#aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #fcbi  ,,an ,,act  ,to ensure that  
,federal agencies rely on the best      
reasonably available scientific1        
technical1 demographic1 economic1 and   
statistical information and evidence to 
develop1 issue or inform the public of  
the nature and bases of ,federal agency 
rules and guidance1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,information        
,quality ,assurance ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 
,information quality assurance  7a7 ,in 
general ,subchapter ,i of chapter #ce of
 title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #cebb ,information quality  
assurance  7a7 ,in general ,not later   
than #a year after the date of the      
enactment of the ,information ,quality  
,assurance ,act of #bjbe1 the ,director 
shall-- 7#a7 update the guidelines      
issued under the ,information ,quality  
,act--  7,a7 to provide policy and      
procedural guidance to the heads of     

,federal agencies for better ensuring   
and maximizing the quality1 objectivity1
 utility1 and integrity of influential  
information or evidence-- 7i7 used by   
the heads of ,federal agencies to       
develop or issue rules and guidance made
 available to the public2 or  7ii7      
disseminated to the public to inform the
 public about the nature and bases of   
such rules and guidance2 and  7,b7 in a 
manner consistent with--  7i7 this      
chapter2 and  7ii7 the amendments made  
by the ,foundations for ,evidence-,based
 ,policymaking ,act of #bjah 7,public   
,law #aae-dce2 #acb ,stat4 #eebi72 and  
7#b7 make the guidelines updated under  
paragraph 7#a7 available on the website 
of the ,office of ,management and       
,budget4  7b7 ,content of guidelines    
,not later than #a year after the       
,director updates the guidelines under  
subsection 7a71 the head of each        
,federal agency to which the guidelines 
apply shall--  7#a7 update any          
guidelines issued by the head of the    

,federal agency under the ,information  
,quality ,act to ensure that1 in the    
case of influential information or      
evidence1 the best reasonably available 
information and evidence that is        
fit-for-purpose is relied on in         
developing1 issuing1 or informing the   
public about the rules and guidance of  
the ,federal agency2  7#b7 publish the  
guidelines updated by the head of the   
,federal agency under paragraph 7#a7 on 
the website of the ,federal agency2     
7#c7 ensure the administrative          
mechanisms established under            
subparagraph 7,b7 of subsection 7b77#b7 
of the ,information ,quality ,act are   
made available1 as applicable1 with     
respect to seeking and obtaining the    
correction of any influential           
information or evidence disseminated by 
agencies that the ,federal agency uses  
to develop or issue a rule or guidance  
made available to the public1 or to     
inform the public of the nature and     
basis of any rule or guidance of the    

,federal agency1 that does not comply   
with the guidelines issued under        
paragraph 7#a72 and  7#d7 include in the
 report required under subparagraph 7,c7
 of subsection 7b77#b7 of the           
,information ,quality ,act the          
information described under that        
subparagraph with respect to any        
complaints received by the ,federal     
agency related to the accuracy of       
influential information or evidence the 
,federal agency uses to develop1 issue1 
or inform the public of the nature and  
bases of rules or guidance4  7c7 ,public
 disclosure  7#a7 ,availability  7,a7   
,in general ,not later than #a year     
after the date of enactment of this     
section1 the ,director shall issue      
guidance1 which may be included in the  
guidelines updated under subsection 7a71
 that directs the head of the ,federal  
agency to make available1 except as     
provided under paragraph 7#b71 in the   
docket for the rulemaking of any rule of
 the ,federal agency1 or in the public  

administrative record for any guidance--
 7i7 the critical factual material upon 
which the head of the ,federal agency   
relied as part of the rulemaking or     
guidance development process2 and  7ii7 
a citation to any other source used to  
inform the rulemaking or guidance       
development process1 including a        
citation to any public comment that is  
referenced in a final rulemaking action4
  7,b7 ,process  7i7 ,in general ,except
 as provided under clause 7ii71 the     
guidance required under subparagraph    
7,a7 shall direct an agency to make     
available the information that must be  
made available under that subparagraph  
as soon as reasonably possible before1  
but at a minimum at1 the time that the  
,federal agency promulgates a rule or   
issues guidance4  7ii7 ,notice and      
comment ,if a ,federal agency engages in
 notice and comment rulemaking under    
section #eec of title #e or provides for
 public notice and an opportunity to    
comment on proposed guidance1 the       

guidance required under subparagraph    
7,a7 shall direct the ,federal agency to
 provide notice and an opportunity to   
comment on the critical factual material
 upon which the head of the ,federal    
agency relied4  7,c7 ,revisions ,if the 
critical factual material under         
subparagraph 7,a77i7 is revised in a    
manner that may materially affect the   
rulemaking or guidance after the public 
is given notice and an opportunity to   
comment pursuant to subparagraph        
7,b77ii71 but before the rule or        
guidance is published1 the head of the  
,federal agency shall make the revision 
available in the docket for the         
rulemaking or in the applicable         
administrative record for the guidance  
in a timely manner4  7#b7               
,implementation of public disclosure    
requirement exceptions  7,a7 ,in general
 ,the guidance under paragraph 7#a7     
shall direct the head of the ,federal   
agency-- 7i7 to implement paragraph 7#a7
 consistent with this chapter1 sections 

#eeb and #eeb;a of title #e1 and any    
rights under titles #ag and #ce2  7ii7  
to implement paragraph 7#a7 to the      
maximum extent feasible1 considering    
costs to the ,federal ,government2 and  
7iii7 in implementing paragraph 7#a71 to
 not make available in the docket for   
the rulemaking of any rule of the       
,federal agency1 or in the public       
administrative record for any guidance1 
as applicable1 information that is      
prohibited from being disclosed to the  
public under any statute4  7,b7         
,explanation to be included in docket or
 administrative record ,if the head of  
the ,federal agency does not make       
critical factual material available     
under paragraph 7#a71 subject to        
subparagraph 7,a7 of this paragraph1 the
 head of the ,federal agency shall      
include in the docket for the rulemaking
 or the public administrative record1 if
 applicable1 for the guidance-- 7i7 an  
explanation as to why such information  
cannot be made publicly available2 and  

7ii7 a description of any steps being   
taken to increase access to such        
information1 even if the information    
cannot be made public4  7#c7 ,format of 
critical factual material  7,a7 ,in     
general ,subject to paragraph 7#b7 and  
subparagraph 7,b71 the head of each     
,federal agency shall make available any
 critical factual material required to  
be made available under paragraph       
7#a77;,a7 as an open ,government data   
asset4  7,b7 ,exception ,if an exception
 under paragraph 7#b77;,a7 applies1 the 
head of a ,federal agency may-- 7i7     
maximize public access to the critical  
factual material to the extent permitted
 by law2  7ii7 make the critical factual
 material available by citation or      
description2 and  7iii7 place in the    
docket for the rulemaking or the        
administrative record for the guidance a
 specification of the identity of the   
entity that holds a legal right to      
prohibit or limit reproduction1         
distribution1 or public display of the  

information and the means by which a    
member of the public may request to     
obtain a full copy of the information   
from such holder4  7d7 ,definitions ,in 
this section3 7#a7 ,evidence ,the term  
evidence has the meaning given that term
 in section #cefa4  7#b7 ,influential   
information or evidence ,the term       
influential information or evidence     
means information or evidence about     
which an agency can reasonably determine
 that reliance on or dissemination of   
the information will have or does have a
 clear and substantial impact on        
important public actions1 policies or   
statements or on important private      
sector decisions4  7#c7 ,information    
,quality ,act ,the term ,information    
,quality ,act means section #eae of the 
,treasury and ,general ,government      
,appropriations ,act1 #bjja 7,public    
,law #ajf-eed74  4  7b7 ,table of       
sections ,the table of sections for     
subchapter ,i of chapter #ce of title   
#dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  

by adding after the item relating to    
section #ceba the following3  #cebb4    
,information ,quality ,assurance4  4    
7c7 ,no additional funds ,no additional 
funds are authorized to be appropriated 
for the purpose of carrying out this    
,act or the amendments made by this     
,act4  ,passed the ,house of            
,representatives ,february #bd1         
#bjbf4;,clerk4