I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5143 

To require all bills, resolutions, and other documents of Congress to be 

created, transmitted, and published in searchable electronic formats, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2018 

Mr. AMASH (for himself, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MCKINLEY, 

Mr. CRAMER, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. POLIS, 

Mr. JONES, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. MESSER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BRAT, Mr. 

TONKO, Mr. NORMAN, and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 all bills, resolutions, and other documents of 

Congress to be created, transmitted, and published in 

searchable electronic formats, 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; PURPOSES. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Searchable Legislation Act of 2018’’. 


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1 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol2 lows: 

3 (1) To establish nonproprietary, machine-read4 able data standards for the creation, transmission, 

5 and publication of Congressional information. 

6 (2) To encourage the uniform use of nonpropri7 etary, machine-readable data standards, including 

8 searchable electronic formats, for Congressional in9 formation by Congress and its support agencies and 

10 offices. 

11 (3) To ensure that Congressional information, 

12 especially bills, resolutions, orders, and votes, can be 

13 freely downloaded in bulk and electronically 

14 searched. 

15 SEC. 2. REQUIRING SEARCHABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS 

16 FOR CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS. 

17 (a) SEARCHABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title 1, United 

19 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 

20 107 the following new section: 

21 ‘‘§ 107a. Searchable electronic formats 

22 ‘‘To the greatest extent practicable, Congress shall 

23 ensure that all bills, resolutions, orders, and other docu24 ments of Congress, and all records of votes cast in Con25 gress and committees of Congress, are created, transVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Mar 08, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5143.IH H5143

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1 mitted, and published in searchable electronic formats, 

2 consistent with data standards recommended by such advi3 sory bodies as Congress may establish.’’. 

4 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec5 tions for chapter 2 of title 1, United States Code, 

6 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

7 section 107 the following new item: 

‘‘107a. Searchable electronic formats.’’. 

8 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

9 this section shall apply with respect to the One Hundred 

10 Sixteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress. 

11 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL DATA TASK FORCE. 

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Clerk of the 

14 House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate, 

15 acting jointly, shall establish an advisory body to be known 

16 as the ‘‘Congressional Data Task Force’’ (hereafter re17 ferred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

18 (b) DUTIES.— 

19 (1) RECOMMENDATION OF DATA STANDARDS.— 

20 The Task Force shall recommend data standards for 

21 the creation, transmission, and publication of infor22 mation and documents of Congress, including bills, 

23 resolutions, amendments, reports, laws, and records, 

24 in searchable electronic formats for purposes of secVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Mar 08, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5143.IH H5143

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1 tion 107a of title 1, United States Code (as added 

2 by section 2(a)). 

3 (2) SPECIFICATIONS FOR STANDARDS.—All 

4 data standards recommended by the Task Force 

5 shall be nonproprietary and machine-readable, and, 

6 to the greatest extent possible, shall enable the bulk 

7 downloading of information. 

8 (3) CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS.—In car9 rying out its duties, the Task Force shall consult 

10 with private entities with expertise in data trans11 parency standards. 

12 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 

14 composed of employee representatives of the Office 

15 of the Clerk of the House, the Office of the Sec16 retary of the Senate, the Library of Congress, the 

17 Congressional Research Service, the Government 

18 Publishing Office, the Center for Legislative Ar19 chives, and such other offices of Congress and the 

20 legislative branch as the Clerk and Secretary con21 sider appropriate. 

22 (2) NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR SERV23 ICE.—Members of the Task Force may not receive 

24 additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of 

25 their service on the Task Force. 


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1 (d) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—No additional funds 

2 may be appropriated to carry out this section during a 

3 fiscal year. 

4 (e) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 

5 on the last day of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress. 

Æ 


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