31 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2023 Edition
Title 31 - MONEY AND FINANCE
SUBTITLE I - GENERAL
CHAPTER 7 - GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
SUBCHAPTER II - GENERAL DUTIES AND POWERS
Sec. 718 - Availability of draft reports
From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov

### §718. Availability of draft reports

(a) A draft report of an audit under section 714 of this title shall be submitted to the Financial Institutions Examination Council, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for comment for 30 days.

(b)(1) The Comptroller General may submit a part of a draft report to an agency for comment for more than 30 days only if the Comptroller General decides, after a showing by the agency, that a longer period is necessary and likely to result in a more accurate report. The report may not be delayed because the agency does not comment within the comment period.

(2) When a draft report is submitted to an agency for comment, the Comptroller General shall make the draft report available on request to—

(A) either House of Congress, a committee of Congress, or a member of Congress if the report was begun because of a request of the House, committee, or member; or

(B) the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives if the report was not begun because of a request of either House of Congress, a committee of Congress, or a member of Congress.

(3) This subsection is subject to statutory and executive order guidelines for handling and storing classified information and material.

(c) A final report of the Comptroller General shall include—

(1) a statement of significant changes of a finding, conclusion, or recommendation in an earlier draft report because of comments on the draft by an agency;

(2) a statement of the reasons the changes were made; and

(3) for a draft report submitted under subsection (a) of this section, written comments of the agency submitted during the comment period.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 894.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large)
--- | --- | ---
718(a) | 31:67(e)(6)(B)(1st sentence). | Sept. 12, 1950, ch. 946, 64 Stat. 832, §117(e)(6)(B); added July 21, 1978, Pub. L. 95–320, §2, 92 Stat. 392.
718(b)(1) | 31:53(f)(1), (2). | June 10, 1921, ch. 18, 42 Stat. 20, §312(f); added Apr. 3, 1980, Pub. L. 96–226, §103, 94 Stat. 314.
718(b)(2) | 31:53(f)(3). |
718(b)(3) | 31:53(f)(5). |
718(c)(1) | 31:53(f)(4)(A). |
718(c)(2) | 31:53(f)(4)(B). |
718(c)(3) | 31:67(e)(6)(B)(last sentence). |

In subsection (a), the words "audit under section 714 of this title" are substituted for "such Office audit report", and the words "Financial Institutions Examination Council, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency" are substituted for "agency concerned (other than banks, branches, and facilities)", because of the restatement.

In subsection (b)(1), the words "The report may not be delayed because the agency does not comment within the comment period" are substituted for 31:53(f)(2) to eliminate unnecessary words.

In subsection (b)(2)(A), the words "pursuant to subsection (b) of this section or otherwise" are omitted as surplus.

In subsection (b)(2)(B), the words "if the report was not begun because of a request of either House of Congress, a committee of Congress, or a member of Congress" are substituted for "in the case of any other report" for clarity and consistency.

In subsection (b)(3), the words "Procedures followed pursuant to" are omitted as surplus.

In subsection (c), before clause (1), the words "version of any" are omitted as surplus. The words "shall include" are substituted for "The Comptroller General shall prepare and issue with" because of the restatement. The words "Comptroller General" are substituted for "General Accounting Office" for consistency. In clause (3), the words "when a draft report was submitted under subsection (a) of this section" are added because of the restatement. The words "as an addendum" are omitted as surplus.

#### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

#### Change of Name

Committee on Governmental Affairs of Senate changed to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of Senate, effective Jan. 4, 2005, by Senate Resolution No. 445, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Oct. 9, 2004.

Committee on Government Operations of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999. Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019. Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.