,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #fh #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aif ,report ,no4 #aaf-cb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #ai1 #bjai,mr4 ,portman 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1 ,mr4 ,lankford1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,ms4 ,ernst1 ,mr4 ,jones1 and ,mr4 ,carper7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,april #aj1 #bjai,reported by ,mr4 ,johnson1 with amendments,omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic ,a ,,bill ,to save taxpayer money and improve the efficiency and speed of intragovernmental correspondence1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,modernizing ,congressional ,reporting ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the term acceptable electronic format means a file format and metadata elements authorized by the ,national ,archives and ,records ,administration for the transfer of permanent electronic records-- 7,a7 as set forth in-- 7i7 ,national ,archives and ,records ,administration ,bulletin #bjad-jd3 ,revised ,format ,guidance for the ,transfer of ,permanent ,electronic ,records1 dated ,january #ca1 #bjad1 or any successor bulletin2 and 7ii7 ,national ,archives and ,records ,administration ,bulletin #bjae-jd3 ,metadata ,guidance for the ,transfer of ,permanent ,electronic ,records1 dated ,september #ae1 #bjae1 or any successor bulletin2 and 7,b7 that complies with the requirements of the ,office of ,management and ,budget ,memorandum on the ,managing ,government ,records ,directive1 dated ,august #bd1 #bjab 7,m-#ab-ah71 or any successor memorandum2 7#b7 the term agency-- 7,a7 means-- 7i7 a ,federal agency1 as defined in section #ajb of title #dj1 ,united ,states ,code2 and 7ii7 an agency1 as defined in section #eeb7;f77#a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 and 7,b7 does not include the ,government ,accountability ,office2 7#c7 the term congressionally mandated report means a report that is required to be submitted to either ,house of ,congress or any committee of ,congress1 or subcommittee thereof1 by a statute1 resolution1 or conference report that accompanies legislation enacted into law2 7#d7 7#c7 the term congressional office means-- 7,a7 an office of any committee or subcommittee of the ,senate or the ,house of ,representatives1 including any select or special committee2 7,b7 an office of any individual ,senator or ,member of the ,house of ,representatives2 7,c7 a leadership office of the ,senate or the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,d7 ,congress or any ,house of ,congress2 7#d7 the term congressionally mandated report means a report that is required to be submitted to either ,house of ,congress or any committee of ,congress1 or subcommittee thereof1 by a statute1 resolution1 or conference report that accompanies legislation enacted into law2 7#e7 the term open format means a file format for storing digital data based on an underlying open standard that-- 7,a7 is not encumbered by any restrictions that would impede reuse2 and 7,b7 is based on an underlying open data standard that is maintained by a standards organization2 7#f7 the term recorded information includes all recorded information1 regardless of form or characteristics2 and 7#g7 the term structured data has the meaning given the term in ,national ,archives and ,records ,administration ,bulletin #bjad-jd3 ,revised ,format ,guidance for the ,transfer of ,permanent ,electronic ,records1 dated ,january #ca1 #bjad1 or any successor bulletin4 #c4 ,electronic transmission of reports 7a7 ,in general ,on and after the date that is #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 except as provided in subsection 7c7 and to the extent specifically required otherwise by law-- 7#a7 any report or other recorded information required to be submitted to ,congress by an agency under any provision of law1 and any response from an agency to a request by a congressional office for any report or other recorded information1 shall only be transmitted by the agency in an acceptable electronic format2 and 7#b7 any structured data included in or with1 or used to create any chart included in or with1 any report or other recorded information described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be transmitted by the agency in an acceptable electronic format for structured data4 7b7 ,format preference 7#a7 ,in general ,in transmitting a report or other recorded information described in subsection 7a7 to a congressional office1 an agency shall1 to the extent possible1 provide the original electronic file or an electronically converted file rather than a scanned document1 even if the document includes a signature4 7#b7 ,searchable scanned documents ,each scanned document that is transmitted by an agency to a congressional office shall be made searchable via optical character recognition or other means4 7c7 ,other formats ,an agency that is required to transmit a report or other recorded information described in subsection 7a7 to a congressional office in an acceptable electronic format may1 if requested by1 or otherwise agreed to with1 the congressional office-- 7#a7 transmit the report or other recorded information to the congressional office-- 7,a7 in an electronic format that is not an acceptable electronic format2 or 7,b7 as a physical document2 7#b7 allow the report or other recorded information to be reviewed in camera2 or 7#c7 not transmit the report or other recorded information4 7d7 ,routing ,if a congressional office designates a method to receive reports and other recorded information described in subsection 7a7 from agencies1 each agency shall transmit a report or other recorded information to the congressional office using the designated method1 unless otherwise requested by the congressional office4 #d4 ,publishing of reports 7a7 ,in general ,on and after the date that is #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 any congressionally mandated report1 and any structured data described in section #c7;a77#b7 and any transmittal letter associated with the report1 shall be posted on the public website of the agency submitting the report-- 7#a7 in an acceptable electronic format2 7#b7 in an open format2 7#c7 in accordance with the format preference described in section #c7;b72 and 7#d7 at a uniform resource locator or similar locator that is changed as infrequently as possible4 7b7 ,free access ,no fee1 registration requirement1 or other access limitation shall be imposed on access to any report required to be posted under subsection 7a74 7c7 ,open access ,all reports1 data1 and other information posted under this section shall be available to the public without restrictions1 including restrictions that would impede reuse of any or all elements of the information4 7d7 ,ease of access ,each agency shall provide in tabular form a list of all reports1 data1 or other information required to be posted under subsection 7a7 that-- 7#a7 is-- 7,a7 accessible via a link posted at the footer of the public website of the agency2 7,b7 accessible at a uniform resource locator or similar locator that is changed as infrequently as practicable2 7,c7 in a structure that is changed as infrequently as practicable and is as consistent with the structure used by other agencies as practicable2 7,d7 searchable and sortable by1 at a minimum-- 7i7 the title of the report2 7ii7 the date of publication of the report2 7iii7 each congressional office receiving the report1 if applicable2 7iv7 the statute1 resolution1 or conference report requiring the report2 7v7 the metadata elements of the report2 7vi7 a unique alphanumeric identifier for the report that is consistent across report editions2 and 7vii7 the serial number1 ,superintendent of ,documents number1 or other identification number for the report1 if applicable2 7,e7 available in an acceptable electronic format for structured data1 to allow for automated parsing of all data described in subparagraph 7,d7 and download of all reports and associated structured data2 and 7,f7 updated immediately upon posting of the report1 data1 or other information2 and 7#b7 contains links to download each report1 data1 and other information4 7e7 ,timely access ,an agency shall post a report1 data1 or other information required to be posted by the agency under subsection 7a7 not later than #cj days after the date on which the agency submits the report1 data1 or other information to ,congress4 7f7 ,removing and altering reports ,an agency may only change or remove1 with the exception of technical changes1 a report1 data1 or other information required to be posted by the agency under subsection 7a7 if-- 7#a7 the head of the agency consults with each congressional office to which the report1 data1 or other information is submitted2 and 7#b7 ,congress enacts a joint resolution authorizing the changing or removal of the report1 data1 or other information4 7g7 ,relation to the freedom of information act and redaction 7#a7 ,in general ,nothing in this section shall be construed to require the disclosure of information or records that are-- 7,a7 exempt from disclosure under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,freedom of ,information ,act72 or 7,b7 otherwise prohibited from disclosure by law4 7#b7 ,redaction of report ,with respect to each report1 data1 or other information required to be posted by an agency under subsection 7a71 the head of the agency shall-- 7,a7 redact any information that may not be disclosed under section #eeb7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 or is otherwise prohibited from disclosure by law1 before posting the report2 7,b7 only redact the information described in subparagraph 7,a72 7,c7 identify where each redaction is made in the report1 data1 or other information2 and 7,d7 identify the exemption under such section #eeb7;b7 under which each redaction is made4 7h7 ,withholding information ,an agency-- 7#a7 may withhold information otherwise required to be disclosed under this section only if-- 7,a7 the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption described in section #eeb7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 or 7,b7 disclosure is prohibited by law2 and 7#b7 shall-- 7,a7 consider whether partial disclosure of information otherwise required to be disclosed under this section is possible whenever the agency determines that a full disclosure of the information is not possible2 and 7,b7 take reasonable steps necessary to segregate and release nonexempt information4 7i7 ,open data registration ,not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 each agency shall make the list described in subsection 7d7 available to the public on ,data4gov or a successor ,federal open government data site1 in a structure and format used by that system4 7j7 ,submission of reports ,nothing in this section shall be construed to-- 7#a7 relieve an agency of any other requirement to publish a congressionally mandated report on the website of the agency or otherwise submit a congressionally mandated report to ,congress or specific committees or subcommittees of ,congress2 or 7#b7 impose any additional requirement to redact any submission to or withhold information from any congressional office4 ,april #aj1 #bjai,reported with amendments