II 

Calendar No. 582 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1347 

[Report No. 113–268] 

To provide transparency, accountability, and limitations of Government 

sponsored conferences. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 23, 2013 

Mr. COBURN (for himself, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. CHIESA, Mr. ENZI, and Ms. 

AYOTTE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

OCTOBER 1, 2014 

Reported, under authority of the order of the Senate of September 18, 2014, 

by Mr. CARPER, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To provide transparency, accountability, and limitations of 

Government sponsored conferences. 

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 ‘‘Conference Account5 ability Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GOVERNMENT SPONSORED CONFERENCES. 

2 (a) TRAVEL EXPENSES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES RE3 LATING TO CONFERENCES.— 

4 (1) LIMITATIONS AND REPORTS ON TRAVEL EX5 PENSES TO CONFERENCES.—Chapter 57 of title 5, 

6 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following: 

8 ‘‘§ 5712. Limitations and reports on travel expenses to 

9 conferences 

10 ‘‘(a) In this section, the term— 

11 ‘‘(1) ‘conference’ means a meeting that— 

12 ‘‘(A) is held for consultation, education, or 

13 discussion; 

14 ‘‘(B) is not held entirely at an agency facil15 ity; 

16 ‘‘(C) involves costs associated with travel 

17 and lodging for some participants; and 

18 ‘‘(D) is sponsored by 1 or more agencies, 

19 1 or more organizations that are not agencies, 

20 or a combination of such agencies or organiza21 tions; and 

22 ‘‘(2) ‘international conference’ means a con23 ference attended by representatives of— 

24 ‘‘(A) the United States Government; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) any foreign government, international 

2 organization, or foreign nongovernmental orga3 nization. 

4 ‘‘(b) No agency may pay the travel expenses for more 

5 than 50 employees of that agency who are stationed in 

6 the United States, for any international conference occur7 ring outside the United States, unless the Secretary of 

8 State submits to Congress before the conference a written 

9 certification that attendance for such employees is in the 

10 national interest. 

11 ‘‘(c) Not later than 30 days after the end of each 

12 quarter of each fiscal year, each agency shall post on the 

13 public Internet website of that agency a report on each 

14 conference for which the agency paid travel expenses dur15 ing the preceding 3 months that includes— 

16 ‘‘(1) the itemized expenses paid by the agency, 

17 including travel expenses, the cost of scouting for 

18 and selecting the location of the conference, and any 

19 agency expenditures to otherwise support the con20 ference; 

21 ‘‘(2) the primary sponsor of the conference; 

22 ‘‘(3) the location of the conference; 

23 ‘‘(4) in the case of a conference for which that 

24 agency was the primary sponsor, a statement that— 

25 ‘‘(A) justifies the location selected; 


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1 ‘‘(B) demonstrates the cost efficiency of 

2 the location; and 

3 ‘‘(C) provides a cost benefit analysis of 

4 holding a conference rather than conducting a 

5 teleconference; 

6 ‘‘(5) the date of the conference; 

7 ‘‘(6) an explanation how the conference ad8 vanced the mission of the agency; 

9 ‘‘(7) the title and pay grade of any Federal em10 ployee or any individual who is not a Federal em11 ployee whose travel expenses or other conference ex12 penses were paid by the agency; and 

13 ‘‘(8) the total number of individuals whose trav14 el expenses or other conference expenses were paid 

15 by the agency. 

16 ‘‘(d) Each report posted on the public Internet 

17 website under subsection (c) shall— 

18 ‘‘(1) be in a searchable electronic format; and 

19 ‘‘(2) remain on that website for at least 5 years 

20 after the date of posting.’’. 

21 (2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND22 MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 57 of title 

23 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

24 the item relating to section 5711 the following: 

‘‘5712. Limitations and reports on travel expenses to conferences.’’. 

25 (b) LIMITATIONS ON ANNUAL TRAVEL EXPENSES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of each of fiscal 

2 years 2014 through 2018, an agency (as defined 

3 under section 5701(1) of title 5, United States 

4 Code) may not make, or obligate to make, expendi5 tures for travel expenses, in an aggregate amount 

6 greater than 80 percent of the aggregate amount of 

7 such expenses for fiscal year 2010. 

8 (2) IDENTIFICATION OF TRAVEL EXPENSES.— 

9 Not later than September 1, 2013, and after con10 sultation with the Administrator of General Services 

11 and the Director of the Administrative Office of the 

12 United States Courts, the Director of the Office of 

13 Management and Budget shall establish guidelines 

14 for the determination of what expenses constitute 

15 travel expenses for purposes of this subsection. The 

16 guidelines shall identify specific expenses, and class17 es of expenses, that are to be treated as travel ex18 penses. 

19 (c) CONFERENCE TRANSPARENCY AND LIMITA20 TIONS.— 

21 (1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 

22 (A) the term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning 

23 given under section 5701(1) of title 5, United 

24 States Code; and 


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1 (B) the term ‘‘conference’’ has the mean2 ing given under section 5712(a)(1) of title 5, 

3 United States Code (as added by subsection 

4 (a)). 

5 (2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF CONFERENCE MA6 TERIALS.—Each agency shall post on the public 

7 Internet website of that agency detailed information 

8 on any presentation made by any employee of that 

9 agency at a conference, including— 

10 (A) any minutes relating to the presen11 tation; 

12 (B) any speech delivered; 

13 (C) any visual exhibit, including photo14 graphs or slides; 

15 (D) any video, digital, or audio recordings 

16 of the conference; and 

17 (E) information regarding any financial 

18 support or other assistance from a foundation 

19 or other non-Federal source used to pay or de20 fray the costs of the conference, which shall in21 clude a certification by the head of the agency 

22 that there is no conflict of interest resulting 

23 from the support received from each such 

24 source. 


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1 (3) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT EXPENDED ON A

2 CONFERENCE.— 

3 (A) IN GENERAL.—No agency may expend 

4 more than $500,000 to support a single con5 ference. 

6 (B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

7 this paragraph shall be construed to preclude 

8 an agency from receiving financial support or 

9 other assistance from a foundation or other 

10 non-Federal source to pay or defray the costs of 

11 a conference the total cost of which exceeds 

12 $500,000. 

13 (4) LIMITATION ON THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF

14 CONFERENCES AN AGENCY MAY SUPPORT.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—An agency may expend 

16 funds on not more than 1 conference that is 

17 sponsored or organized by a particular organi18 zation during any fiscal year, unless the agency 

19 is the primary sponsor and organizer of the 

20 conference. 

21 (B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

22 this paragraph shall be construed to preclude 

23 an agency from paying travel expenses for an 

24 employee of that agency to attend a conference. 


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1 (5) LIMITATION ON CONFERENCE POLICIES.— 

2 An agency may not establish or implement a policy 

3 that discourages or prohibits the selection of a loca4 tion for travel, an event, a meeting, or a conference 

5 because the location is perceived to be a resort or va6 cation destination. 

7 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

8 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Conference Account9 ability Act of 2014’’. 

10 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

11 In this Act— 

12 (1) the term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning given 

13 that term under section 5701(1) of title 5, United 

14 States Code; and 

15 (2) the term ‘‘conference’’ means a meeting, re16 treat, seminar, symposium, or event that involves 

17 attendee travel. 

18 SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT SPONSORED CONFERENCES. 

19 (a) EXPENSES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES RELATING TO

20 CONFERENCES.— 

21 (1) LIMITATIONS AND REPORTS ON CONFERENCE

22 EXPENSES.—Subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

23 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

24 the following: 


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1 ‘‘§ 5712. Limitations and reports on conference ex2 penses 

3 ‘‘(a) In this section, the term ‘conference’ means a 

4 meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, or event that in5 volves attendee travel. 

6 ‘‘(b) No agency may pay the travel expenses for more 

7 than 50 employees of that agency who are stationed in the 

8 United States, for any conference occurring outside the 

9 United States, unless the Deputy Secretary (or the equiva10 lent) and the Chief Financial Officer of the agency submit 

11 to Congress before the conference a written certification that 

12 attendance for such employees is in the national interest. 

13 ‘‘(c) Not later than 30 days after the end of each quar14 ter of each fiscal year, each agency shall post on the public 

15 Internet website of the agency a report on each conference 

16 that was held during the preceding 3 months for which the 

17 agency expended more than $50,000 that includes— 

18 ‘‘(1) the itemized expenses paid by the agency, 

19 including travel expenses, the cost of scouting for and 

20 selecting the location of the conference, and any agen21 cy expenditures to otherwise support the conference; 

22 ‘‘(2) the primary sponsor of the conference; 

23 ‘‘(3) the location of the conference; 

24 ‘‘(4) in the case of a conference for which the 

25 agency was the primary sponsor, a statement that— 

26 ‘‘(A) justifies the location selected; 


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1 ‘‘(B) demonstrates the cost efficiency of the 

2 location; and 

3 ‘‘(C) provides a cost benefit analysis of 

4 holding a conference rather than conducting a 

5 teleconference, video conference, video training, 

6 or other means of remote communication; 

7 ‘‘(5) the dates of the conference; 

8 ‘‘(6) an explanation of how the conference ad9 vanced the mission of the agency; 

10 ‘‘(7) the pay grade of any Federal employee or 

11 any individual who is not a Federal employee whose 

12 travel expenses or other conference expenses were paid 

13 by the agency; 

14 ‘‘(8) the total number of individuals whose travel 

15 expenses or other conference expenses were paid by the 

16 agency; 

17 ‘‘(9) detailed information on any presentation 

18 made by a Federal employee at the conference, includ19 ing any speech, visual exhibit, photograph, slide, or 

20 video, digital, or audio recording; and 

21 ‘‘(10) information regarding any financial sup22 port or other assistance from a foundation or other 

23 non-Federal source used to pay or defray the costs of 

24 the conference, which shall include a certification that 


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1 there is no conflict of interest resulting from the sup2 port received from each such source. 

3 ‘‘(d) Each report posted on the public Internet website 

4 under subsection (c)— 

5 ‘‘(1) shall— 

6 ‘‘(A) be in a searchable electronic format; 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(B) remain on the website for not less than 

9 5 years after the date of posting; and 

10 ‘‘(2) shall not include— 

11 ‘‘(A) information regarding travel or con12 ference expenses involving military combat, the 

13 training or deployment of members of the Armed 

14 Forces, or other similar expenses, as determined 

15 by the Director of the Office of Management and 

16 Budget in consultation with the Administrator of 

17 General Services; or 

18 ‘‘(B) scientific or medical research presented 

19 by a Federal employee at a conference that was 

20 previously unpublished. 

21 ‘‘(e) The head of an agency may exclude certain infor22 mation, expenses, and materials from a report required 

23 under subsection (c) only if the head of the agency deter24 mines that the inclusion of such information would under25 mine national security, international diplomacy, health 


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1 and safety inspections, law enforcement, or site visits re2 quired for oversight or investigatory purposes.’’. 

3 (2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND4 MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 57 of title 5, 

5 United States Code, is amended by inserting after the 

6 item relating to section 5711 the following: 

‘‘5712. Limitations and reports on conference expenses.’’. 

7 (b) CONFERENCE LIMITATIONS.— 

8 (1) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT EXPENDED ON A

9 CONFERENCE.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—No agency may expend 

11 more than $500,000 to support a single con12 ference, unless the head of the agency and the 

13 Chief Financial Officer of the agency submit to 

14 Congress before the conference a written certifi15 cation that the conference is in the national in16 terest, which shall include— 

17 (i) an estimate of the total cost of the 

18 conference; 

19 (ii) the dates of the conference; 

20 (iii) an estimate of the number of full21 time equivalent employees attending the 

22 conference; 

23 (iv) any costs associated with planning 

24 for the conference; and 


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1 (v) an explanation of how the con2 ference advances the mission of the agency. 

3 (B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

4 this paragraph shall be construed to preclude an 

5 agency from receiving financial support or other 

6 assistance from a foundation or other non-Fed7 eral source to pay or defray the costs of a con8 ference. 

9 (2) LIMITATION ON CONFERENCE POLICIES.—An 

10 agency may not establish or implement a policy that 

11 discourages or prohibits the selection of a location for 

12 travel, an event, a meeting, or a conference because 

13 the location is perceived to be a resort or vacation 

14 destination. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 582 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1347 

[Report No. 113–268] 

A BILL 

To provide transparency, accountability, and 

limitations of Government sponsored conferences. 

OCTOBER 1, 2014 

Reported with an amendment 


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