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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2646 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2646

    To amend title 31, United States Code, to enhance the oversight 
    authorities of the Comptroller General, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 2, 2009

  Mr. Towns introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To amend title 31, United States Code, to enhance the oversight 
    authorities of the Comptroller General, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Government Accountability Office 
Improvement Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO OBTAIN INFORMATION.

    (a) Authority To Obtain Records.--Section 716 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended in subsection (a)--
            (1) by striking ``(a)'' and inserting ``(2)''; and
            (2) by inserting after the section heading the following:
    ``(a)(1) The Comptroller General is authorized to obtain such 
agency records as the Comptroller General requires to discharge his 
duties (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), 
including through the bringing of civil actions under this section. In 
reviewing a civil action under this section, the court shall recognize 
the continuing force and effect of the authorization in the preceding 
sentence until such time as the authorization is repealed pursuant to 
law.''.
    (b) Copies and Interviews.--Section 716(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended in the 
second sentence of paragraph (2) by striking ``inspect an agency 
record'' and inserting ``inspect, and make and retain copies of, an 
agency record and interview agency officers and employees''.
    (c) Rules of Construction.--Section 716 of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) No provision of any law in existence on the date of the 
enactment of this section or enacted after such date shall be construed 
to limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General 
to obtain any information, to inspect any record, or to interview any 
officer or employee under this section, except to the extent such 
provision expressly and specifically refers to this section and 
provides for such limitation, amendment, or supersession.''.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTERING OATHS.

    Paragraph (4) of section 711 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
            ``(4) administer oaths to witnesses, except that, in 
        matters other than auditing and settling accounts, the 
        authority of an officer or employee to administer oaths to 
        witnesses pursuant to a delegation under paragraph (2) shall 
        not be available without the prior express approval of the 
        Comptroller General (or a designee).''.

SEC. 4. AGENCY REPORTS.

    Section 720(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 
        ``or planned'' after ``action taken''; and
            (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and 
        Government Operations of the House of Representatives, the 
        congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agency 
        program or activity that is the subject of the recommendation, 
        and the Government Accountability Office before the 61st day 
        after the date of the report; and''.
                                 <all>
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