I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4631 

To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office to establish 

and maintain a website 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 

DECEMBER 12, 2017 

Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. LOUDERMILK, 

Mr. BRAT, Mr. COOPER, and Mr. SOTO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 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 a website 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’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORT.— 

4 The term ‘‘congressionally mandated report’’— 

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

6 submitted to either House of Congress or any 

7 committee of Congress, or subcommittee there8 of, by a statute, resolution, or conference report 

9 that accompanies legislation enacted into law; 

10 and 

11 (B) does not include a report required 

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

13 States Code. 

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

15 the Director of the Government Publishing Office. 

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

17 agency’’ has the meaning given that term under sec18 tion 102 of title 40, United States Code, but does 

19 not include the Government Accountability Office. 

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

21 means a file format for storing digital data based on 

22 an underlying open standard that— 

23 (A) is not encumbered by any restrictions 

24 that would impede reuse; and 


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1 (B) is based on an underlying open data 

2 standard that is maintained by a standards or3 ganization. 

4 (5) REPORTS WEBSITE.—The term ‘‘reports 

5 website’’ means the website established under section 

6 (3)(a). 

7 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF WEBSITE FOR CONGRESSION8 ALLY MANDATED REPORTS. 

9 (a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH WEBSITE.— 

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

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

12 establish and maintain a website accessible by the 

13 public that allows the public to obtain electronic cop14 ies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 

15 place. The Director may publish other reports on the 

16 website. 

17 (2) EXISTING FUNCTIONALITY.—To the extent 

18 possible, the Director shall meet the requirements 

19 under paragraph (1) by using existing websites and 

20 functionality under the authority of the Director. 

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

22 the Director shall consult with the Clerk of the 

23 House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Sen24 ate, and the Librarian of Congress regarding the reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:48 Dec 15, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4631.IH H4631

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1 quirements for and maintenance of congressionally 

2 mandated reports on the reports website. 

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

4 ensure that the reports website includes the following: 

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

6 each congressionally mandated report, each of the 

7 following: 

8 (A) A citation to the statute, conference 

9 report, or resolution requiring the report. 

10 (B) An electronic copy of the report, in11 cluding any transmittal letter associated with 

12 the report, in an open format that is platform 

13 independent and that is available to the public 

14 without restrictions, including restrictions that 

15 would impede the re-use of the information in 

16 the report. 

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

18 extent practicable, through searches based on 

19 each, and any combination, of the following: 

20 (i) The title of the report. 

21 (ii) The reporting Federal agency. 

22 (iii) The date of publication. 

23 (iv) Each congressional committee re24 ceiving the report, if applicable. 


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1 (v) The statute, resolution, or con2 ference report requiring the report. 

3 (vi) Subject tags. 

4 (vii) A unique alphanumeric identifier 

5 for the report that is consistent across re6 port editions. 

7 (viii) The serial number, Super8 intendent of Documents number, or other 

9 identification number for the report, if ap10 plicable. 

11 (ix) Key words. 

12 (x) Full text search. 

13 (xi) Any other relevant information 

14 specified by the Director. 

15 (D) The date on which the report was re16 quired to be submitted, and on which the report 

17 was submitted, to the reports website. 

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

19 calendar days after its submission to Congress. 

20 (F) To the extent practicable, a permanent 

21 means of accessing the report electronically. 

22 (2) A means for bulk download of all congres23 sionally mandated reports. 

24 (3) A means for downloading individual reports 

25 as the result of a search. 


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

2 Federal agency to submit to the reports website each 

3 congressionally mandated report of the agency, as 

4 required by section 4. 

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

6 mandated reports that can be searched, sorted, and 

7 downloaded by— 

8 (A) reports submitted within the required 

9 time; 

10 (B) reports submitted after the date on 

11 which such reports were required to be sub12 mitted; and 

13 (C) reports not submitted. 

14 (c) NONCOMPLIANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

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

16 agency does not submit a congressionally mandated 

17 report to the Director, the Director shall to the ex18 tent practicable— 

19 (A) include on the reports website— 

20 (i) the information required under 

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

22 (b)(1)(C); and 

23 (ii) the date on which the report was 

24 required to be submitted; and 


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1 (B) include the congressionally mandated 

2 report on the list described in subsection 

3 (b)(5)(C). 

4 (2) REPORTS NOT IN OPEN FORMAT.—If a Fed5 eral agency submits a congressionally mandated re6 port that is not in an open format, the Director shall 

7 include the congressionally mandated report in an8 other format on the reports website. 

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

10 fee, require registration, or impose any other limitation 

11 in exchange for access to the reports website. 

12 (e) UPGRADE CAPABILITY.—The reports website 

13 shall be enhanced and updated as necessary to carry out 

14 the purposes of this Act. 

15 SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 

16 (a) SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC COPIES OF RE17 PORTS.—Concurrently with the submission to Congress of 

18 each congressionally mandated report, the head of the 

19 Federal agency submitting the congressionally mandated 

20 report shall submit to the Director the information re21 quired under subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 

22 3(b)(1) with respect to the congressionally mandated re23 port. Nothing in this Act shall relieve a Federal agency 

24 of any other requirement to publish the congressionally 

25 mandated report on the website of the Federal agency or 


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1 otherwise submit the congressionally mandated report to 

2 Congress or specific committees of Congress, or sub3 committees thereof. 

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

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

6 of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Di7 rector, shall issue guidance to agencies on the implementa8 tion of this Act. 

9 (c) STRUCTURE OF SUBMITTED REPORT DATA.— 

10 The head of each Federal agency shall ensure that each 

11 congressionally mandated report submitted to the Director 

12 complies with the open format criteria established by the 

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

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

15 agency shall designate a point of contact for congression16 ally mandated report. 

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

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

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

20 shall submit to the Director a list of congressionally man21 dated reports from the previous calendar year, in consulta22 tion with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, which 

23 shall— 

24 (1) be provided in an open format; 


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1 (2) include the information required under 

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

3 each report; 

4 (3) include the frequency of the report; 

5 (4) include a unique alphanumeric identifier for 

6 the report that is consistent across report editions; 

7 (5) include the date on which each report is re8 quired to be submitted; and 

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

10 necessary. 

11 SEC. 5. REMOVING AND ALTERING REPORTS. 

12 A report submitted to be published to the reports 

13 website may only be changed or removed, with the excep14 tion of technical changes, by the head of the Federal agen15 cy concerned if— 

16 (1) the head of the Federal agency consults 

17 with each congressional committee to which the re18 port is submitted; and 

19 (2) Congress enacts a joint resolution author20 izing the changing or removal of the report. 

21 SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMA22 TION ACT. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall be con24 strued to require the disclosure of information or records 

25 that are exempt from public disclosure under section 552 


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1 of title 5, United States Code, or to impose any affirmative 

2 duty on the Director to review congressionally mandated 

3 reports submitted for publication to the reports website 

4 for the purpose of identifying and redacting such informa5 tion or records. 

6 (b) REDACTION OF REPORT.—With respect to each 

7 congressionally mandated report, the head of each relevant 

8 Federal agency shall redact any information that may not 

9 be publicly released under section 552(b) of title 5, United 

10 States Code, before submission for publication on the re11 ports website, and shall— 

12 (1) redact only such information from the re13 port; 

14 (2) identify where any such redaction is made 

15 in the report; and 

16 (3) identify the exemption under which each 

17 such redaction is made. 

18 (c) WITHHOLDING INFORMATION.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—A Federal agency— 

20 (A) may withhold information otherwise re21 quired to be disclosed under this Act only if— 

22 (i) the Federal agency reasonably 

23 foresees that disclosure would harm an in24 terest protected by an exemption described 


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1 in section 552(b) of title 5, United States 

2 Code; or 

3 (ii) disclosure is prohibited by law; 

4 and 

5 (B) shall— 

6 (i) consider whether partial disclosure 

7 of information otherwise required to be dis8 closed under this Act is possible whenever 

9 the Federal agency determines that a full 

10 disclosure of the information is not pos11 sible; and 

12 (ii) take reasonable steps necessary to 

13 segregate and release nonexempt informa14 tion. 

15 (2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 

16 subsection requires disclosure of information that is 

17 otherwise prohibited from disclosure by law, or oth18 erwise exempted from disclosure under section 

19 552(b)(3) of title 5, United States Code. 

20 SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION. 

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

22 implemented not later than 1 year after the date of enact23 ment of this Act and shall apply with respect to congresVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:48 Dec 15, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4631.IH H4631

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1 sionally mandated reports submitted to Congress on or 

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

Æ 


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