I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5336 

To require Members of the House of Representatives to post information 

on their official public websites on the costs of trips taken by Members 

for which expenses were paid by the Department of Defense, the Department of State, or other offices of the House of Representatives, to 

direct the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives to maintain an online clearinghouse on its official public 

website of all such information for all Members, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 26, 2016 

Mrs. ELLMERS of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To require Members of the House of Representatives to 

post information on their official public websites on the 

costs of trips taken by Members for which expenses 

were paid by the Department of Defense, the Department of State, or other offices of the House of Representatives, to direct the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives to maintain an 

online clearinghouse on its official public website of all 

such information for all Members, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taxpayer-Funded 

3 Travel Transparency Act of 2016’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REQUIRING MEMBERS OF HOUSE TO POST INFOR5 MATION ON COSTS OF CERTAIN TAXPAYER6 FUNDED TRAVEL. 

7 (a) REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each Member of the House 

9 of Representatives shall post on the Member’s offi10 cial public website, and shall provide to the Com11 mittee on House Administration of the House of 

12 Representatives— 

13 (A) a description of each trip taken by the 

14 Member for which transportation, lodging, or 

15 related expenses were paid by the Department 

16 of Defense, the Department of State, or an of17 fice of the House of Representatives; and 

18 (B) the amounts paid by the Department 

19 of Defense, the Department of State, or office 

20 of the House for such expenses. 

21 (2) EXCEPTION FOR MEMBERS’ REPRESENTA22 TIONAL ALLOWANCE.—Paragraph (1) does not apply 

23 with respect to a trip taken by a Member for which 

24 expenses were paid by the Members’ Representa25 tional Allowance of such Member. 


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1 (b) CLEARINGHOUSE OF INFORMATION ON COM2 MITTEE WEBSITE.—The Committee on House Adminis3 tration of the House of Representatives shall maintain on 

4 its official public website a clearinghouse of all of the in5 formation provided to the Committee under subsection (a) 

6 by all Members of the House. 

7 (c) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad8 ministration shall promulgate such regulations as it con9 siders appropriate to carry out this section. 

10 SEC. 3. DETERMINATION AND DISCLOSURE OF EXPENSES 

11 INCURRED BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

12 AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN PAYING 

13 MEMBER TRAVEL EXPENSES. 

14 (a) REQUIREMENTS FOR SECRETARY OF DE15 FENSE.—In the case of a trip taken by a Member of the 

16 House of Representatives for which the Department of 

17 Defense pays transportation, lodging, or related expenses, 

18 the Secretary of Defense shall— 

19 (1) determine the cost of the transportation, 

20 lodging, and related expenses paid with respect to 

21 the Member; and 

22 (2) subject to subsection (c), provide the Mem23 ber with a written statement of the expenses not 

24 later than 10 days after completion of the trip in25 volved. 


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1 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.—In 

2 the case of a trip taken by a Member of the House of 

3 Representatives for which the Department of State pays 

4 transportation, lodging, or related expenses, the Secretary 

5 of State shall— 

6 (1) determine the cost of the transportation, 

7 lodging, and related expenses paid with respect to 

8 the Member; and 

9 (2) subject to subsection (c), provide the Mem10 ber with a written statement of the expenses not 

11 later than 10 days after completion of the trip in12 volved. 

13 (c) EXCEPTION FOR DISCLOSURES AFFECTING NA14 TIONAL SECURITY.—The Secretary of Defense may waive 

15 the application of paragraph (2) of subsection (a), and the 

16 Secretary of State may waive the application of paragraph 

17 (2) of subsection (b), with respect to a statement of ex18 penses relating to a trip taken by a Member of the House 

19 of Representatives if the Secretary determines that pro20 viding the statement of expenses may affect national secu21 rity. 

22 SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 

23 In this Act, the term ‘‘Member of the House of Rep24 resentatives’’ includes a Delegate or Resident Commis25 sioner to the Congress. 


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1 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 This Act shall apply with respect to trips taken on 

3 or after the date of the enactment of this Act, except that 

4 this Act does not apply with respect to any trip which 

5 began prior to such date. 

Æ 


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