands of reports to Congress each year. 
This bill will improve congressional oversight by making it easy to 
find and access those reports.
  H.R. 2485 would give the public access to agency reports. Currently, 
members of the public often have to file requests under the Freedom of 
Information Act to obtain agency reports to Congress because many of 
these reports are not available online.
  An online library of Federal reports would improve our ability to use 
the information in them to make sound policy. It also would encourage 
agency compliance with reporting requirements.
  Finally, it would support timely access to the reports by State and 
local governments, students, academics, and others with the additional 
benefit of decreasing the burden on agencies to process Freedom of 
Information Act requests.
  The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act is endorsed by 
almost 40 organizations from across the political spectrum.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge all my colleagues to 
support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, long 
championed by my colleague, Mr.   Mike Quigley, represents an honest 
effort to modernize Congress and improve the Article I power of the 
legislative branch.
  The bill does this by bolstering the ability of Congress to access 
and understand the thousands of legally mandated reports compiled by 
the executive branch and sent to Congress each year.
  It is estimated that Federal agencies write and send to Congress over 
4,000 written reports every 2 years. That is a lot of valuable 
information for the American people and their representatives in the 
U.S. House.
  These mandated reports contain insights into activities of Federal 
agencies. Insights like the status of an agency establishing a new 
program or updates on efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse. 
However, there is currently no central inventory for congressional 
Members or our staff to access these reports.
  Most reports are sent over via email and can get lost in the shuffle 
of an ever-changing and evolving Congress, or they are only sent to 
specific committees which prevents the rest of Congress and the public 
from viewing them. This bill fixes that problem.
  H.R. 2485 establishes a central and publicly available portal of 
these reports at the Government Publishing Office. Congress and members 
of the public will be able to fully search, sort, and download reports 
from this website. This gives the whole of Congress and America's 
citizens convenient access to all executive agency reports submitted to 
Congress. These are reports that the taxpayers paid for.
  This bill also includes protections for classified and sensitive 
information in keeping with the principles of the Freedom of 
Information Act.
  In summary, once Congress can get a handle on all the mandated 
reports, we can take actions to reduce any unnecessary agency reporting 
burdens.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr.   Mike Quigley, for working 
together with the House Oversight and Reform Committee's ranking 
member,   James Comer, on this good government bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no 
further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).

  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Access to 
Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, which I have worked on along with 
my House Oversight and Reform Committee colleague, Congressman Mike 
Quigley.

[[Page H3872]]

  This bill will help modernize Congress and expand the legislative 
branch's oversight over the executive branch.
  Every year, Federal agencies prepare and submit thousands of in-depth 
reports to various congressional committees. These reports cover topics 
such as the implementation status of new agency programs or legal 
requirements in recently passed laws.
  They also cover the ongoing effort of the Federal Government to 
address waste, fraud, and abuse as well as policy priorities like our 
Nation's financial stability, cybersecurity, homeland security, and 
public health readiness.
  In short, congressionally mandated reports are a key part of how the 
United States Congress fulfills its Article I oversight duties over the 
executive branch.
  Beyond holding hearings and passing laws, the legislative branch 
mandates that executive branch agencies report to the House and Senate 
on their activities and compliance with the law.
  As representatives in the House, we have an obligation to the 
American people to maintain constant visibility into the executive 
branch. And congressionally mandated reports are one of our most 
useful, daily oversight tools.
  However, there is a problem. Congress lacks a central inventory of 
the reports we require Federal agencies to send us. This makes it hard 
to know for certain if agencies are fulfilling their legal reporting 
obligations or for new congressional Members and staff to find reports 
from previous years.
  Additionally, the American public has little to no access to these 
valuable reports, which contain key insights into agency programs and 
missions that directly affect them.
  H.R. 2485 is the solution we need. With the bill's establishment of a 
single website at the Government Publishing Office we will be able to 
find the reports we need when we need them.
  A fully searchable inventory of these reports makes complete sense in 
the modern world. This new portal will enable each and every House 
Member and staffer to do their job on behalf of the American people 
they represent.
  After all, American taxpayer dollars are funding the preparation of 
these reports as well as the agency activities they report on.
  And for sensitive reports containing classified information, there 
are protections to ensure that only the proper congressional committees 
will be able to access such reports.
  Again, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Mike Quigley, for working 
with me to improve and reintroduce this government-wide transparency 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2485.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2485, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2485, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to require 
the Director of the Government Publishing Office to establish and 
maintain a single online portal accessible to the public that allows 
the public to obtain electronic copies of all congressionally mandated 
reports, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________