I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 736 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 23, 2019 

Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Ms. FOXX of North Carolina, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. 

STEFANIK, Mr. COOPER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SARBANES, 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, Mr. 

SUOZZI, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. WALKER, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, and 

Mr. LOUDERMILK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee 

on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

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, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 736 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Congression3 ally Mandated Reports Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORT.— 

7 The term ‘‘congressionally mandated report’’— 

8 (A) means a report that is required to be 

9 submitted to either House of Congress or any 

10 committee of Congress, or subcommittee there11 of, by a statute, resolution, or conference report 

12 that accompanies legislation enacted into law; 

13 and 

14 (B) does not include a report required 

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

16 States Code. 

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

18 the Director of the Government Publishing Office. 

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

20 agency’’ has the meaning given that term under sec21 tion 102 of title 40, United States Code, but does 

22 not include the Government Accountability Office. 

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

24 means a file format for storing digital data based on 

25 an underlying open standard that— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HR 736 IH

1 (A) is not encumbered by any restrictions 

2 that would impede reuse; and 

3 (B) is based on an underlying open data 

4 standard that is maintained by a standards or5 ganization. 

6 (5) REPORTS ONLINE PORTAL.—The term ‘‘re7 ports online portal’’ means the online portal estab8 lished under section (3)(a). 

9 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE PORTAL FOR CON10 GRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORTS. 

11 (a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH ONLINE POR12 TAL.— 

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

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

15 establish and maintain an online portal accessible by 

16 the public that allows the public to obtain electronic 

17 copies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 

18 place. The Director may publish other reports on the 

19 online portal. 

20 (2) EXISTING FUNCTIONALITY.—To the extent 

21 possible, the Director shall meet the requirements 

22 under paragraph (1) by using existing online portals 

23 and functionality under the authority of the Direc24 tor. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•HR 736 IH

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

2 the Director shall consult with the Clerk of the 

3 House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Sen4 ate, and the Librarian of Congress regarding the re5 quirements for and maintenance of congressionally 

6 mandated reports on the reports online portal. 

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

8 ensure that the reports online portal includes the fol9 lowing: 

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

11 each congressionally mandated report, each of the 

12 following: 

13 (A) A citation to the statute, conference 

14 report, or resolution requiring the report. 

15 (B) An electronic copy of the report, in16 cluding any transmittal letter associated with 

17 the report, in an open format that is platform 

18 independent and that is available to the public 

19 without restrictions, including restrictions that 

20 would impede the re-use of the information in 

21 the report. 

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

23 extent practicable, through searches based on 

24 each, and any combination, of the following: 

25 (i) The title of the report. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•HR 736 IH

1 (ii) The reporting Federal agency. 

2 (iii) The date of publication. 

3 (iv) Each congressional committee re4 ceiving the report, if applicable. 

5 (v) The statute, resolution, or con6 ference report requiring the report. 

7 (vi) Subject tags. 

8 (vii) A unique alphanumeric identifier 

9 for the report that is consistent across re10 port editions. 

11 (viii) The serial number, Super12 intendent of Documents number, or other 

13 identification number for the report, if ap14 plicable. 

15 (ix) Key words. 

16 (x) Full text search. 

17 (xi) Any other relevant information 

18 specified by the Director. 

19 (D) The date on which the report was re20 quired to be submitted, and on which the report 

21 was submitted, to the reports online portal. 

22 (E) Access to the report not later than 30 

23 calendar days after its submission to Congress. 

24 (F) To the extent practicable, a permanent 

25 means of accessing the report electronically. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•HR 736 IH

1 (2) A means for bulk download of all congres2 sionally mandated reports. 

3 (3) A means for downloading individual reports 

4 as the result of a search. 

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

6 Federal agency to submit to the reports online por7 tal each congressionally mandated report of the 

8 agency, as required by section 4. 

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

10 mandated reports that can be searched, sorted, and 

11 downloaded by— 

12 (A) reports submitted within the required 

13 time; 

14 (B) reports submitted after the date on 

15 which such reports were required to be sub16 mitted; and 

17 (C) reports not submitted. 

18 (c) NONCOMPLIANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

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

20 agency does not submit a congressionally mandated 

21 report to the Director, the Director shall to the ex22 tent practicable— 

23 (A) include on the reports online portal— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•HR 736 IH

1 (i) the information required under 

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

3 (b)(1)(C); and 

4 (ii) the date on which the report was 

5 required to be submitted; and 

6 (B) include the congressionally mandated 

7 report on the list described in subsection 

8 (b)(5)(C). 

9 (2) REPORTS NOT IN OPEN FORMAT.—If a Fed10 eral agency submits a congressionally mandated re11 port that is not in an open format, the Director shall 

12 include the congressionally mandated report in an13 other format on the reports online portal. 

14 (d) FREE ACCESS.—The Director may not charge a 

15 fee, require registration, or impose any other limitation 

16 in exchange for access to the reports online portal. 

17 (e) UPGRADE CAPABILITY.—The reports online por18 tal shall be enhanced and updated as necessary to carry 

19 out the purposes of this Act. 

20 SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 

21 (a) SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC COPIES OF RE22 PORTS.—Concurrently with the submission to Congress of 

23 each congressionally mandated report, the head of the 

24 Federal agency submitting the congressionally mandated 

25 report shall submit to the Director the information reVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:44 Feb 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H736.IH H736

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
8 

•HR 736 IH

1 quired under subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 

2 3(b)(1) with respect to the congressionally mandated re3 port. Nothing in this Act shall relieve a Federal agency 

4 of any other requirement to publish the congressionally 

5 mandated report on the online portal of the Federal agen6 cy or otherwise submit the congressionally mandated re7 port to Congress or specific committees of Congress, or 

8 subcommittees thereof. 

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

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

11 of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Di12 rector, shall issue guidance to agencies on the implementa13 tion 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 report. 

22 (e) LIST OF REPORTS.—As soon as practicable each 

23 calendar year (but not later than April 1), and on a rolling 

24 basis during the year if feasible, the Librarian of Congress 

25 shall submit to the Director a list of congressionally manVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:44 Feb 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H736.IH H736

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
9 

•HR 736 IH

1 dated reports from the previous calendar year, in consulta2 tion with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, which 

3 shall— 

4 (1) be provided in an open format; 

5 (2) include the information required under 

6 clauses (i), (ii), (iv), (v) of section 3(b)(1)(C) for 

7 each report; 

8 (3) include the frequency of the report; 

9 (4) include a unique alphanumeric identifier for 

10 the report that is consistent across report editions; 

11 (5) include the date on which each report is re12 quired to be submitted; and 

13 (6) be updated and provided to the Director, as 

14 necessary. 

15 SEC. 5. REMOVING AND ALTERING REPORTS. 

16 A report submitted to be published to the reports on17 line portal may only be changed or removed, with the ex18 ception of technical changes, by the head of the Federal 

19 agency concerned if— 

20 (1) the head of the Federal agency consults 

21 with each congressional committee to which the re22 port is submitted; and 

23 (2) Congress enacts a joint resolution author24 izing the changing or removal of the report. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
10 

•HR 736 IH

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 or 

6 records that are exempt from public disclosure under 

7 section 552 of title 5, United States Code; or 

8 (2) to impose any affirmative duty on the Di9 rector to review congressionally mandated reports 

10 submitted for publication to the reports online portal 

11 for the purpose of identifying and redacting such in12 formation or records. 

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

14 Federal agency may redact information required to be dis15 closed under this Act if the information would be properly 

16 withheld from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, 

17 United States Code, and shall— 

18 (1) redact information required to be disclosed 

19 under this Act if disclosure of such information is 

20 prohibited by law; 

21 (2) redact information being withheld under 

22 this subsection prior to submitting the information 

23 to the Director; 

24 (3) redact only such information properly with25 held under this subsection from the submission of 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
11 

•HR 736 IH

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 Except as provided in section 4(b), this Act shall be 

9 implemented not later than 1 year after the date of enact10 ment of this Act and shall apply with respect to congres11 sionally mandated reports submitted to Congress on or 

12 after the date that is 1 year after such date of enactment. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS