I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3517 

To amend title 36, United States Code to enhance oversight of the American 

National Red Cross by the Government Accountability Office and Inspectors General at the Departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, and 

State, and require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct 

a pilot program with the American National Red Cross to research 

and develop mechanisms for the Department to better leverage social 

media to improve preparedness and response capabilities, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees 

on Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security, 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 amend title 36, United States Code to enhance oversight 

of the American National Red Cross by the Government 

Accountability Office and Inspectors General at the Departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, and State, 

and require the Department of Homeland Security to 

conduct a pilot program with the American National 

Red Cross to research and develop mechanisms for the 

Department to better leverage social media to improve 


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•HR 3517 IH

preparedness and response capabilities, 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 ‘‘American Red Cross 

5 Sunshine Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE OVER7 SIGHT. 

8 Section 300111 of title 36, United States Code, is 

9 amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘§ 300111. Authority of the Comptroller General of 

11 the United States 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

13 United States is authorized to review the corporation’s in14 volvement in any Federal program or activity the Govern15 ment carries out under law, including any program or ac16 tivity that the corporation carries out in connection with 

17 events for which the Government provides leadership or 

18 support under the national preparedness system estab19 lished under section 644 of the Department of Homeland 

20 Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (6 U.S.C. 744), or any 

21 successor system. 

22 ‘‘(b) ACCESS.—For purposes of carrying out this sec23 tion, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 

24 have access to and the right to examine and copy all 


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1 records and other recorded information, electronic or oth2 erwise, within the possession or control of the corporation 

3 that the Comptroller General determines relevant to a re4 view authorized under subsection (a), including such 

5 records and other recorded information pertaining to the 

6 corporation’s financial transactions and internal govern7 ance. The Comptroller General shall be provided access, 

8 and be permitted to interview, any employee or volunteer 

9 of the corporation who the Comptroller General believes 

10 to have knowledge relevant to such a review. 

11 ‘‘(c) ENFORCEMENT.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

13 the United States may subpoena a record of the 

14 American National Red Cross or subpoena an em15 ployee of the American National Red Cross to ap16 pear for an interview when the record or employee 

17 is not made available to the Comptroller General 

18 upon request under this section. A subpoena shall 

19 identify the record or employee, and may be issued 

20 by the Comptroller General. The Comptroller Gen21 eral may have an individual serve a subpoena under 

22 this subsection by delivering a copy to the chief exec23 utive officer of the American National Red Cross or 

24 by mailing a copy of the subpoena by certified or 

25 registered mail, return receipt requested, to its prinVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3517.IH H3517

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1 cipal place of business. Proof of service is shown by 

2 a verified return by the individual serving the sub3 poena that states how the subpoena was served or 

4 by the return receipt signed by the person served. 

5 ‘‘(2) ACTION.—If the American National Red 

6 Cross does not comply with a subpoena issued under 

7 paragraph (1), the Comptroller General of the 

8 United States, acting through an attorney the 

9 Comptroller General designates in writing, may 

10 bring a civil action in the district court of the 

11 United States for the District of Columbia to require 

12 it to produce the record or employee that is the sub13 ject of such subpoena. The court shall have jurisdic14 tion of such action and may punish a failure to obey 

15 an order of the court under this subsection as a con16 tempt of court.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. INTERNAL REPORTING AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION. 

18 Subsection (a) of section 300112 of title 36, United 

19 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

20 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The corporation shall estab21 lish an Office of the Ombudsman to enhance dispute reso22 lution regarding concerns raised to the Office of the Om23 budsman by internal and external stakeholders regarding 

24 the corporation, regularly report to the board of governors 

25 information on trends and patterns on concerns commuVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3517.IH H3517

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1 nicated to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the cor2 poration, and carry out such other duties and responsibil3 ities as may be provided in the bylaws or a resolution of 

4 the board of governors.’’. 

5 SEC. 4. INSPECTORS GENERAL OVERSIGHT. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3001 of title 36, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new sections: 

9 ‘‘§ 300114. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Admin10 istration audit 

11 ‘‘Not later than one year after the date of the enact12 ment of this section, the Treasury Inspector General for 

13 Tax Administration shall conduct an audit of the corpora14 tion’s revenues, expenditures, and governance not less 

15 often than once every three years. Such audit shall be 

16 posted on the website of the Treasury Inspector General 

17 for Tax Administration. In carrying out this section, the 

18 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration shall 

19 coordinate activities to maximize the effectiveness of over20 sight activities, avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts, 

21 and minimize administrative burdens on the corporation. 

22 ‘‘§ 300115. Department of Homeland Security Inspec23 tor General audit 

24 ‘‘Not later than two years after the date of the enact25 ment of this section, the Inspector General of the DepartVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3517.IH H3517

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1 ment of Homeland Security shall evaluate the performance 

2 of the corporation’s disaster assistance services pursuant 

3 to paragraph (4) of section 300102, including services pro4 vided in connection with the national preparedness system 

5 established under section 644 of the Department of Home6 land Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (6 U.S.C. 744), 

7 or any successor system, not less often than once every 

8 three years. Such audit shall be posted on the website of 

9 the Inspector General. In carrying out this section, the 

10 Inspector General shall coordinate activities to maximize 

11 the effectiveness of oversight activities, avoid unnecessary 

12 duplication of efforts, and minimize administrative bur13 dens on the corporation. 

14 ‘‘§ 300116. United States Agency for International De15 velopment Inspector General audit 

16 ‘‘Not later than three years after the date of the en17 actment of this section, the Inspector General of the 

18 United States Agency for International Development shall 

19 evaluate the performance of the corporation’s inter20 national activities not less often than once every three 

21 years. Such audit shall be posted on the website of the 

22 Inspector General. In carrying out this section, the Inspec23 tor General shall coordinate activities to maximize the ef24 fectiveness of oversight activities, avoid unnecessary dupliVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3517.IH H3517

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1 cation of efforts, and minimize administrative burdens on 

2 the corporation.’’. 

3 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

4 of chapter 3001 of title 36 is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following new items: 

‘‘300114. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. 

‘‘300115. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General audit. 

‘‘300116. United States Agency for International Development Inspector General audit.’’. 

6 SEC. 5. ACCESSING THE OMBUDSMAN. 

7 Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact8 ment of this Act, the American National Red Cross shall 

9 make prominent on its website information on how to sub10 mit to the Office of the Ombudsman of the American Na11 tional Red Cross concerns about the organization, includ12 ing concerns related to the administration of its programs, 

13 policies, fundraising activities, advertising messages, and 

14 employment practices. 

15 SEC. 6. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PILOT 

16 PROGRAM. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu18 rity, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and 

19 Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, 

20 shall conduct a one-year pilot program with the American 

21 National Red Cross to research and develop mechanisms 

22 for the Department to better leverage social media to imVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3517.IH H3517

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1 prove preparedness and response capabilities, including 

2 the following: 

3 (1) The timely dissemination of public pre4 paredness information for terrorist attacks and other 

5 disasters. 

6 (2) The delivery of response supplies to affected 

7 areas. 

8 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after comple9 tion of the pilot program required under subsection (a), 

10 the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the 

11 Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep12 resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 

13 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the 

14 lessons learned from such pilot program and any plan to 

15 integrate such lessons into operations of the Department 

16 of Homeland Security. 

17 SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT. 

18 On an annual basis, together with the President’s 

19 submission of a budget request under section 1105 of title 

20 31, United States Code, the Secretary of Homeland Secu21 rity shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 

22 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

23 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen24 ate a report on the extent to which the Department of 

25 Homeland Security partnered with the American National 


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1 Red Cross in furtherance of preparedness and response 

2 capabilities in the previous year. 

3 SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

4 Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 

5 Act may be construed as hindering, reducing, impeding, 

6 or otherwise impacting the ability of a State to conduct 

7 oversight or investigations of the American National Red 

8 Cross. 

Æ 


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