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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4289 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4289

To enhance the disclosure of information on official foreign travel of 
Members and employees of Congress, to impose additional restrictions on 
                  such travel, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2012

   Mr. Johnson of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To enhance the disclosure of information on official foreign travel of 
Members and employees of Congress, to impose additional restrictions on 
                  such travel, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transparency and Accountability in 
Congressional Travel Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCED DISCLOSURE OF MEMBER AND STAFF TRAVEL.

    (a) Reporting Requirements for Official Foreign Travel by Members 
and Employees.--
            (1) Statement required prior to undertaking travel.--A 
        Member or employee of Congress may not undertake any official 
        foreign travel unless, not later than 14 days prior to the date 
        on which the travel begins, the Member or employee prepares and 
        submits to the Clerk of the House of Representatives (in the 
        case of a Member or employee of the House) or the Secretary of 
        the Senate (in the case of a Senator or employee of the Senate) 
        a statement containing the following information:
                    (A) The name and position of the Member or employee 
                involved, and (in the case of an employee) the 
                employing office.
                    (B) The office authorizing the travel.
                    (C) A statement of worthiness regarding the purpose 
                of the travel, including a description of how the 
                travel relates to the Member's or employee's official 
                duties.
                    (D) A tentative itinerary for each day of the 
                travel, including a list of the foreign nations and the 
                locations within each such nation the Member or 
                employee intends to visit and any individuals with whom 
                the Member or employee intends to meet.
                    (E) The names of any other individuals who are 
                accompanying the Member or employee during the travel, 
                without regard to whether such individuals are Members 
                or employees of the House.
                    (F) The amount of per diem the Member or employee 
                requested to be provided for the travel, and whether 
                the amount is greater than the standard per diem 
                provided under chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
                Code.
                    (G) A statement as to whether the aircraft to be 
                used for transportation for the travel is commercial, 
                chartered, private, or military), and (in the case of 
                commercial aircraft) whether the seating is coach, 
                business class, or first class.
                    (H) The Member's or employee's best estimate of the 
                costs of the travel, itemized by the costs of 
                transportation, meals, and lodging.
                    (I) If any portion of the cost of the travel will 
                be paid using appropriated funds other than funds of 
                the House of Representatives or Senate (including funds 
                of the Department of Defense or the Department of 
                State), the name of the office which is the source of 
                such funds.
            (2) Statement required after completion of travel.--Not 
        later than 14 days after completing any official foreign 
        travel, the Member or employee who undertook the travel shall 
        prepare and submit to the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
        (in the case of a Member or employee of the House) or the 
        Secretary of the Senate (in the case of a Senator or employee 
        of the Senate) a statement containing the following 
        information:
                    (A) The name and position of the Member or employee 
                involved, and (in the case of an employee) the 
                employing office.
                    (B) The office authorizing the travel.
                    (C) A statement detailing the value, worthiness, 
                and educational benefit to the Member or employee of 
                the travel.
                    (D) The actual itinerary for the travel, including 
                a comprehensive statement of travel times, foreign 
                nations visited and the locations visited in each such 
                nation, meetings, and other activities carried out 
                during the travel.
                    (E) The names of any other individuals who did 
                accompany the Member or employee during the travel, 
                without regard to whether such individuals are Members 
                or employees of the House.
                    (F) How much (if any) per diem was provided for the 
                travel and how much (if any) of such per diem was 
                unspent.
                    (G) A statement as to whether the aircraft used for 
                transportation for the travel was commercial, 
                chartered, private, or military), and (in the case of 
                commercial aircraft) whether the seating was coach, 
                business class, or first class.
                    (H) The actual cost of the travel, itemized by the 
                costs of--
                            (i) transportation (including the 
                        identification of the providers of the 
                        transportation);
                            (ii) lodging (including the identification 
                        of the providers of the lodging); and
                            (iii) meals (including the identification 
                        of the providers of the meals).
                    (I) If any portion of the cost of the travel was 
                paid (or will be paid) using appropriated funds other 
                than funds of the House of Representatives or Senate 
                (including funds of the Department of Defense or the 
                Department of State), the name of the office which is 
                the source of such funds and the amount of the payment 
                which is (or which will be) attributable to such 
                office.
            (3) Exception for classified information.--A Member or 
        employee may exclude from a statement prepared under this 
        subsection any information which is classified, so long as the 
        Member includes documentation in support of the exclusion in 
        the statement prepared under this subsection.
            (4) Use of electronic filing.--To the greatest extent 
        practicable, a Member or employee shall submit the statements 
        required under this section in both paper and electronic form.
    (b) Determination and Disclosure of Costs Incurred by Secretary of 
Defense or Secretary of State.--In the case of official foreign travel 
of a Member or employee of Congress for which any of the costs are to 
be paid by funds of the Department of Defense or the Department of 
State, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of State (as the case 
may be) shall, not later than 10 days after completion of the travel 
involved, provide the Member or employee with a written statement 
containing the following information:
            (1) The cost incurred with respect to the Member or 
        employee, itemized by the cost of transportation, lodging, and 
        meals.
            (2) A statement as to whether the aircraft used for 
        transportation for the travel was commercial, chartered, 
        private, or military), and (in the case of commercial aircraft) 
        whether the seating was coach, business class, or first class.
            (3) Such other information as the Member or employee may 
        request in order to enable the Member or employee to prepare 
        and submit the statement required under subsection (a)(2).
    (c) Internet Posting of Reports.--Upon receiving a statement under 
subsection (a) with respect to official foreign travel of a Member or 
employee of Congress, the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the 
Secretary of the Senate (as the case may be) shall post the statement 
on the Clerk's or Secretary's official public Internet site in a 
searchable, sortable, and downloadable manner.

SEC. 3. OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL OF MEMBERS AND 
              STAFF.

    (a) Prohibiting Vacation Stopovers During Travel.--A Member or 
employee of Congress may not undertake a vacation stopover for annual 
leave at any point during official foreign travel.
    (b) Restrictions on Travel by Employees.--
            (1) Travel by employees of members.--An employee of 
        Congress whose employing office is the office of a Member of 
        Congress may not undertake any official foreign travel unless--
                    (A) the authorizing office for the travel is the 
                office of the Member;
                    (B) the travel is undertaken by the employee to 
                accompany the Member on the Member's own official 
                foreign travel; and
                    (C) no other employee of the office accompanies the 
                Member on such travel.
            (2) Travel by employees of committees.--An employee of 
        Congress whose employing office is the office of a committee of 
        the House of Representatives or Senate (including a joint 
        committee) may not undertake any official foreign travel 
        unless--
                    (A) the authorizing office for the travel is the 
                office of the committee;
                    (B) the travel is undertaken by the employee to 
                accompany a Member who serves on the committee on the 
                Member's own official foreign travel; and
                    (C) the number of employees accompanying the 
                Members of the committee on such travel does not exceed 
                the number of Members of the committee who are 
                participating in such travel.
            (3) Exception for certain travel.--This subsection does not 
        apply with respect to travel to a military installation or 
        travel to a theater of operations of the Armed Forces.
    (c) Requiring Efforts To Reduce Expenses; Return of Unspent Per 
Diem.--Each Member and employee of Congress who undertakes official 
foreign travel shall--
            (1) take such actions as may be necessary to reduce the 
        costs incurred for such travel; and
            (2) return any per diem provided to the Member or employee 
        which remains unexpended as of the conclusion of the travel.
    (d) No Effect on Other Authorization Requirements.--Nothing in this 
section shall be construed to affect any requirement under the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the Standing Rules of the Senate, or any 
law that a Member, officer, or employee of Congress obtain 
authorization for official foreign travel prior to undertaking such 
travel.
    (e) Regulations.--This section shall be carried out in accordance 
with regulations promulgated--
            (1) by the Committee on House Administration of the House 
        of Representatives, with respect to Members and employees of 
        the House of Representatives; or
            (2) by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
        Senate, with respect to Senators and employees of the Senate.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``authorizing office'' means, with respect to 
        a Member or employee of Congress, the office which is 
        authorized under law or the Rules of the House of 
        Representatives or the Standing Rules of the Senate to approve 
        the use of appropriated funds, including official funds of the 
        Senate or House of Representatives, for official travel outside 
        of the United States by the Member or employee.
            (2) The term ``employee of Congress'' means an individual 
        whose salary is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer 
        of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate.
            (3) The term ``Member of Congress'' means a Senator or a 
        Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the 
        Congress.
            (4) The term ``official foreign travel'' means any travel 
        outside of the United States for which the costs (including the 
        costs of transportation, lodging, meals, and related expenses) 
        may be covered by appropriated funds, including official funds 
        of the Senate or House of Representatives, under law or the 
        Rules of the House of Representatives or the Standing Rules of 
        the Senate, or by funds provided under section 502(b) of the 
        Mutual Security Act of 1954 (22 U.S.C. 1754(b)).

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall apply with respect to official foreign travel 
undertaken after the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>
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