,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #chj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #g1       
#bjai,mr4 ,johnson introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,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 ,guidance document ,the term       
guidance document-- 7,a7 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--  7i7  
does not have the force and effect of   
law2 and  7ii7 sets forth--  7,i7 an    

agency decision or a policy on a        
statutory1 regulatory1 or technical     
issue2 or  7,,ii7 an interpretation of a
 statutory or regulatory issue2 and     
7,b7 may include-- 7i7 a memorandum2    
7ii7 a notice2  7iii7 a bulletin2  7iv7 
a directive2  7v7 a news release2  7vi7 
a letter2  7vii7 a blog post2  7viii7 a 
no-action letter2  7ix7 a speech by an  
agency official2  7x7 an advisory2  7xi7
 a manual2  7xii7 a circular2  7xiii7 a 
frequently asked questions sheet2 or    
7xiv7 any combination of the items      
described in clauses 7i7 through 7xiii74
  #c4 ,publication of guidance documents
 on the internet  7a7 ,in general ,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 ,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 ,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