I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2392 

To improve the effectiveness of the Government’s collection, analysis, and 

dissemination of business information by using modern interactive data 

technologies. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 13, 2009 

Mr. ISSA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To improve the effectiveness of the Government’s collection, 

analysis, and dissemination of business information by 

using modern interactive data technologies. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Government Informa5 tion Transparency Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO STANDARDIZATION 

7 OF COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINA8 TION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. 

9 (a) PURPOSES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The purpose of this Act is to 

2 provide, to the maximum extent practicable, for the 

3 Federal Government to standardize the collection, 

4 analysis, and dissemination of business and financial 

5 information regarding business activities of compa6 nies through the use of a single data standard 

7 known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language. 

8 (2) ADDITIONAL PURPOSES.—In addition, the 

9 purposes of this Act are— 

10 (A) to require the use of the eXtensible 

11 Business Reporting Language standard to es12 tablish common definitions and structures that 

13 will maximize to the extent practicable the com14 parability and interoperability of data collected 

15 and held by Executive agencies; and 

16 (B) to provide for continued upgrading 

17 and maintenance of such common definitions 

18 and structures to remain current and of max19 imum utility as technologies and industry-spe20 cific or agency-specific content evolve over time. 

21 (b) BEST PRACTICES.—Within 90 days after the date 

22 of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office 

23 of Management and Budget, acting through the Office of 

24 Information and Regulatory Affairs, shall prepare and dis25 seminate to Executive agencies guidance documents reVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:01 May 19, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2392.IH H2392

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1 garding best practices to accomplish the purposes set forth 

2 in subsection (a). 

3 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF AGENCY PROCEDURES.— 

4 Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

5 the head of each agency shall establish procedures for ac6 complishing the purposes set forth in subsection (a) within 

7 the agency concerned. 

8 (d) PUBLIC ACCESS TO INTERACTIVE DATA.—Upon 

9 establishment of the procedures required by subsection (c), 

10 the head of each agency shall ensure that the information 

11 collected under the standard is accessible to the general 

12 public to the extent permitted by law. 

13 SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

14 Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of 

15 this Act, and annually thereafter on the anniversary of 

16 such date, the Director of the Office of Management and 

17 Budget shall submit to the Committee on Oversight and 

18 Government Reform of the House of Representatives and 

19 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

20 Affairs of the Senate a report on the status of the imple21 mentation of this Act. 

22 SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 

23 In this Act; 

24 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ means any 

25 executive department, military department, GovernVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:01 May 19, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2392.IH H2392

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1 ment corporation, Government controlled corpora2 tion, independent establishment, or other establish3 ment in the executive branch of the Government (in4 cluding the Executive Office of the President), or 

5 any independent regulatory agency, but does not in6 clude— 

7 (A) the Government Accountability Office; 

8 (B) the Federal Election Commission; 

9 (C) the governments of the District of Co10 lumbia and of the territories and possessions of 

11 the United States, and their various subdivi12 sions; or 

13 (D) Government-owned contractor-oper14 ated facilities, including laboratories engaged in 

15 national defense research and production activi16 ties. 

17 (2) EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, MILITARY DE18 PARTMENT, GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, GOVERN19 MENT CONTROLLED CORPORATION, INDEPENDENT

20 ESTABLISHMENT.—The terms ‘‘Executive depart21 ment’’, ‘‘military department’’, ‘‘Government cor22 poration’’, ‘‘Government controlled corporation’’, and 

23 ‘‘independent establishment’’ have the meanings 

24 given those terms by chapter 1 of title 5, United 

25 States Code. 


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1 (3) INDEPENDENT REGULATORY AGENCY.—The 

2 term ‘‘independent regulatory agency’’ has the 

3 meaning given that term by section 3502(5) of title 

4 44, United States Code. 

Æ 


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