,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gcif  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bf1 #bjbj,mr4 
,walker introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
increase access to agency guidance      
documents4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,guidance ,out ,of  
,darkness ,act or the ,,good ,act4  #b4 
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,agency
 ,the term agency has the meaning given 
that term in section #eea of title #e1  
,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,director  
,the term ,director means the ,director 
of the ,office of ,management and       
,budget4  7#c7 ,guidance document  7,a7 
,definition ,the term guidance          
document-- 7i7 means an agency statement
 of general applicability 7other than a 
rule that has the force and effect of   
law promulgated in accordance with the  
notice and comment procedures under     
section #eec of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code7 that-- 7,i7 does not have

 the force and effect of law2 and       
7,,ii7 is designated by an agency       
official as setting forth-- 7aa7 a      
policy on a statutory1 regulatory1 or   
technical issue2 or  7bb7 an            
interpretation of a statutory or        
regulatory issue2 and  7ii7 may         
include-- 7,i7 a memorandum2  7,,ii7 a  
notice2  7,,iii7 a bulletin2  7,,iv7 a  
directive2  7,v7 a news release2  7,,vi7
 a letter2  7,,vii7 a blog post2        
7,,viii7 a no-action letter2  7,,ix7 a  
speech by an agency official2 and  7,x7 
any combination of the items described  
in subclauses 7,i7 through 7,,ix74  7,b7
 ,rule of construction ,the term        
guidance document-- 7i7 shall be        
construed broadly to effectuate the     
purpose and intent of this ,act2 and    
7ii7 shall not be limited to the items  
described in subparagraph 7,a77ii74  #c4
 ,publication of guidance documents on  
the internet  7a7 ,in general ,subject  
to subsection 7d71 on the date on which 
an agency issues a guidance document1   

the agency shall publish the guidance   
document in accordance with the         
requirements under subsection 7c74  7b7 
,previously issued guidance documents   
,subject to subsection 7d71 not later   
than #ahj days after the date of        
enactment of this ,act1 each agency     
shall publish1 in accordance with the   
requirements under subsection 7c71 any  
guidance document issued by that agency 
that is in effect on that date4  7c7    
,single location  7#a7 ,in general ,all 
guidance documents published under      
subsections 7a7 and 7b7 by an agency    
shall be published in a single location 
on an internet website designated by the
 ,director under paragraph 7#d74  7#b7  
,agency internet websites ,each agency  
shall1 for guidance documents published 
by the agency under subsections 7a7 and 
7b71 publish a hyperlink on the internet
 website of the agency that provides    
access to the guidance documents at the 
location described in paragraph 7#a74   
7#c7 ,organization  7,a7 ,in general    

,the guidance documents described in    
paragraph 7#a7 shall be-- 7i7           
categorized as guidance documents2 and  
7ii7 further divided into subcategories 
as appropriate4  7,b7 ,agency internet  
websites ,the hyperlinks described in   
paragraph 7#b7 shall be prominently     
displayed on the internet website of the
 agency4  7#d7 ,designation ,not later  
than #ij days after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,director   
shall designate an internet website on  
which guidance documents shall be       
published under subsections 7a7 and 7b74
  7d7 ,documents and information exempt 
from disclosure under ,,foia ,if a      
guidance document issued by an agency is
 a document that is exempt from         
disclosure under section #eeb7;b7 of    
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code         
7commonly known as the ,freedom of      
,information ,act71 or contains         
information that is exempt from         
disclosure under that section1 that     
document or information1 as the case may

 be1 shall not be subject to the        
requirements under this ,act4  7e7      
,rescinded guidance documents ,on the   
date on which a guidance document issued
 by an agency is rescinded1 or1 in the  
case of a guidance document that is     
rescinded pursuant to a court order1 not
 later than the date on which the order 
is entered1 the agency shall1 at the    
location described in subsection        
7c77#a7-- 7#a7 maintain the rescinded   
guidance document2 and  7#b7 indicate-- 
7,a7 that the guidance document is      
rescinded2  7,b7 if the guidance        
document was rescinded pursuant to a    
court order1 the case number of the case
 in which the order was entered2 and    
7,c7 the date on which the guidance     
document was rescinded4