I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 586 

To establish the Independent Government Waste Reduction Board to make 

recommendations to improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness 

of Federal programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2015 

Mrs. BUSTOS (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. 

DELANEY, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. ASHFORD, Mr. COOPER, 

Ms. KUSTER, Mr. COSTA, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. 

CARSON of Indiana, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, and Ms. MICHELLE

LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in 

addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 establish the Independent Government Waste Reduction 

Board to make recommendations to improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of Federal programs, 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

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

5 ‘‘Government Waste Reduction Act of 2015’’. 


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1 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

2 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Establishment of Board. 

Sec. 3. Duties of the Board. 

Sec. 4. Powers of the Board. 

Sec. 5. Board personnel matters. 

Sec. 6. Congressional consideration of Board recommendations. 

Sec. 7. Agency defined. 

Sec. 8. Termination of the Board. 

3 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Inde5 pendent Government Waste Reduction Board (hereafter in 

6 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Board’’). 

7 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.— 

9 (A) APPOINTMENT.—The Board shall be 

10 composed of 15 members appointed by the 

11 President, by and with the advice and consent 

12 of Congress. 

13 (B) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of 

14 the Board shall include individuals with na15 tional recognition for their expertise in agen16 cies, efficiency, waste reduction, finance and ec17 onomics, actuarial sciences, who provide a mix 

18 of different professionals, broad geographic rep19 resentation, and a balance between urban and 

20 rural representatives. 


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1 (C) ETHICAL DISCLOSURE.—The President 

2 shall establish a system for public disclosure by 

3 members of the Board of financial and other 

4 potential conflicts of interest relating to such 

5 members. Members of the Board shall be treat6 ed as officers in the executive branch for pur7 poses of applying title I of the Ethics in Gov8 ernment Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–521). 

9 (D) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—No indi10 vidual may serve as a member of the Board if 

11 that individual engages in any other business, 

12 vocation, or employment. 

13 (E) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS.—In 

14 selecting individuals for nominations for ap15 pointments to the Board, the President shall 

16 consult with— 

17 (i) the majority leader of the Senate 

18 concerning the appointment of 3 members; 

19 (ii) the Speaker of the House of Rep20 resentatives concerning the appointment of 

21 3 members; 

22 (iii) the minority leader of the Senate 

23 concerning the appointment of 3 members; 

24 and 


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1 (iv) the minority leader of the House 

2 of Representatives concerning the appoint3 ment of 3 members. 

4 (2) TERM OF OFFICE.—Each member shall 

5 hold office for the duration of the Board. 

6 (3) CHAIRPERSON.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson shall 

8 be appointed by the President, by and with the 

9 advice and consent of the Senate, from among 

10 the members of the Board. 

11 (B) DUTIES.—The Chairperson shall be 

12 the principal executive officer of the Board, and 

13 shall exercise all of the executive and adminis14 trative functions of the Board, including func15 tions of the Board with respect to— 

16 (i) the appointment and supervision of 

17 personnel employed by the Board; 

18 (ii) the distribution of business among 

19 personnel appointed and supervised by the 

20 Chairperson and among administrative 

21 units of the Board; and 

22 (iii) the use and expenditure of funds. 

23 (C) GOVERNANCE.—In carrying out any of 

24 the functions under subparagraph (B), the 

25 Chairperson shall be governed by the general 


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1 policies established by the Board and by the de2 cisions, findings, and determinations the Board 

3 shall by law be authorized to make. 

4 (D) REQUESTS FOR APPROPRIATIONS.— 

5 Requests or estimates for regular, supple6 mental, or deficiency appropriations on behalf 

7 of the Board may not be submitted by the 

8 Chairperson without the prior approval of a ma9 jority vote of the Board. 

10 (4) REMOVAL.—Any member may be removed 

11 by the President for neglect of duty or malfeasance 

12 in office, but for no other cause. 

13 (c) VACANCIES; QUORUM; SEAL; VICE CHAIRPERSON; 

14 VOTING ON REPORTS.— 

15 (1) VACANCIES.—No vacancy on the Board 

16 shall impair the right of the remaining members to 

17 exercise all the powers of the Board. 

18 (2) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 

19 the Board shall constitute a quorum for the trans20 action of business, but a lesser number of members 

21 may hold hearings. 

22 (3) SEAL.—The Board shall have an official 

23 seal, of which judicial notice shall be taken. 

24 (4) VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The Board shall elect 

25 a Vice Chairperson to act in the absence or disability 


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1 of the Chairperson or in case of a vacancy in the of2 fice of the Chairperson. 

3 (5) VOTING ON PROPOSALS.—Any proposal of 

4 the Board must be approved by the majority of 

5 members present. 

6 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE BOARD. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall— 

8 (1) review the reports described in subsection 

9 (b)(1); 

10 (2) analyze organizational practices and man11 agement challenges of agencies and make rec12 ommendations; 

13 (3) assess Federal programs for economy, effi14 ciency, and effectiveness, and identify best practices 

15 of agencies; 

16 (4) establish a process for prioritizing the ac17 tivities described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), in18 cluding establishing criteria and a schedule for car19 rying out the activities; 

20 (5) consult with appropriate agencies and pro21 vide opportunities for individuals to make rec22 ommendations that support the work of the Board; 

23 and 

24 (6) serve as a repository for best practices to 

25 support agencies in efforts to improve effectiveness. 


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1 (b) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Not later than one 

2 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Board 

3 shall submit to Congress and the President a report that 

4 includes the following: 

5 (1) Recommendations for specific implementa6 tion of the recommendations from each of the fol7 lowing: 

8 (A) The March 2011 Government Account9 ability Office report to Congress, entitled ‘‘Op10 portunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in 

11 Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and 

12 Enhance Revenue’’ (GAO–11–318SP). 

13 (B) The February 2012 Government Ac14 countability Office report to Congress, entitled 

15 ‘‘Opportunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap 

16 and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and En17 hance Revenue’’ (GAO–12–342SP). 

18 (C) The April 2013 Government Account19 ability Office report to Congress, entitled ‘‘Ac20 tions Needed to Reduce Fragmentation, Over21 lap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Finan22 cial Benefits’’ (GAO–13–279SP). 

23 (D) The April 2014 Government Account24 ability Office report to Congress, entitled ‘‘Ad25 ditional Opportunities to Reduce FragmentaVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:14 Feb 06, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H586.IH H586

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1 tion, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve 

2 Other Financial Benefits’’ (GAO–14–343SP). 

3 (2) A summary of the recommendations. 

4 (3) An explanation of each recommendation 

5 contained in the report and the reasons for including 

6 such recommendation. 

7 (4) An opinion by the Government Account8 ability Office on whether each recommendation is 

9 consistent with the intent of such Government Ac10 countability Office reports. 

11 (5) A legislative proposal that implements the 

12 recommendations. 

13 (6) Recommendations for organizational prac14 tices and management challenges of agencies ana15 lyzed in subsection (a)(2). 

16 (7) Recommendations for implementing the best 

17 practices of agencies identified in subsection (a)(3) 

18 in other agencies. 

19 (8) Proposals for administrative action or exec20 utive action that include recommendations— 

21 (A) for improvement or investment in Fed22 eral programs; or 

23 (B) achieving efficiency and effectiveness 

24 in Federal programs. 


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1 (9) Other information determined appropriate 

2 by the Board. 

3 (c) RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIREMENTS.— 

4 (1) REQUIREMENTS.—Each recommendation in 

5 the report submitted under subsection (b)— 

6 (A) shall result in a decrease of overall 

7 Government spending or an increase of Govern8 ment revenue; and 

9 (B) shall not result in— 

10 (i) any cut in benefits for veterans, 

11 members of the Armed Forces, or their 

12 families; or 

13 (ii) any cut in benefits for seniors, in14 cluding— 

15 (I) the elimination of guaranteed 

16 health insurance benefits for seniors 

17 or people with disabilities; 

18 (II) the conversion of Medicare 

19 into a voucher plan that provides lim20 ited payments to seniors or people 

21 with disabilities to purchase health 

22 care in the private health insurance 

23 market; 

24 (III) cuts in Medicaid health in25 surance benefits; 


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1 (IV) cuts in nursing home care; 

2 or 

3 (V) privatization of Social Secu4 rity benefits. 

5 (2) CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.— 

6 The Board shall consult regularly with the Govern7 ment Accountability Office and other agencies in 

8 making the recommendations required under this 

9 section. 

10 (d) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.—Not later 

11 than 90 days after the date on which a report is submitted 

12 under subsection (b), the report shall be made available 

13 to the public. 

14 SEC. 4. POWERS OF THE BOARD. 

15 (a) HEARINGS.—The Board may hold such hearings, 

16 sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, 

17 and receive such evidence as the Board considers advisable 

18 to carry out this Act. 

19 (b) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Board may 

20 secure directly from any agency information necessary to 

21 enable it to carry out this section. Upon request of the 

22 Chairperson, the head of that agency shall furnish that 

23 information to the Board on an agreed upon schedule. 


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1 (c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Board may use the 

2 United States mails in the same manner and under the 

3 same conditions as other agencies. 

4 (d) GIFTS.—The Board may accept, use, and dispose 

5 of gifts or donations of services or property. 

6 (e) OFFICES.—The Board shall maintain a principal 

7 office and such field offices as it determines necessary, and 

8 may meet and exercise any of its powers at any other 

9 place. 

10 SEC. 5. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

11 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS AND CHAIR12 PERSON.—Each member of the Board, other than the 

13 Chairperson, shall be compensated at a rate equal to the 

14 annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level III of the Ex15 ecutive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 

16 States Code. The Chairperson shall be compensated at a 

17 rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 

18 basic pay prescribed for level II of the Executive Schedule 

19 under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code. 

20 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Board 

21 shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 

22 of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agen23 cies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

24 States Code, while away from their homes or regular 


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1 places of business in the performance of services for the 

2 Board. 

3 (c) STAFF.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson may, with5 out regard to the civil service laws and regulations, 

6 appoint and terminate an executive director and 

7 such other additional personnel as may be necessary 

8 to enable the Board to perform its duties. The em9 ployment of an executive director shall be subject to 

10 confirmation by the Board. 

11 (2) COMPENSATION.—The Chairperson may fix 

12 the compensation of the executive director and other 

13 personnel without regard to chapter 51 and sub14 chapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 

15 Code, relating to classification of positions and Gen16 eral Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay 

17 for the executive director and other personnel may 

18 not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Execu19 tive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 

20 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any 

21 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the 

22 Board without reimbursement, and such detail shall be 

23 without interruption or loss of civil service status or privi24 lege. 


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1 (e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT2 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson may procure tem3 porary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 

4 title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals which 

5 do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 

6 basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 

7 under section 5316 of such title. 

8 SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF BOARD REC9 OMMENDATIONS. 

10 (a) INTRODUCTION.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—On the day on which the re12 port is submitted by the Board to the Congress 

13 under section 3(b), the legislative proposal (de14 scribed in section 3(a)(5)) contained in the report 

15 shall be introduced (by request) in the Senate by the 

16 majority leader of the Senate or by Members of the 

17 Senate designated by the majority leader of the Sen18 ate and shall be introduced (by request) in the 

19 House by the majority leader of the House or by 

20 Members of the House designated by the majority 

21 leader of the House. 

22 (2) NOT IN SESSION.—If either House is not in 

23 session on the day on which such legislative proposal 

24 is submitted, the legislative proposal shall be intro25 duced in that House, as provided in subparagraph 


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1 (A), on the first day thereafter on which that House 

2 is in session. 

3 (3) ANY MEMBER.—If the legislative proposal is 

4 not introduced in either House within 5 days on 

5 which that House is in session after the day on 

6 which the legislative proposal is submitted, then any 

7 Member of that House may introduce the legislative 

8 proposal. 

9 (4) REFERRAL.—The legislation introduced 

10 under this subsection in the House of Representa11 tives shall be referred to the Committee on Over12 sight and Government Reform of the House of Rep13 resentatives. The legislation introduced under this 

14 subsection in the Senate shall be referred to the 

15 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

16 Affairs of the Senate. 

17 (b) DISCHARGE.—If the committee to which a legisla18 tive proposal described in subsection (a) is referred has 

19 not reported the bill containing such proposal by the end 

20 of the 20-day period beginning on the date on which the 

21 Board submits the report to Congress under section 3(b), 

22 such committee shall be, at the end of such period, dis23 charged from further consideration of such bill, and such 

24 bill shall be placed on the appropriate calendar of the 

25 House involved. 


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1 (c) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION.— 

2 (1) CONSIDERATION.—On or after the third 

3 day after the date on which the committee to which 

4 such a bill is referred has reported, or has been dis5 charged (under subsection (b)) from further consid6 eration of, such a bill, it is in order (even though a 

7 previous motion to the same effect has been dis8 agreed to) for any Member of the respective House 

9 to move to proceed to the consideration of the bill. 

10 A member may make the motion only on the day 

11 after the calendar day on which the Member an12 nounces to the House concerned the Member’s inten13 tion to make the motion, except that, in the case of 

14 the House of Representatives, the motion may be 

15 made without such prior announcement if the mo16 tion is made by direction of the committee to which 

17 the bill was referred. The motion is highly privileged 

18 in the House of Representatives and is privileged in 

19 the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is not 

20 subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone, 

21 or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of 

22 other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by 

23 which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall 

24 not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consid25 eration of the bill is agreed to, the respective House 


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1 shall immediately proceed to consideration of the bill 

2 without intervening motion, order, or other business, 

3 and the bill shall remain the unfinished business of 

4 the respective House until disposed of. 

5 (2) DEBATE.—Debate on the bill, and on all 

6 debatable motions and appeals in connection there7 with, shall be limited to not more than 2 hours, 

8 which shall be divided equally between those favoring 

9 and those opposing the bill. An amendment to the 

10 bill is not in order. A motion further to limit debate 

11 is in order and not debatable. A motion to postpone, 

12 or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other 

13 business, or a motion to recommit the bill is not in 

14 order. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the 

15 bill is agreed to or disagreed to is not in order. 

16 (3) VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE.—Immediately 

17 following the conclusion of the debate on the bill and 

18 a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate 

19 if requested in accordance with the rules of the ap20 propriate House, the vote on final passage of the bill 

21 shall occur. 

22 (4) APPEALS.—Appeals from the decisions of 

23 the Chair relating to the application of the rules of 

24 the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the 


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1 case may be, to the procedure relating to the bill 

2 shall be decided without debate. 

3 (d) CONSIDERATION BY OTHER HOUSE.— 

4 (1) BEFORE PASSAGE.—If, before the passage 

5 by one House of a bill of that House described in 

6 subsection (b), that House receives from the other 

7 House a bill described in subsection (b), then the 

8 following procedures shall apply— 

9 (A) the bill of the other House shall not be 

10 referred to a committee and may not be consid11 ered in the House receiving it except in the case 

12 of final passage as provided in subparagraph 

13 (B)(ii); and 

14 (B) with respect to a bill described in sub15 section (b) of the House receiving the bill (i) 

16 the procedure in that House shall be the same 

17 as if no bill had been received from the other 

18 House; but (ii) the vote on final passage shall 

19 be on the bill of the other House. 

20 (2) AFTER PASSAGE.—Upon disposition of the 

21 bill received from the other House, it shall no longer 

22 be in order to consider the bill that originated in the 

23 receiving House. 

24 (e) RULES OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE.—This sec25 tion is enacted by Congress— 


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1 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

2 the Senate and House of Representatives, respec3 tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 

4 of each House, respectively, but applicable only with 

5 respect to the procedure to be followed in that 

6 House in the case of a bill described in subsection 

7 (b), and it supersedes other rules only to the extent 

8 that it is inconsistent with such rules; and 

9 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

10 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 

11 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

12 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 

13 the case of any other rule of that House. 

14 (f) CALENDAR DAY DEFINED.—In this section, the 

15 term ‘‘calendar day’’ means a calendar day other than one 

16 on which either House is not in session because of an ad17 journment of more than three days to a date certain. 

18 SEC. 7. AGENCY DEFINED. 

19 In this Act, the term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning given 

20 that term under section 551 of title 5, United States Code. 

21 SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF THE BOARD. 

22 The Board shall terminate 120 days after the date 

23 on which the Board submits the report under section 3(b). 

Æ 


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