Transparency in Government Act of 2015

To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to improve access to information in the legislative and executive branches of the Government, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparency in Government Act of 2015 2. Table of contents The table of contents is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title. Sec. 2. Table of contents. Title I—Improving Access to Information about Members of Congress and congressional offices Sec. 101. Greater disclosure and electronic filing of personal financial information. Sec. 102. Greater disclosure of travel reports. Sec. 103. Greater disclosure of gift reports. Sec. 104. Greater disclosure of earmarks. Sec. 105. Online posting of disbursements from Members’ Representational Allowance. Sec. 106. GAO study and report on effects of written requests by Members of Congress for funding of projects. Title II—Enhancing Public Access to the Work of Congressional Committees, Legislation, and Votes Sec. 201. Increased transparency of committee work. Sec. 202. Increased transparency of committee schedules through the Clerk. Sec. 203. Increased transparency of recorded votes. Sec. 204. Electronic format. Sec. 205. Congressional data task force. Sec. 206. Use of data standards by congressional support offices. Title III—Enhancing Public Access to Congressional Research Service Sec. 301. Short title; findings. Sec. 302. Availability of certain Congressional Research Service information. Sec. 303. Other methods of public access. Sec. 304. Definitions. Sec. 305. Effective date. Title IV—Lobbying Disclosure Sec. 401. Short title. Sec. 402. Modifications to enforcement. Sec. 403. Definition of lobbyist. Sec. 404. Expedited online registration of lobbyists; expansion of registrants. Sec. 405. Disclosure of political contributions. Sec. 406. Identification numbers for lobbyists. Sec. 407. Ethics training for lobbyists. Sec. 408. Estimates based on tax reporting system. Sec. 409. Effective date. Title V—Transparency in Federal contracting Sec. 501. Improving application programming interface and website data elements. Sec. 502. Improving data quality. Sec. 503. Requirements relating to reporting of award data. Sec. 504. Recipient performance transparency. Sec. 505. Improvement of Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System Database. Sec. 506. Federal contractor compliance. Sec. 507. Improving access to information disclosed on lobbying activities. Title VI—Executive Branch Transparency Sec. 601. Requirement for disclosure of Federal sponsorship of all Federal advertising or other communications. Sec. 602. Improving access to influential executive branch official’s visitor access records. Sec. 603. Improving access to budget justifications by the Office of Management and Budget. Sec. 604. Improving rulemaking disclosure for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Sec. 605. Improving E-filing data collection and distribution for non-profits. Sec. 606. Improving ease of online access to registration information from agents of foreign principals. Sec. 607. Agency defined. Sec. 608. Government-Wide entity identifier. Title VII—Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act Sec. 701. Digital access to completed responses to the Freedom of Information Act. Sec. 702. Explanation required for creation of exemption in the Freedom of Information Act. Sec. 703. FOIAonline for agencies. Sec. 704. Agency defined. Title VIII—Improving transparency within the judicial system Sec. 801. Televising Supreme Court proceedings. Sec. 802. Audio recording of Supreme Court proceedings. Sec. 803. Availability on the Internet of financial disclosure reports of judicial officers. Sec. 804. GAO audit of PACER. Title IX—Enforcement Sec. 901. Audits by the Government Accountability Office. I Improving Access to Information about Members of Congress and congressional offices 101. Greater disclosure and electronic filing of personal financial information (a) Additional financial disclosure requirements (1) Section 102(a)(1)(B) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 ( 5 U.S.C. App. 102(a)(1)(B) $15,000 $25,000 (v) greater than $25,000 but not more than $100,000, rounded to the nearest $10,000, (vi) greater than $100,000 but not more than $1,000,000, rounded to the nearest $100,000, or (vii) greater than $1,000,000, rounded to the nearest $1,000,000. . (2) Section 102(d)(1) of such Act ( 5 U.S.C. App. 102(d)(1) (3), (4), (5), and (8) (5) and (8) (3) Section 102(d) of such Act ( 5 U.S.C. App. 102(d) (3) The categories for reporting the amount or value of the items covered in paragraphs (3) or (4) of subsection (a) are as follows: (A) Not more than $15,000. (B) Greater than $15,000 but not more than $25,000. (C) Greater than $25,000 but not more than $100,000, rounded to the nearest $10,000. (D) Greater than $100,000 but not more than $1,000,000, rounded to the nearest $100,000. (E) Greater than $1,000,000, rounded to the nearest $1,000,000. . (b) More frequent disclosure of financial transactions involving large sums of money (1) Section 101 of such Act ( 5 U.S.C. App. 101 (j) In addition to any other report required to be filed by a Member of Congress or officer or employee of the Congress, each such individual is required to file a quarterly report on April 30, July 30, October 30, and January 30 of each year covering the preceding calendar quarter if that individual (or the spouse or any dependent child of that individual) purchased, sold, or exchanged any property described in subsection (a)(5) valued at not less than $250,000 during that calendar quarter. For any such transaction of not less than $250,000, such report shall contain all of the information required under subsection (a)(5). . (2) (A) Clause 1 of rule XXVI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by inserting (a) 1. (b) If any report is filed with the Clerk for a calendar quarter pursuant to section 101(i) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Clerk shall compile all such reports sent to the Clerk by Members and have them printed as a House document, which shall be made available to the public, as soon as practicable. (c) Each individual required to file a report with the Clerk under title I under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 shall file and maintain such report in electronic form. . (B) Comparable language to be added by the Senate. (c) Availability on the Internet of reports filed under this title with the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate Section 103 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 ( 5 U.S.C. App. 103 (m) The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall each make available any report filed with them under this title (whether the report is filed in paper or electronic form) within 48 hours of the applicable submission deadline on the website of the Clerk or the Secretary, as applicable, in a searchable, sortable, downloadable, machine-readable format. . (d) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to reports filed for calendar years or calendar quarters beginning after the date of enactment of this Act. 102. Greater disclosure of travel reports (a) Foreign travel Clause 8(b)(3) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: Within 48 hours after any such report is filed with the chair of a committee, the chair shall post the report on the Internet site of the committee in a searchable, sortable, downloadable, machine-readable format. (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to travel commencing after the date of enactment of this Act. 103. Greater disclosure of gift reports (a) Requiring Clerk of the House To Post Reports on Internet Not Later Than 48 Hours After Receipt (1) Clause 5(b)(5) of rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended— (A) by striking shall make available shall post on the public Internet site of the Clerk and otherwise make available (B) by striking as possible as possible, but in no event later than 48 hours, (2) Comparable language to be added by the Senate. (b) Effective Date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to reports filed on or after the date of the adoption of this resolution. 104. Greater disclosure of earmarks (a) Electronic disclosure by Members (1) Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19 and by inserting after clause 17 the following: 18. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who requests a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit shall, within 24 hours after making such request— (1) post on his or her public website for the remainder of the Congress the following— (A) the name and address of the intended recipient; (B) whether the intended recipient is a for-profit or not-for-profit entity; (C) the requested amount (only in the case of congressional earmarks); and (D) an explanation of the request, including the purpose, and why it is a valuable use of taxpayer funds; (2) electronically submit to the committee of subject-matter jurisdiction the webpage address where such information is posted; (3) identify each request as having been submitted to the committee of subject-matter jurisdiction; and (4) display on the homepage of such website a hypertext link that contains the words Earmarks Appropriations Requests Limited Tax Benefits Limited Tariff Benefits . (2) The last sentence of clause 16 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by striking and clause 17 , clause 17, and clause 18 (b) Electronic disclosure by committees Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new clause: Earmark disclosure websites (s) (1) Any committee that accepts any request of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner for a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit shall maintain a public website with an earmark disclosure webpage that contains the following for each such request— (A) the bill name; (B) the name, State, and district of that individual; (C) the name and address of the intended recipient; (D) whether the intended recipient is a for-profit or not-for-profit entity; (E) the requested amount (only in the case of congressional earmarks); (F) a brief description; and (G) the applicable department or agency of the Government, and the account or program (if provided to the committee in the request); and is in a downloadable format that is searchable and sortable by such characteristics. (2) Any written statement received by a committee under clause 17(a) of rule XXIII shall be posted on the earmark disclosure webpage of the committee. (3) The earmark disclosure webpage of a committee shall list the names of any Member, Delegate, and Resident Commissioner who requests a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit and link directly to their webpage addresses referred to in clause 18(2) of rule XXIII. (4) The earmark disclosure webpage of a committee shall post the information required under subparagraphs (1) through (3) within one week of receipt, and shall maintain that information on that webpage for the remainder of the Congress. (5) For purposes of this paragraph, the terms congressional earmark limited tax benefit limited tariff benefit . (c) Point of order Clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by redesignating paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) as paragraphs (f), (g), and (h), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (d) the following: (e) It shall not be in order to consider any bill or joint resolution, or an amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that carries a congressional earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit for which a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner failed to comply with any applicable requirement of clause 18 of rule XXIII. . (d) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to requests for congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits made after the date this resolution is agreed to. (e) Centralized database for earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits (1) The Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate, and the chairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall collaborate to create one centralized database where all requests for earmark, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits are available on the Internet in a searchable, sortable, downloadable format to the public. The data available to the public for each earmark should include— (A) an identification of the bill into which the earmark is to be inserted; (B) the name, State, and district of the Member of Congress requesting the earmark; (C) the name and address of the intended recipient; (D) whether the intended recipient is a for-profit or not-for-profit entity; (E) the requested amount (only in the case of congressional earmarks); (F) a brief description of the earmark; and (G) the applicable department or agency of the Government, and the account or program (if provided to the committee in the request). (2) The centralized database for earmarks referred to in paragraph (1) shall be implemented within six months after the date of enactment of this Act. 105. Online posting of disbursements from Members’ Representational Allowance (a) Requiring Posting (1) In general With respect to each session of a Congress (beginning with the second session of the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress)— (A) the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall post on the official public Internet site of the House of Representatives a machine-readable statement showing each disbursement made from the Members’ Representational Allowance during that session, and include as part of the statement hyperlinks to information on the amount of such disbursements which are attributable to each specific Member of the House of Representatives; and (B) except as provided in paragraph (2), each Member of the House of Representatives shall include on the Member’s official public Internet site a hyperlink to the information provided on the House of Representatives site under subparagraph (A) with respect to the disbursements made by the Member. (2) Exception for former Members Paragraph (1)(B) does not apply to any individual who is not a Member of the House of Representatives at the time the Chief Administrative Officer posts the statement described in paragraph (1)(A). (b) Source of Information The information provided on the House of Representatives site under subsection (a)(1) shall be based on the reports of disbursements for the operations of the House of Representatives which are submitted by the Chief Administrative Officer under section 106 of the House of Representatives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act ( 2 U.S.C. 104b (c) Deadlines (1) Chief Administrative Officer The Chief Administrative Officer shall post the information required under subsection (a)(1) with respect to a session of Congress not later than 30 days after the publication of the final report of disbursements for the operations of the House of Representatives (as described in subsection (b)) for that session. (2) Members Each Member of the House of Representatives shall meet the requirements of subsection (a)(2) not later than 5 days after the Chief Administrative Officer posts the information required under subsection (a)(1) with respect to a session of Congress. (d) Member Defined In this section, a Member of the House of Representatives 106. GAO study and report on effects of written requests by Members of Congress for funding of projects (a) Study The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the effect of written requests to carry out and provide funding for projects and activities which are submitted to offices of the executive branch by Members of Congress on the decisions made by such offices regarding the funding of those projects and activities. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a). II Enhancing Public Access to the Work of Congressional Committees, Legislation, and Votes 201. Increased transparency of committee work (a) In the House of Representatives Clause 1 of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (e) (1) Each committee shall post on its Internet website the public hearings and markup schedules of the committee and each of its subcommittees at the same time that information is made available to members of the committee. (2) For each hearing and markup for which information is posted under subparagraph (1), the committee shall post on its Internet website within 45 days the following: the topic, related legislation, testimony of witnesses, opening statements of the chair and ranking minority member, transcripts, and audio and video recordings. (3) Within 24 hours after a committee or subcommittee orders any bill or resolution to be reported, the committee or subcommittee, as applicable, shall post on its Internet website all amendments that were agreed to, except for technical and conforming changes authorized by the committee or subcommittee. . (b) In the Senate Comparable language to be added by the Senate. 202. Increased transparency of committee schedules through the Clerk Clause 2 of rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (l) The House Committees shall provide to the Clerk, in a structured data format, a complete list of all public hearing and markup schedules of committees and subcommittees as soon as publically available; and the Clerk shall post this information on its Web site, including links to committee websites. . 203. Increased transparency of recorded votes (a) Additional duties of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall post on the public Internet site of the Office of the Clerk or of the Secretary, respectively, a record, organized by the name of each Member or Senator, in a structured data format, of the recorded votes of that Member or Senator, including the roll, date, issue, question, result, and title or description of the vote, and any cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office related to the vote. (b) Web link Each Member shall provide a link to the Clerk of the House of Representatives of a list of recorded votes from that Member’s website, and each Senator shall provide a link to the Secretary of the Senate of a list of recorded votes from that Senator’s website. (c) Definition As used in this section, the term Member (d) Effective date This section shall apply to recorded votes occurring after the date of enactment of this Act. 204. Electronic format (a) In general Chapter 2 107a. Electronic format To the extent practicable, all bills, resolutions, orders, and votes shall be created, exchanged, and published in searchable electronic formats, consistent with data standards recommended by such advisory bodies as Congress may establish. . (b) Conforming amendment The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 2 107a. Electronic format. . 205. Congressional data task force (a) Establishment The Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate shall establish an advisory Congressional Data Task Force to recommend data standards for the creation, exchange, and publication of congressional information. (b) Composition The Congressional Data Task Force shall be composed of staff representatives of the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, the Library of Congress, the Congressional Research Service, the Government Publishing Office, the Center for Legislative Archives, such other congressional offices and agencies may be necessary, and representatives of the public. (c) Data standards All data standards recommended by the Congressional Data Task Force shall be nonproprietary and machine-readable. (d) Scope The Congressional Data Task Force shall recommend data standards for congressional information, including all bills, amendments, Acts, reports, committee hearing/meeting notices, the United States Code, and other legislative documents and records. 206. Use of data standards by congressional support offices All congressional support offices shall, to the extent practicable, use the data standards recommended by the Congressional Data Task Force for the congressional information that they create, exchange, and/or publish. III Enhancing Public Access to Congressional Research Service 301. Short title; findings (a) Short Title This title may be cited as the Public Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Resolution of 2015 Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution of 2015 (b) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The Congressional Research Service, a special reference unit within the Library of Congress, offers invaluable research and analysis to Members of Congress on all current and emerging issues of national policy. (2) The Congressional Research Service staff of approximately 700 employees, including lawyers, economists, reference librarians, and social, natural, and physical scientists, are governed by requirements for accuracy, objectivity, balance, and nonpartisanship. (3) The Congressional Research Service has a responsibility to ensure that Members of Congress have available the best possible information and analysis on which to base the policy decisions the American people have elected them to make. (4) It is often burdensome, difficult, and time-consuming for citizens to obtain access to objective and nonpartisan policy analysis on issues affecting their interests. (5) It will enhance our democracy to provide citizens with access to unbiased and accurate CRS documents on legislation and other critical issues before Congress. (6) Allowing public access to CRS will empower citizens and enable Members of Congress to become even more effective representatives 302. Availability of certain Congressional Research Service information (a) Establishment and Maintenance of Database of information (1) In general The Clerk of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the Director of the Congressional Research Service, shall establish and maintain a centralized, searchable, bulk downloadable, electronic database consisting of— (A) all of the information described in paragraph (2) that is available to Members, officers, employees, and offices of the House of Representatives through the Congressional Research Service website; and (B) in accordance with subsection (b), an index of the information described in subparagraph (A). (2) Information described The information described in this paragraph is as follows: (A) Congressional Research Service Issue Briefs. (B) Congressional Research Service Reports. (C) Congressional Research Service Authorization of Appropriations Products and Appropriations Products. (D) Materials intended or available for general congressional distribution that are the same or substantially similar in content to CRS Reports, Issue Briefs, and Appropriations Products. (3) Specific information for materials included With respect to each issue brief, product, or report included in the database under this subsection, the Clerk shall include— (A) the name and identification number; (B) the dates of initial release and updates (if any); and (C) the Congressional Research Service division or divisions that were responsible for its production. (4) Updates The Clerk, in consultation with the Director, shall ensure that the information in the database under this subsection is updated automatically and electronically to reflect the availability of new information and updates to existing information described in paragraph (2). (5) Initial information The initial establishment of the database under this subsection shall include all of the contents described in paragraph (1) as of the date on which this resolution is agreed to. (b) Index of database information In addition to the database under subsection (a), the Clerk, in consultation with the Director, shall establish and maintain contemporaneously a website containing a searchable, sortable index of all of the information in the database in both human-readable and machine-readable formats (such as XML) that includes for each issue brief, product, or report in the database— (1) the name and identification number; (2) the dates of initial release and updates (if any); and (3) the Congressional Research Service division or divisions that were responsible for its production. (c) Limitations (1) Confidential information Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply to— (A) any information that is confidential, as determined by— (i) the Director, or (ii) the head of a Federal department or agency that provided the information to the Congressional Research Service; or (B) any document that— (i) is the product of a confidential research request made by a Member, officer, employee, or office of the House of Representatives; (ii) has not been distributed to any individual or office other than the individual or office making the request; and (iii) is not intended for distribution to any person other than the individual or office making the request. (2) Redaction and revision In carrying out this section, the Clerk, on the basis of information provided by the Director, may— (A) remove from the information included in the database (including from the issue brief, product, or report itself) the name and contact information regarding an employee of the Congressional Research Service; (B) remove from the information included in the database (including from the issue brief, product, or report itself) any material for which the Director determines that including the information on the database may infringe the copyright of a work protected under title 17, United States Code; and (C) make any changes in the information included in the database (including from the issue brief, product, or report itself) that the Director determines necessary to ensure that the information is accurate and current, except that if the Clerk makes any such change with respect to any material in the database, the Clerk shall indicate in the database (with such notation as the Clerk considers appropriate) that more current information is available with respect to the material than the information provided in the database. (3) Method of redaction The Clerk shall carry out any redaction under paragraph (2)(C) in a manner which removes the least amount of material necessary to carry out the purposes of the redaction. (4) Assistance from director for automatic redaction The Clerk shall consult with the Director to ensure the availability and implementation of such technology as may be necessary to facilitate the automatic redaction of information under this subsection. (d) Furnishing of necessary information The Clerk shall consult with the Director to ensure that the Clerk is provided with all of the information necessary to carry out this section in such format as the Clerk considers appropriate. 303. Other methods of public access (a) Access Through Websites of Members and Committees Each official public website of a Member of the House of Representatives, a committee of the House of Representatives, or a joint committee of the Congress shall permit members of the public to use the website to obtain the information contained in the database established under section 302, in the same manner and to the same extent as Members, officers, employees, and offices of the House of Representatives may obtain such information through the Congressional Research Service website. (b) Regulations Subsection (a) shall be carried out in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives. 304. Definitions In this title— (1) the term Clerk (2) the term Director (3) the term Member of the House of Representatives 305. Effective date This title shall take effect upon the expiration of the 6-month period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act, without regard to whether the regulations described in section 303(b) or any other regulations have been promulgated prior to the expiration of such period. IV Lobbying Disclosure 401. Short title This title may be cited as the Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act 402. Modifications to enforcement (a) Lobbying Disclosure Act Task Force (1) Establishment The Attorney General shall establish the Lobbying Disclosure Act Enforcement Task Force (in this subsection referred to as the Task Force (2) Functions The Task Force— (A) shall have primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting each case referred to the Attorney General under section 6(a)(8) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(8) (B) shall collect and disseminate information with respect to the enforcement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. (C) shall audit, at a minimum on an annual basis, and as frequently as deemed necessary by the Task Force, the extent of compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants under that Act through a random sampling of lobbying registrations and reports filed under that Act during each calendar year; and (D) shall establish, publicize, and operate a toll-free telephone number to serve as a hotline for members of the public to report noncompliance with lobbyist disclosure requirements under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and shall develop a mechanism to allow members of the public to report such noncompliance online. (b) Referral of cases to the Attorney General Section 6(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1605(a) (1) in paragraph (8), by striking United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Attorney General (2) in paragraph (11), by striking United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Attorney General (c) Recommendations for improved enforcement The Attorney General may make recommendations to Congress with respect to— (1) the enforcement of and compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; and (2) the need for resources available for the enhanced enforcement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. (d) Information in enforcement reports Section 6(b)(1) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1605(b)(1) by case public record by case and name of the individual lobbyists or lobbying firms involved, any sentences imposed 403. Definition of lobbyist Section 3(10) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1602(10) , other than an individual period 404. Expedited online registration of lobbyists; expansion of registrants Section 4(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1603(a) (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) by striking 45 days 10 days (B) by striking , or on the first business day after such 45th day if such 45th day is not a business day, , or on the first business day occurring after such 10th day if such 10th day does not occur on a business day, (C) by inserting online shall register (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) by striking Any organization (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), any organization ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (B) Threshold for certain organizations In the case of an organization whose employees who are lobbyists engage in lobbying activities only on behalf of the organization, the organization is required to register under this subsection only if the lobbying activities of each such employee includes or is expected to include more than one lobbying contact. . 405. Disclosure of political contributions Section 5(d)(1) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1604(d)(1) (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 30 days after 30th day is not 20 days after the end of the quarterly period beginning on the first day of January, April, July, and October of each year, or on the first business day after such 20th day if such 20th day is not (2) by striking semiannual period quarterly period 406. Identification numbers for lobbyists Section 6(a)(3) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(3) (1) by striking and (2) by adding and (3) by adding after subparagraph (B) the following: (C) a system that assigns an identification number for each lobbyist for whom a registration or report is filed under this Act; . 407. Ethics training for lobbyists (a) Required ethics training Any individual who is a lobbyist registered or required to register under section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1603 (1) complete ethics training described in subsection (b)— (A) not later than 6 months after the individual is first employed or retained for services that include one or more lobbying contacts; and (B) at least once in each 5-year period during which the individual is registered or required to register under section 4; and (2) submit to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate certification of the training completed under paragraph (1). (b) Qualified training The Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate shall jointly— (1) determine the curriculum and certification requirements for the ethics training for individuals described in subsection (a); (2) approve those educational institutions, professional associations, or other persons who are qualified to provide such ethics training; (3) determine the maximum fee that may be charged for the ethics training; and (4) provide oversight of the ethics training program established under this section in order to determine the quality of instruction in, and the administration of, the training program. (c) Responsibilities of Clerk and Secretary The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall— (1) collect and review for completion and accuracy the certifications of ethics training submitted under subsection (a)(2); and (2) post on the websites of the Clerk and the Secretary, with respect to each individual required to complete ethics training under this section— (A) whether the individual has complied with such requirement; and (B) the certifications submitted by the individual under subsection (a)(2). 408. Estimates based on tax reporting system Section 15 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1610 409. Effective date (a) Section 402 Section 402 and the amendments made by that section take effect upon the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Sections 403, 404, 405 The amendments made by sections 403, 404, and 405 shall take effect on the first day of the first quarterly period described in section 5(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1604(a) (c) Section 406 The amendments made by section 406 shall apply to any registration or report that is filed under section 4 or 5 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995— (1) on or after the 90th day after the date of the enactment of this Act; or (2) before such 90th day, if such registration or report is, as of such 90th day, being retained under section 6(a)(5) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(5) (d) Section 407 (1) In general Section 407 shall take effect upon the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Current lobbyists In the case of individuals who are registered under section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1603 V Transparency in Federal contracting 501. Improving application programming interface and website data elements (a) In general Section 2 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–282 31 U.S.C. 6101 (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), by striking and delivery orders lease agreements and assignments, and delivery orders (B) in paragraph (3)— (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking and (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and inserting ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (E) programmatically search and access all data in a serialized machine readable format (such as XML) via a web-services application programming interface. ; and (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph: (4) Congressionally directed spending item The term congressionally directed spending item ; and (2) in subsection (b)(1)— (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting semicolon; (B) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (J); and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following new subparagraphs: (G) to the extent possible, the Federal agency, including the bureau, office, or subdivision, that authorized the Federal award; (H) after January 1, 2016, for all contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, task orders, lease agreements and assignments, and delivery orders— (i) information about the extent of competition in making the award, including the number of bids or proposals determined to be responsive during the competitive process, and if the award was not competed, the legal authority and specific rationale for making the award without full and open competition; (ii) the full amount of money that is awarded under a contract or, in the case of lease agreements or assignments, the amount paid to the Government, and the full amount of any options to expand or extend under a contract; (iii) the amount of the profit incentive, such as award fees; (iv) the type of contract, such as fixed price, cost plus pricing, labor hour contracts, and time and materials contracts; (v) a permanent link to the original solicitation or notice and the solicitation ID; (vi) an indication if the contract is the result of legislative mandates, set-asides, preference program requirements, or other criteria, and whether the contract is multi-year, consolidated, or performance based; and (vii) an indication if the contract is a congressionally directed spending item; (I) after January 1, 2016, for all grants, subgrants, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance, an indication if the funding is a congressionally directed spending item; and . (b) Effective date Except as otherwise provided, the amendments made by subsection (a) shall be implemented not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 502. Improving data quality (a) In general The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–282 31 U.S.C. 6101 5. Improving data quality (a) Inspector General data audit Each Inspector General shall annually audit for the previous fiscal year the data used on the website created by this Act for the relevant Federal agency of the Inspector General, in compliance with generally accepted Government auditing standards, and submit a report on such audit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget that includes at least the following: (1) A review of data used for the website to verify accuracy of the data and assess the process used for improving data quality. (2) A review of a statistically representative sample of Federal awards to determine whether Federal agencies have appropriate measures in place to review data submissions under this Act for accuracy and completeness. (3) An identification and report on new standards that Inspector General recommends for implementation by agencies to improve data quality. (b) OMB report Not later than April 1 of each year, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make each report submitted under subsection (a) for the previous fiscal year available to the public, including a review of the findings of the audit and recommendations to improve data quality, through the website created by this Act. . 503. Requirements relating to reporting of award data (a) Revision of guidance The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall revise the Office’s guidance to Federal agencies on reporting Federal awards to clarify— (1) the requirement that award titles describe the award’s purpose; and (2) requirements for validating and documenting agency award data submitted by Federal agencies. (b) Inclusion of city information The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall include information on the city where work is performed in the Office’s public reporting of the completeness of agency data submissions. 504. Recipient performance transparency (a) In general The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–282 31 U.S.C. 6101 6. Recipient performance transparency and past performance The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall ensure that the unique identifier required in section 2(b)(1)(E) that is used to link information about the entity receiving the award on the searchable website is also used to link information about that entity on the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall be implemented not later than June 30, 2015. 505. Improvement of Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System Database (a) Requirement To include in database 10 years of information on certain persons awarded Federal contracts or grants Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 ( Public Law 110–417 5-year 10-year (b) Requirement To include information in database regarding certain judgments and settlements Section 872 of such Act is further amended in subsection (c)(1) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: (E) In an administrative proceeding, any administrative judgment that does not contain an explicit finding or acknowledgment of fault. (F) In a civil proceeding, any settlement that does not contain an explicit finding or acknowledgment of fault. . 506. Federal contractor compliance (a) Self-Reporting requirement Subsection (f) of section 2313 of title 41, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (f) Self-Reporting requirement (1) Contracts in excess of simplified acquisition threshold No funds appropriated or otherwise made available by any Act may be used for any Federal contract for the procurement of property or services in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold unless the contractor has first made the certifications set forth in section 52.209–5 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (2) Contracts in excess of $500,000 No funds appropriated or otherwise made available by any Act may be used for any Federal contract for the procurement of property or services in excess of $500,000 unless the contractor— (A) certifies that the contractor has submitted to the Administrator the information required under subsection (c) and that such information is current as of the date of such certification; or (B) certifies that the contractor has cumulative active Federal contracts and grants with a total value of less than $10,000,000. . (b) Periodic inspection or review of contract files Section 2313(e)(2) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) Periodic inspection or review The Inspector General of each Federal agency shall periodically— (i) conduct an inspection or review of the contract files required under subparagraph (B) to determine if the agency is providing appropriate consideration of the information included in the database created pursuant to subsection (c); and (ii) submit a report containing the results of the inspection or review conducted under clause (i) to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives. . (c) Annual report The Comptroller General of the United States shall annually submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees describing the extent to which suspended or debarred contractors on the Excluded Parties List System— (1) are identified as having received Federal contracts on USAspending.gov; or (2) were granted waivers from Federal agencies from suspension or debarment for purposes of entering into Federal contracts. 507. Improving access to information disclosed on lobbying activities (a) Information filed with the Administrator of General Services Section 1352(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking file with that agency file electronically with the Administrator of General Services (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (7) Database required The Administrator of General Services shall establish and maintain an online database that is made available to the relevant agency and accessible by the public that contains information disclosed pursuant to this subsection that is searchable, sortable, machine readable, and downloadable. . (b) Deadline for database Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services shall establish the database required by paragraph (7) of section 1352(b) of title 31, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). VI Executive Branch Transparency 601. Requirement for disclosure of Federal sponsorship of all Federal advertising or other communications (a) Requirement Except as provided for in subsection (b), each advertisement or other communication paid for by an agency, either directly or through a contract awarded by the agency, shall include a prominent notice informing the target audience that the advertisement or other communication is paid for by that agency. (b) Exceptions The requirement in subsection (a) shall not apply to an advertisement or other communication— (1) that is 200 characters or less; or (2) that is distributed through a short message service. (c) Advertisement or other communications defined In this section, the term advertisement or other communication (1) an advertisement disseminated in any form, including print or by any electronic means; and (2) a communication by an individual in any form, including speech, print, or by any electronic means. 602. Improving access to influential executive branch official’s visitor access records (a) Disclosure of White House visitor access records Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and monthly thereafter, the President shall disclose to the public all White House visitor access records for the previous month that are redacted in accordance with subsection (c). (b) Disclosure of agency visitor access records Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and monthly thereafter, the head of each agency shall disclose to the public all visitor access records for the previous month for such agency head that are redacted in accordance with subsection (c). (c) Information not disclosed The President under subsection (a), and the head of the relevant agency under subsection (b), as the case may be, may determine to not disclose the following information pursuant to this section: (1) Any information— (A) that implicates personal privacy or law enforcement concerns (such as date of birth, social security number, and contact phone number); (B) that implicates the personal safety of White House staff (including daily arrival and departure); or (C) whose release would so threaten national security interests that it outweighs a strong presumption in favor of the public’s interest in disclosure. (2) For a non-renewable period of up to a year, any information related to purely personal guests of the first and second families), but only if the executive branch’s interest in protecting an unfettered consultation conducted in secret strongly outweighs the public’s interest in an accountable Government free of corruption and political influence. (3) Any information related to a small group of particularly sensitive meetings (such as visits of potential Supreme Court nominees). 603. Improving access to budget justifications by the Office of Management and Budget (a) In general Beginning with the budget for fiscal year 2017, not later than 24 hours after the date on which the President submits the budget under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make all budget justifications available online in a searchable, sortable, machine readable, and downloadable format and any electronic version of the budget shall provide a link to each budget justification by the Office of Management and Budget. (b) Definition As used in this section, the term budget justifications 604. Improving rulemaking disclosure for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (a) Inclusion in the rulemaking docket of documents and communications related to the implementation of centralized regulatory review As soon as practicable, and not later than 15 days after the conclusion of centralized regulatory review for a draft proposed or draft final rule, the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs shall include in the rulemaking docket the following: (1) A copy of the draft proposed or draft final rule and supporting analyses submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review. (2) A copy of the draft proposed or draft final rule that incorporates substantive changes, if any, made to the rule as part of implementing centralized regulatory review. (3) A document describing in a complete, clear, and simple manner all substantive changes made by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to the draft proposed or draft final rule submitted by the agency to Office for review. (4) A copy of all documents and written communications (including all electronic mail and electronic mail file attachments), and a summary of all oral communications (including phone calls, phone conferences, and meetings), exchanged as part of the implementation of the centralized regulatory review between or among any of the following: (A) The agency responsible for the rule. (B) The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. (C) Any other office or entity within the Executive Office of the President. (D) An agency that is not the agency responsible for the rule. (E) An individual who is not employed by— (i) the executive branch of the Federal Government; or (ii) an agency that is not the agency responsible for the rule. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Centralized regulatory review The term centralized regulatory review (2) Rule The term rule (c) Rule of construction Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt or displace the disclosure requirements under any other provision of law affecting administrative procedure, if such requirements are not inconsistent with the requirements of this section. 605. Improving E-filing data collection and distribution for non-profits (a) Mandatory electronic filing Section 6033 (n) Mandatory electronic filing Any organization required to file a return under this section shall file such return in electronic form, using a nonproprietary machine-readable data format. . (b) Inspection of electronically filed annual returns Subsection (b) of section 6104 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following: Any annual return required to be filed electronically under section 6033(n) shall be made available by the Secretary to the public, in a nonproprietary machine-readable data format, in a database that is searchable, sortable, and downloadable. (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 606. Improving ease of online access to registration information from agents of foreign principals (a) Improving Online Access Section 6(d)(1) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 ( 22 U.S.C. 616(d)(1) in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable manner in a format which is directly searchable, sortable, downloadable, and machine-readable (b) Effective Date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect upon the expiration of the 30-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act. 607. Agency defined In this title (except for section 608), the term agency 608. Government-Wide entity identifier (a) Definition As used in this section, the term agency Executive agency (b) Requirement for all agencies To use a government-Wide entity identifier (1) Each agency shall, to the extent practicable, require all private sector entities from which it regularly collects reports, filings, forms, disclosures or other regularized information to obtain a unique entity identifier. (2) The unique entity identifier required under this section shall allow private sector entities to be identified uniquely across all Federal regulatory, procurement, assistance, and other reporting regimes. (c) Publication of information categorized using government-Wide entity identifier Each agency shall, to the extent practicable, publish all public regulatory, procurement, assistance, and other reported information categorized using the unique entity identifier required under this section. (d) Governance The unique entity identifier required under this section shall be based on the global entity identifier issued by— (1) utilities endorsed by the Regulatory Oversight Committee, whose charter was set forth by the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Twenty and the Financial Stability Board; or (2) utilities endorsed or otherwise governed by the Global LEI Foundation so long as that Foundation remains recognized by the Regulatory Oversight Committee or any successor global public oversight body. VII Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act 701. Digital access to completed responses to the Freedom of Information Act (a) Requirement (1) Database of completed FOIA requests Each agency shall make available all materials contained in the agency’s completed response to a request under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (in this section referred to as a FOIA request (2) Electronic format All information is presumed to be available in an electronic format as described in paragraph (1) unless the agency demonstrates that excessive cost would place an undue burden on the agency. (b) Public availability All information included in the agency’s completed response to a FOIA request shall be made available to the public electronically and without cost through each agency’s website. 702. Explanation required for creation of exemption in the Freedom of Information Act Section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting with an explanation for the exemption specifically cites to this paragraph 703. FOIAonline for agencies Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall use FOIAonline to log, track, and publish all requests received under section 552 of title 5, United States Code. 704. Agency defined In this title, the term agency VIII Improving transparency within the judicial system 801. Televising Supreme Court proceedings (a) In general Chapter 45 678. Televising Supreme Court proceedings The Supreme Court shall permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless the Court decides, by a vote of the majority of justices, that allowing such coverage in a particular case would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the Court. . (b) Clerical amendment The chapter analysis for chapter 45 678. Televising Supreme Court proceedings. . 802. Audio recording of Supreme Court proceedings The Chief Justice of the United States shall ensure that the audio of an oral argument before the Supreme Court of the United States is recorded and is made publicly available on the Internet website of the Supreme Court at the same time that it is recorded. 803. Availability on the Internet of financial disclosure reports of judicial officers Section 103 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 ( 5 U.S.C. App. 103 (n) The Judicial Conference shall make available any report filed with it under this title by a judicial officer within 48 hours of the applicable submission deadline on the website of the Judicial Conference in a searchable, sortable, downloadable, machine-readable format. . 804. GAO audit of PACER Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an audit of the public access to court electronic records system maintained by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, and shall submit to Congress, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, and any other appropriate Federal agency or office, a report that contains the results of the audit, along with any recommendations for improving the public access to court electronic records system. IX Enforcement 901. Audits by the Government Accountability Office (a) Audit requirement The Comptroller General shall conduct annual audits of the implementation of the provisions in this Act, and shall submit annually to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the results of the audits. (b) Matters covered by audits Audits conducted under this section shall address whether the congressional and executive branch data that is required to be provided to the public through the Internet is each of the following: (1) Complete Made available, except for data that is subject to privacy, security, or privilege exemptions. (2) Primary Collected at the source, with the highest possible level of granularity, not in aggregate or modified forms. (3) Timely Made available as quickly as necessary to preserve the value of the data. (4) Accessible Available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes. (5) Machine processable Reasonably structured to allow automated processing. (6) Non-discriminatory Available to anyone, with no registration requirement. (7) Non-proprietary Available in a format over which no entity has exclusive control. (8) License-free Not subject to any copyright, patent, trademark, or trade secret regulation (with reasonable privacy, security, and privilege restrictions). (c) Current standards Audits conducted under this section shall also address whether the data provided to the public under this Act is produced and maintained using current standards for data publication.

Summary: Transparency in Government Act of 2015 Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Rules of the House of Representatives to expand disclosure requirements for the personal financial information of Members of Congress and for foreign travel, gifts, earmarks, and representational allowances. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effect of written requests by Members of Congress to executive agencies to carry out and provide funding for projects and activities. Requires each congressional committee to: (1)  post on its website the schedule for public hearings and markups conducted by each committee, and (2) submit to the Clerk of the House of Representatives a complete list of all public hearings and markup schedules of the committee and its subcommittees for posting on the House website. Requires the Clerk and the Secretary of the Senate to: (1) post on their respective websites voting record information for each Member of Congress; and (2) establish an advisory Congressional Data Task Force to recommend data standards for the creation, exchange, and publication of congressional information. Requires that, to the extent practicable, all bills, resolutions, orders, and votes be created, exchanged, and published in searchable electronic formats. Public Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Resolution of 2015 or the Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution of 2015 Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the Congressional Research Service (CRS), to establish and maintain a centralized, searchable, bulk downloadable, electronic database consisting of CRS issue briefs, reports, authorization of appropriation products and appropriation products, and similar material intended or available for general congressional distribution. Exempts from public disclosure confidential information or any document that is the product of a confidential research request made by a Member, officer, employee, or office of the House of Representatives and that is not intended for distribution. Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act Directs the Attorney General to establish the Lobbying Disclosure Act Enforcement Task Force, which shall have primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting each case referred to the Attorney General under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) expedited online registration of lobbyists, (2) more frequent disclosure of contributions made by lobbyists, and (3) a system for assigning an identification number to each lobbyist who is required to register or report under such Act. Requires lobbyists registered under such Act to complete an ethics training program. Amends the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to require the USAspending.gov website to provide specified information on federal awards. Requires each agency Inspector General to conduct an annual audit of the data used on USAspending.gov and report on such audit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires OMB to: (1) revise its guidance to federal agencies on reporting federal awards, and (2) ensure that the unique identifier used to link information about an award recipient is also used to link information about that recipient on the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System. Amends the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 to require information about individuals receiving awards or grants to be maintained on the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System for 10 years. Requires: (1) every advertisement or other communication paid for by a federal agency to include a prominent notice that the agency has paid for such advertisement or communication, (2) disclosure of White House visitor logs with personal information redacted, (3) online disclosure of OMB budget justifications, (4) disclosure of draft proposed or final rules by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and (4) online disclosure of tax information of nonprofit organizations and registration information of foreign agents. Requires each agency (defined as a U.S. government authority, with specified exceptions) to require all private sector entities from which it regularly collects reports, filings, forms, disclosures or other regularized information to obtain a unique entity identifier. Requires each such agency to: (1) make available in an electronic format its completed responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and (2) use FOAIonline to log, track, and publish all FOIA requests received by the agency. Requires the Chief Justice of the United States to ensure that the audio of an oral argument before the Supreme Court is recorded and is made publicly available on the Court's Internet website at the same time that it is recorded. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct an audit of the public access to court electronic records system (Pacer) maintained by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, and (2) conduct annual audits of the implementation of this Act. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the U.S. Judicial Conference to post on its website any report filed by a judicial officer within 48 hours of the applicable submission deadline.