[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 115-3
115th Congress

An Act


 
To ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to
information. <>

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 ``GAO Access and Oversight Act of
2017''.
SEC. 2. ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION.

(a) Access to Certain Information.--Subchapter II of chapter 7 of
title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 721. <>  Access to certain information

``(a) No provision of the Social Security Act, including section
453(l) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 653(l)), shall be construed to limit,
amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to obtain
any information or to inspect any record under section 716 of this
title.
``(b) The specific reference to a statute in subsection (a) shall
not be construed to affect access by the Government Accountability
Office to information under statutes that are not so referenced.''.
(b) Agency Reports.--Section 720(b) of title 31, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``or
planned'' after ``action taken''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives, the congressional
committees with jurisdiction over the agency program or activity
that is the subject of the recommendation, and the Government
Accountability Office before the 61st day after the date of the
report; and''.

(c) Authority To Obtain Records.--Section 716 of title 31, United
States Code, is amended in subsection (a)--
(1) by striking ``(a)'' and inserting ``(2)''; and
(2) by inserting after the section heading the following:

``(a)(1) The Comptroller General is authorized to obtain such agency
records as the Comptroller General requires to discharge the duties of
the Comptroller General (including audit, evaluation, and investigative
duties), including through the bringing of civil actions under this
section. <>  In reviewing a civil action under this
section, the court shall recognize the continuing force and effect

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of the authorization in the preceding sentence until such time as the
authorization is repealed pursuant to law.''.

(d) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for
chapter 7 of title 31, <>  United States Code,
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 720 the
following:

``721. Access to certain information.''.

Approved January 31, 2017.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 72:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017):
Jan. 4, considered and passed House.
Jan. 17, considered and passed Senate.