[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 166 (Tuesday, November 12, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5943-H5944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELIMINATE USELESS REPORTS ACT OF 2024
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 5301) to amend title 31, United States Code, to
require agencies to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting
requirements in annual budget justifications, and for other purposes,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5301
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 ``Eliminate Useless Reports
Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. SUNSETS FOR AGENCY REPORTS.
(a) In General.--Section 1125 of title 31, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
(2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the
following:
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Budget justification materials.--The term `budget
justification materials' has the meaning given the term in
section 3(b)(2) of the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note; Public Law
109-282).
``(2) Plan or report.--The term `plan or report' means any
plan or report submitted to Congress, any committee of
Congress, or subcommittee thereof, by not less than 1
agency--
``(A) in accordance with Federal law; or
``(B) at the direction or request of a congressional
report.
``(3) Recurring plan or report.--The term `recurring plan
or report' means a plan or report submitted on a recurring
basis.
``(4) Relevant congressional committee.--The term `relevant
congressional committee'--
``(A) means a congressional committee to which a recurring
plan or report is required to be submitted; and
``(B) does not include any plan or report that is required
to be submitted solely to the Committee on Armed Services of
the House of Representatives or the Senate.
``(b) Agency Identification of Unnecessary Reports.--
``(1) In general.--The head of each agency shall include in
the budget justification materials of the agency the
following:
``(A) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the following:
``(i) A list of each recurring plan or report submitted by
the agency.
``(ii) An identification of whether the recurring plan or
report listed in clause (i) was included in the most recent
report issued by the Clerk of the House of Representatives
concerning the reports that any agency is required by law or
directed or requested by a committee report to make to
Congress, any committee of Congress, or subcommittee thereof.
``(iii) If applicable, the unique alphanumeric identifier
for the recurring plan or report as required by section
7243(b)(1)(C)(vii) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263).
``(iv) The identification of any recurring plan or report
the head of the agency determines to be outdated or
duplicative.
``(B) With respect to each recurring plan or report
identified in subparagraph (A)(iv), the following:
``(i) A recommendation on whether to sunset, modify,
consolidate, or reduce the frequency of the submission of the
recurring plan or report.
``(ii) A citation to each provision of law or directive or
request in a congressional report that requires or requests
the submission of the recurring plan or report.
``(iii) A list of the relevant congressional committees for
the recurring plan or report.
``(C) A justification explaining, with respect to each
recommendation described in subparagraph (B)(i) relating to a
recurring plan or report--
``(i) why the head of the agency made the recommendation,
which may include an estimate of the resources expended by
the agency to prepare and submit the recurring plan or
report; and
``(ii) the understanding of the head of the agency of the
purpose of the recurring plan or report.
``(2) Agency consultation.--
``(A) In general.--In preparing the list required under
paragraph (1)(A), if, in submitting a recurring plan or
report, an agency is required to coordinate or consult with
another agency or entity, the head of the agency submitting
the recurring plan or report shall consult with the head of
each agency or entity with whom consultation or coordination
is required.
``(B) Inclusion in list.--If, after a consultation under
subparagraph (A), the head of each agency or entity consulted
under that subparagraph agrees that a recurring plan or
report is outdated or duplicative, the head of the agency
required to submit the recurring plan or report shall--
``(i) include the recurring plan or report in the list
described in paragraph (1)(A); and
``(ii) identify each agency or entity with which the head
of the agency is required to coordinate or consult in
submitting the recurring plan or report.
``(C) Disagreement.--If the head of any agency or entity
consulted under subparagraph (A) does not agree that a
recurring plan or report is outdated or duplicative, the head
of the agency required to submit the recurring plan or report
shall not include the recurring plan or report in the list
described in paragraph (1)(A).
``(3) Government-wide or multi-agency plan and report
submissions.--With respect to a recurring plan or report
required to be submitted by not less than 2 agencies, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall--
``(A) determine whether the requirement to submit the
recurring plan or report is outdated or duplicative; and
``(B) make recommendations to Congress accordingly.
``(4) Plan and report submissions conformity to the access
to congressionally mandated reports act.--With respect to an
agency recommendation, citation, or justification made under
subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) or a recommendation
by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under
paragraph (3), the agency or Director, as applicable, shall
also provide this information to the Director of the
Government Publishing Office in conformity with the agency
submission requirements under section 7244(a) of the James M.
Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2023 (Public Law 117-263; chapter 41 of title 44 note) in
conformity with guidance issued by the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget under section 7244(b) of such Act.
``(c) Rule of Construction on Agency Requirements.--Nothing
in this section shall be construed to exempt the head of an
agency from a requirement to submit a recurring plan or
report.''; and
(3) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking ``in
the budget of the United States Government, as provided by
section 1105(a)(37)'' and inserting ``in the budget
justification materials of each agency''.
(b) Budget Contents.--Section 1105(a) of title 31, United
States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (39).
(c) Conformity to the Access to Congressionally Mandated
Reports Act.--
(1) Amendment.--Subsections (a) and (b) of section 7244 of
the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; chapter 41 of title 44,
United States Code, note), are amended to read as follows:
``(a) Submission of Electronic Copies of Reports.--Not
earlier than 30 days or later than 60 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 7243(b)(1) with respect to the
congressionally mandated report. Notwithstanding section
7246, nothing in this subtitle 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
[[Page H5944]]
Congress or specific committees of Congress, or subcommittees
thereof.
``(b) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this subsection and periodically thereafter
as appropriate, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, in consultation with the Director, shall issue
guidance to agencies on the implementation of this subtitle
as well as the requirements of section 1125(b) of title 31,
United States Code.''.
(2) Updated omb guidance.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget shall issue updated guidance
to agencies to ensure that the requirements under subsections
(a) and (b) of section 1125 of title 31, United States Code,
as amended by this Act, for agency submissions of
recommendations and justifications for plans and reports to
sunset, modify, consolidate, or reduce the frequency of the
submission of are also submitted as a separate attachment in
conformity with the agency submission requirements of
electronic copies of reports submitted by agencies under
section 7244(a) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263;
chapter 41 of title 44, United States Code, note) for
publication on the online portal established under section
7243 of such Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.
General Leave
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5301, I urge support across
the aisle, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5301, the Eliminate Useless
Reports Act. I thank my distinguished colleague from California, the
ranking member of the Oversight and Accountability Committee,
Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, Mr.
Garcia for introducing H.R. 5301. I am proud to support this
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from California (Mr. Robert
Garcia) 2 minutes to discuss it.
Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support
this commonsense bipartisan bill, the Eliminate Useless Reports Act,
and I thank my co-lead, Representative Grothman from Wisconsin, for all
his work and support.
This bill is very simple. Congress, as we know, frequently requires
that Federal agencies provide reports on various topics and issues.
These reports provide Congress with important information, and we
couldn't do our jobs without them.
However, drafting these reports often takes lots of time and
resources.
Under this bill, every year, when agencies report their budget
requests, they will also send a list of any congressional reports they
believe that are outdated or duplicative. They can recommend that we
sunset, modify, or consolidate these reports.
We, in Congress, are unable to actually decide what is needed. When I
was mayor of Long Beach, I worked to cut red tape so we could support
small businesses and develop more housing where we needed it most. In
Congress, this is a bipartisan way to pursue that same goal which is
cutting the red tape.
I thank the Senate leads on this bill, Senators Ossoff and Lankford.
Finally, I will point out the bill has already passed the House once by
voice vote. Now we just need to pass it again as the previous bill was
adopted as a vehicle for separate legislation in the Senate.
Today, I hope we pass this back to the Senate so it can again be
agreed upon by unanimous consent and send it to the President's desk. I
urge everyone to vote for this legislation.
{time} 1830
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, this bill would increase
government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars by eliminating
unnecessary reports.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Garcia and Grothman for their
leadership on this issue and for the House Budget Committee's
collaboration.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues on both sides to support the
bill. I have no further speakers on this bill, and I am prepared to
close.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5301, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________