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Calendar No. 154 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 736 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 18, 2019 

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 

AN ACT 

To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office 

to establish and maintain an online portal accessible 

to the public that allows the public to obtain electronic 

copies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 

place, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Access to Congression5 ally Mandated Reports Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORT.— 

9 The term ‘‘congressionally mandated report’’— 


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1 (A) means a report that is required by 

2 statute to be submitted to either House of Con3 gress or any committee of Congress or sub4 committee thereof; and 

5 (B) does not include a report required 

6 under part B of subtitle II of title 36, United 

7 States Code. 

8 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

9 the Director of the Government Publishing Office. 

10 (3) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

11 agency’’ has the meaning given that term under sec12 tion 102 of title 40, United States Code, but does 

13 not include the Government Accountability Office. 

14 (4) OPEN FORMAT.—The term ‘‘open format’’ 

15 means a file format for storing digital data based on 

16 an underlying open standard that— 

17 (A) is not encumbered by any restrictions 

18 that would impede reuse; and 

19 (B) is based on an underlying open data 

20 standard that is maintained by a standards or21 ganization. 

22 (5) REPORTS ONLINE PORTAL.—The term ‘‘re23 ports online portal’’ means the online portal estab24 lished under section (3)(a). 


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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE PORTAL FOR CON2 GRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORTS. 

3 (a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH ONLINE POR4 TAL.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

6 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 

7 establish and maintain an online portal accessible by 

8 the public that allows the public to obtain electronic 

9 copies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 

10 place. The Director may publish other reports on the 

11 online portal. 

12 (2) EXISTING FUNCTIONALITY.—To the extent 

13 possible, the Director shall meet the requirements 

14 under paragraph (1) by using existing online portals 

15 and functionality under the authority of the Direc16 tor. 

17 (3) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this Act, 

18 the Director shall consult with the Clerk of the 

19 House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Sen20 ate, and the Librarian of Congress regarding the re21 quirements for and maintenance of congressionally 

22 mandated reports on the reports online portal. 

23 (b) CONTENT AND FUNCTION.—The Director shall 

24 ensure that the reports online portal includes the fol25 lowing: 


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1 (1) Subject to subsection (c), with respect to 

2 each congressionally mandated report, each of the 

3 following: 

4 (A) A citation to the statute requiring the 

5 report. 

6 (B) An electronic copy of the report, in7 cluding any transmittal letter associated with 

8 the report, in an open format that is platform 

9 independent and that is available to the public 

10 without restrictions, including restrictions that 

11 would impede the re-use of the information in 

12 the report. 

13 (C) The ability to retrieve a report, to the 

14 extent practicable, through searches based on 

15 each, and any combination, of the following: 

16 (i) The title of the report. 

17 (ii) The reporting Federal agency. 

18 (iii) The date of publication. 

19 (iv) Each congressional committee or 

20 subcommittee receiving the report, if appli21 cable. 

22 (v) The statute requiring the report. 

23 (vi) Subject tags. 


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1 (vii) A unique alphanumeric identifier 

2 for the report that is consistent across re3 port editions. 

4 (viii) The serial number, Super5 intendent of Documents number, or other 

6 identification number for the report, if ap7 plicable. 

8 (ix) Key words. 

9 (x) Full text search. 

10 (xi) Any other relevant information 

11 specified by the Director. 

12 (D) The date on which the report was re13 quired to be submitted, and on which the report 

14 was submitted, to the reports online portal. 

15 (E) To the extent practicable, a permanent 

16 means of accessing the report electronically. 

17 (2) A means for bulk download of all congres18 sionally mandated reports. 

19 (3) A means for downloading individual reports 

20 as the result of a search. 

21 (4) An electronic means for the head of each 

22 Federal agency to submit to the reports online por23 tal each congressionally mandated report of the 

24 agency, as required by section 4. 


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1 (5) In tabular form, a list of all congressionally 

2 mandated reports that can be searched, sorted, and 

3 downloaded by— 

4 (A) reports submitted within the required 

5 time; 

6 (B) reports submitted after the date on 

7 which such reports were required to be sub8 mitted; and 

9 (C) reports not submitted. 

10 (c) NONCOMPLIANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

11 (1) REPORTS NOT SUBMITTED.—If a Federal 

12 agency does not submit a congressionally mandated 

13 report to the Director, the Director shall to the ex14 tent practicable— 

15 (A) include on the reports online portal— 

16 (i) the information required under 

17 clauses (i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of subsection 

18 (b)(1)(C); and 

19 (ii) the date on which the report was 

20 required to be submitted; and 

21 (B) include the congressionally mandated 

22 report on the list described in subsection 

23 (b)(5)(C). 

24 (2) REPORTS NOT IN OPEN FORMAT.—If a Fed25 eral agency submits a congressionally mandated reVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:43 Jul 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H736.PCS H736

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1 port that is not in an open format, the Director shall 

2 include the congressionally mandated report in an3 other format on the reports online portal. 

4 (d) DEADLINE.—The Director shall ensure that in5 formation required to be published on the online portal 

6 under this Act with respect to a congressionally mandated 

7 report or information required under subsection (c) is pub8 lished— 

9 (1) not later than 30 calendar days after the in10 formation is received from the Federal agency in11 volved; or 

12 (2) in the case of information required under 

13 subsection (c), not later than 30 calendar days after 

14 the deadline under this Act for the Federal agency 

15 involved to submit information with respect to the 

16 congressionally mandated report involved. 

17 (e) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN REPORTS.— 

18 (1) EXCEPTION DESCRIBED.—A congressionally 

19 mandated report which is required by statute to be 

20 submitted to a committee of Congress or a sub21 committee thereof, including any transmittal letter 

22 associated with the report, shall not be submitted to 

23 or published on the reports online portal if the chair 

24 of a committee or subcommittee to which the report 

25 is submitted notifies the Director in writing that the 


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1 report is to be withheld from submission and publi2 cation under this Act. 

3 (2) NOTICE ON PORTAL.—If a report is with4 held from submission to or publication on the re5 ports online portal under paragraph (1), the Direc6 tor shall post on the portal— 

7 (A) a statement that the report is withheld 

8 at the request of a committee or subcommittee 

9 involved; and 

10 (B) the written notification specified in 

11 paragraph (1). 

12 (f) FREE ACCESS.—The Director may not charge a 

13 fee, require registration, or impose any other limitation 

14 in exchange for access to the reports online portal. 

15 (g) UPGRADE CAPABILITY.—The reports online por16 tal shall be enhanced and updated as necessary to carry 

17 out the purposes of this Act. 

18 SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 

19 (a) SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC COPIES OF RE20 PORTS.—Not earlier than 30 calendar days or later than 

21 45 calendar days after the date on which a congressionally 

22 mandated report is submitted to either House of Congress 

23 or to any committee of Congress or subcommittee thereof, 

24 the head of the Federal agency submitting the congres25 sionally mandated report shall submit to the Director the 


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1 information required under subparagraphs (A) through 

2 (D) of section 3(b)(1) with respect to the congressionally 

3 mandated report. Nothing in this Act shall relieve a Fed4 eral agency of any other requirement to publish the con5 gressionally mandated report on the online portal of the 

6 Federal agency or otherwise submit the congressionally 

7 mandated report to Congress or specific committees of 

8 Congress, or subcommittees thereof. 

9 (b) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 240 calendar days 

10 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 

11 the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation 

12 with the Director, shall issue guidance to agencies on the 

13 implementation of this Act. 

14 (c) STRUCTURE OF SUBMITTED REPORT DATA.— 

15 The head of each Federal agency shall ensure that each 

16 congressionally mandated report submitted to the Director 

17 complies with the open format criteria established by the 

18 Director in the guidance issued under subsection (b). 

19 (d) POINT OF CONTACT.—The head of each Federal 

20 agency shall designate a point of contact for congression21 ally mandated reports. 

22 SEC. 5. CHANGING OR REMOVING REPORTS. 

23 (a) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY TO CHANGE OR RE24 MOVE REPORTS.—Except as provided in subsection (b), 

25 the head of the Federal agency concerned may change or 


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1 remove a congressionally mandated report submitted to be 

2 published on the reports online portal only if— 

3 (1) the head of the Federal agency consults 

4 with each committee of Congress or subcommittee 

5 thereof to which the report is required to be sub6 mitted (or, in the case of a report which is not re7 quired to be submitted to a particular committee of 

8 Congress or subcommittee thereof, to each com9 mittee with jurisdiction over the agency, as deter10 mined by the head of the agency in consultation with 

11 the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 

12 President pro tempore of the Senate) prior to chang13 ing or removing the report; and 

14 (2) a joint resolution is enacted to authorize the 

15 change in or removal of the report. 

16 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 

17 the head of the Federal agency concerned— 

18 (1) may make technical changes to a report 

19 submitted to or published on the online portal; and 

20 (2) may remove a report from the online portal 

21 if the report was submitted to or published on the 

22 online portal in error. 


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1 SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMA2 TION ACT. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall be con4 strued to— 

5 (1) require the disclosure of information, 

6 records, or reports that are exempt from public dis7 closure under section 552 of title 5, United States 

8 Code; or 

9 (2) impose any affirmative duty on the Director 

10 to review congressionally mandated reports sub11 mitted for publication to the reports online portal 

12 for the purpose of identifying and redacting such in13 formation or records. 

14 (b) REDACTION OF INFORMATION.—The head of a 

15 Federal agency may redact information required to be dis16 closed under this Act if the information would be properly 

17 withheld from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, 

18 United States Code, and shall— 

19 (1) redact information required to be disclosed 

20 under this Act if disclosure of such information is 

21 prohibited by law; 

22 (2) redact information being withheld under 

23 this subsection prior to submitting the information 

24 to the Director; 

25 (3) redact only such information properly with26 held under this subsection from the submission of 


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1 information or from any congressionally mandated 

2 report submitted under this Act; 

3 (4) identify where any such redaction is made 

4 in the submission or report; and 

5 (5) identify the exemption under which each 

6 such redaction is made. 

7 SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION. 

8 (a) REPORTS SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall apply with re10 spect to any congressionally mandated report 

11 which— 

12 (A) is required by statute to be submitted 

13 to the House of Representatives or Senate at 

14 any time before, on, or after the date of the en15 actment of this Act; or 

16 (B) is included by the Clerk of the House 

17 of Representatives or the Secretary of the Sen18 ate (as the case may be) on the list of reports 

19 received by the House of Representatives or 

20 Senate (as the case may be) at any time before 

21 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

22 (2) TRANSITION RULE FOR PREVIOUSLY SUB23 MITTED REPORTS.—The Director shall ensure that 

24 any congressionally mandated report described in 

25 paragraph (1) which was required to be submitted to 


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1 Congress by a statue enacted before the date of the 

2 enactment of this Act is published on the online por3 tal under this Act not later than 1 year after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act. 

5 (b) REPORTS SUBMITTED TO COMMITTEES.—In the 

6 case of congressionally mandated reports which are re7 quired by statute to be submitted to a committee of Con8 gress or a subcommittee thereof, this Act shall apply with 

9 respect to— 

10 (1) any such report which is first required to be 

11 submitted by a statute which is enacted on or after 

12 the date of the enactment of this Act; and 

13 (2) to the maximum extent practical, any con14 gressionally mandated report which was required to 

15 be submitted by a statute enacted before the date of 

16 enactment of this act unless— 

17 (A) the chair of the committee, or sub18 committee thereof, to which the report was re19 quired to be submitted notifies the Director in 

20 writing that the report is to be withheld from 

21 publication; and 

22 (B) the Director publishes the notification 

23 on the online portal. 


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1 SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

2 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

3 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

4 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

5 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

6 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

7 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro8 vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 

9 vote on passage. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 17, 2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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Calendar No. 154 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 736 

AN ACT 

To require the Director of the Government Pubother purposes. sionally mandated reports in one place, and for public to obtain electronic copies of all congres- portal accessible to the public that allows the lishing Office to establish and maintain an online 

JULY 18, 2019 

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 


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