,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #acdg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bc1     
#bjac ,mr4 ,coburn 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,mc,cain1 ,mr4 ,chiesa1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 and 
,ms4 ,ayotte7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  
,to provide transparency1               
accountability1 and limitations of      
,government sponsored conferences4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,conference ,accountability ,act of 
#bjac4  #b4 ,government sponsored       
conferences  7a7 ,travel expenses of    
,federal agencies relating to           
conferences  7#a7 ,limitations and      
reports on travel expenses to           
conferences ,chapter #eg of title #e1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #egab4
 ,limitations and reports on travel     
expenses to conferences  7a7 ,in this   
section1 the term--  7#a7 conference    

means a meeting that--  7,a7 is held for
 consultation1 education1 or discussion2
  7,b7 is not held entirely at an agency
 facility2  7,c7 involves costs         
associated with travel and lodging for  
some participants2 and  7,d7 is         
sponsored by #a or more agencies1 #a or 
more organizations that are not         
agencies1 or a combination of such      
agencies or organizations2 and  7#b7    
international conference means a        
conference attended by representatives  
of--  7,a7 the ,united ,states          
,government2 and  7,b7 any foreign      
government1 international organization1 
or foreign nongovernmental organization4
  7b7 ,no agency may pay the travel     
expenses for more than #ej employees of 
that agency who are stationed in the    
,united ,states1 for any international  
conference occurring outside the ,united
 ,states1 unless the ,secretary of      
,state submits to ,congress before the  
conference a written certification that 
attendance for such employees is in the 

national interest4  7c7 ,not later than 
#cj days after the end of each quarter  
of each fiscal year1 each agency shall  
post on the public ,internet website of 
that agency a report on each conference 
for which the agency paid travel        
expenses during the preceding #c months 
that includes--  7#a7 the itemized      
expenses paid by the agency1 including  
travel expenses1 the cost of scouting   
for and selecting the location of the   
conference1 and any agency expenditures 
to otherwise support the conference2    
7#b7 the primary sponsor of the         
conference2  7#c7 the location of the   
conference2  7#d7 in the case of a      
conference for which that agency was the
 primary sponsor1 a statement that--    
7,a7 justifies the location selected2   
7,b7 demonstrates the cost efficiency of
 the location2 and  7,c7 provides a cost
 benefit analysis of holding a          
conference rather than conducting a     
teleconference2  7#e7 the date of the   
conference2  7#f7 an explanation how the

 conference advanced the mission of the 
agency2  7#g7 the title and pay grade of
 any ,federal employee or any individual
 who is not a ,federal employee whose   
travel expenses or other conference     
expenses were paid by the agency2 and   
7#h7 the total number of individuals    
whose travel expenses or other          
conference expenses were paid by the    
agency4  7d7 ,each report posted on the 
public ,internet website under          
subsection 7c7 shall--  7#a7 be in a    
searchable electronic format2 and  7#b7 
remain on that website for at least #e  
years after the date of posting4  4     
7#b7 ,technical and conforming amendment
 ,the table of sections for chapter #eg 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is  
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #egaa the following3
  #egab4 ,limitations and reports on    
travel expenses to conferences4  4  7b7 
,limitations on annual travel expenses  
7#a7 ,in general ,in the case of each of
 fiscal years #bjad through #bjah1 an   

agency 7as defined under section        
#egja7a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states   
,code7 may not make1 or obligate to     
make1 expenditures for travel expenses1 
in an aggregate amount greater than #hj 
percent of the aggregate amount of such 
expenses for fiscal year #bjaj4  7#b7   
,identification of travel expenses ,not 
later than ,september #a1 #bjac1 and    
after consultation with the             
,administrator of ,general ,services and
 the ,director of the ,administrative   
,office of the ,united ,states ,courts1 
the ,director of the ,office of         
,management and ,budget shall establish 
guidelines for the determination of what
 expenses constitute travel expenses for
 purposes of this subsection4 ,the      
guidelines shall identify specific      
expenses1 and classes of expenses1 that 
are to be treated as travel expenses4   
7c7 ,conference transparency and        
limitations  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this 
subsection--  7,a7 the term agency has  
the meaning given under section #egja7a7

 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 and
  7,b7 the term conference has the      
meaning given under section             
#egab7;a77#a7 of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code 7as added by subsection   
7a774  7#b7 ,public availability of     
conference materials ,each agency shall 
post on the public ,internet website of 
that agency detailed information on any 
presentation made by any employee of    
that agency at a conference1 including--
  7,a7 any minutes relating to the      
presentation2  7,b7 any speech          
delivered2  7,c7 any visual exhibit1    
including photographs or slides2  7,d7  
any video1 digital1 or audio recordings 
of the conference2 and  7,e7 information
 regarding any financial support or     
other assistance from a foundation or   
other non-,federal source used to pay or
 defray the costs of the conference1    
which shall include a certification by  
the head of the agency that there is no 
conflict of interest resulting from the 
support received from each such source4 

7#c7 ,limitation on amount expended on a
 conference  7,a7 ,in general ,no agency
 may expend more than #ejj1jjj to       
support a single conference4  7,b7 ,rule
 of construction ,nothing in this       
paragraph shall be construed to preclude
 an agency from receiving financial     
support or other assistance from a      
foundation or other non-,federal source 
to pay or defray the costs of a         
conference the total cost of which      
exceeds #ejj1jjj4  7#d7 ,limitation on  
the annual number of conferences an     
agency may support  7,a7 ,in general ,an
 agency may expend funds on not more    
than #a conference that is sponsored or 
organized by a particular organization  
during any fiscal year1 unless the      
agency is the primary sponsor and       
organizer of the conference4  7,b7 ,rule
 of construction ,nothing in this       
paragraph shall be construed to preclude
 an agency from paying travel expenses  
for an employee of that agency to attend
 a conference4  7#e7 ,limitation on     

conference policies ,an agency may not  
establish or implement a policy that    
discourages or prohibits the selection  
of a location for travel1 an event1 a   
meeting1 or a conference because the    
location is perceived to be a resort or 
vacation destination4