II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2129 

To provide for reforming and consolidating agencies of the Federal 

Government to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 

Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for reforming and consolidating agencies of the 

Federal Government to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

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 ‘‘Reforming and Con5 solidating Government Act of 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROVIDING CONSOLIDATION AUTHORITY. 

7 (a) DEFINING AN EFFICIENCY-ENHANCING PLAN.— 

8 Section 902 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

10 the semicolon; 


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1 (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and 

2 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(4) ‘efficiency-enhancing plan’ means a reorga5 nization plan that the Director of the Office of Man6 agement and Budget determines will result in, or is 

7 likely to result in— 

8 ‘‘(A) a decrease in the number of agencies; 

9 or 

10 ‘‘(B) cost savings in performing the func11 tions that are the subject of that plan.’’. 

12 (b) MODERNIZING REORGANIZATION AUTHORITY.— 

13 Section 905(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amend14 ed— 

15 (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol16 lows: 

17 ‘‘(1) abolishing or transferring an independent 

18 regulatory agency, or all the functions thereof, or 

19 consolidating 2 or more independent regulatory 

20 agencies, or all the functions thereof;’’; 

21 (2) by striking paragraph (5); and 

22 (3) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as 

23 paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively. 


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1 SEC. 3. DURATION AND SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 905(b) of title 5, United 

3 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘if the plan’’ and all 

4 that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘if the plan is— 

5 ‘‘(1) transmitted to Congress (in accordance 

6 with section 903(b)) on or before the date that is 2 

7 years after the date of enactment of the Reforming 

8 and Consolidating Government Act of 2012; and 

9 ‘‘(2) an efficiency-enhancing plan.’’. 

10 (b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—Section 

11 908(1) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by strik12 ing ‘‘December 31, 1984’’ and inserting ‘‘the date that 

13 is 2 years after the date of enactment of the Reforming 

14 and Consolidating Government Act of 2012’’. 

15 (c) TERMS OF RESOLUTION.—Section 909 of title 5, 

16 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘the matter 

17 after the resolving clause’’ and all that follows through 

18 ‘‘such modifications’’ and inserting ‘‘the matter after the 

19 resolving clause of which is as follows: ‘That Congress ap20 proves the reorganization plan numbered lllll 

21 transmitted to Congress by the President on 

22 lllllllllll.’, and includes such modifica23 tions’’. 

24 SEC. 4. SEVERABILITY. 

25 If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by 

26 this Act, or the application of such provision or amendVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:19 Feb 18, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2129.IS S2129

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1 ment to any person or circumstance is held to be unconsti2 tutional, the remainder of this Act, the amendments made 

3 by this Act, and the application of the provisions of such 

4 to any person or circumstance shall not be affected there5 by. 

Æ 


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