H.R. 1423 — Referred from Senate

IIB 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1423 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 26, 2014Received February 27, 2014Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs AN ACT To provide taxpayers with an annual report disclosing the cost and performance of Government programs and areas of duplication among them, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act. 2. Cost and performance of Government programs (a) Amendment Section 1122(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Additional information (A) In general Information for each program described under paragraph (1) shall include the following to be updated not less than annually: (i) The total administrative cost of the program for the previous fiscal year. (ii) The expenditures for services for the program for the previous fiscal year. (iii) An estimate of the number of clients served by the program and beneficiaries who received assistance under the program (if applicable) for the previous fiscal year. (iv) An estimate of, for the previous fiscal year— (I) the number of full-time Federal employees who administer the program; and (II) the number of full-time employees whose salary 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 administer or assist in administering the program. (v) An identification of the specific statute that authorizes the program, including whether such authorization is expired. (vi) Any finding of duplication or overlap identified by internal review, an Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office, or other report to the agency about the program. (vii) Any program performance reviews (including program performance reports required under section 1116). (B) Definitions In this paragraph: (i) Administrative cost The term administrative cost has the meaning as determined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under section 504(b)(2) of Public Law 111–85 (31 U.S.C. 1105 note), except the term shall also include, for purposes of that section and this paragraph, with respect to an agency— (I) costs incurred by the agency as well as costs incurred by grantees, subgrantees, and other recipients of funds from a grant program or other program administered by the agency; and (II) expenses related to personnel salaries and benefits, property management, travel, program management, promotion, reviews and audits, case management, and communication about, promotion of, and outreach for programs and program activities administered by the agency. (ii) Services The term services has the meaning provided by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and shall be limited to only activities, assistance, and aid that provide a direct benefit to a recipient, such as the provision of medical care, assistance for housing or tuition, or financial support (including grants and loans). . (b) Expired grant funding Not later than February 1 of each fiscal year, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall publish on the public website of the Office of Management and Budget the total amount of undisbursed grant funding remaining in grant accounts for which the period of availability to the grantee has expired. 3. Government Accountability Office requirements relating to identification, consolidation, and elimination of duplicative Government programs Section 21 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (31 U.S.C. 712 note) is amended by inserting (a) before the first sentence and by adding at the end the following: (b) The Comptroller General shall maintain and provide regular updates, on not less than an annual basis to a publicly available website that tracks the status of responses by Departments and the Congress to suggested actions that the Comptroller General has previously identified in annual reports under subsection (a). The status of these suggested actions shall be tracked for an appropriate period to be determined by the Comptroller General. The requirements of this subsection shall apply during the effective period of subsection (a). . 4. Classified information Nothing in this Act shall, or the amendments made by this Act, be construed to require the disclosure of classified information. 5. Regulations and implementation (a) Regulations Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prescribe regulations to implement this Act, and the amendments made by this Act. (b) Implementation This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall be implemented not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) No additional funds authorized No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act, or the amendments made by this Act. Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 2014.Karen L. Haas,Clerk