I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2743
To require the Comptroller General to prepare statements for bills and resolu-
tions reported by committees of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate on whether any new entities, programs, or functions authorized 
by the bills or resolutions are redundant with existing Federal entities, 
programs, or functions and could be more efficiently performed by an 
existing Federal entity, program, or function, and to require such state-
ments to accompany reports on legislation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 15, 2003
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on 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 require the Comptroller General to prepare statements 
for bills and resolutions reported by committees of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate on whether 
any new entities, programs, or functions authorized by 
the bills or resolutions are redundant with existing Fed-
eral entities, programs, or functions and could be more 
efficiently performed by an existing Federal entity, pro-
gram, or function, and to require such statements to 
accompany reports on legislation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Government Account-
ability and Streamlining Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR GAO STATEMENTS ON LEGISLA-
TION PROVIDING NEW ENTITY, PROGRAM, OR 
FUNCTION. 
(a) GAO STATEMENT REQUIRED.—The Comptroller 
General shall, to the extent practicable, prepare for each 
bill or joint resolution of a public character reported by 
any subcommittee or committee of the House or Rep-
resentatives or the Senate, and submit to such sub-
committee or committee, a statement containing—
(1) a determination of whether new Federal en-
tities, programs, or functions are authorized by the 
bill or resolution; and 
(2) if a new entity, program, or function is so 
authorized, a determination of—
(A) whether an existing Federal entity or 
program carries out functions that are the same 
or similar to those authorized by the bill or res-
olution; and 
(B) if such an entity or program exists, 
whether such entity or program may more ef-
fectively and efficiently perform the functions 
and carry out the purposes of the bill or resolu-
tion than the entity or program authorized by 
the bill or resolution. 
(b) REQUIREMENT TO INCLUDE GAO STATEMENT 
IN REPORTS ON LEGISLATION.—Whenever a committee of 
either House reports to its House a bill or joint resolution 
of a public character, the report accompanying that bill 
or joint resolution shall contain the statement prepared 
by the Comptroller General for that bill or resolution 
under subsection (a). If the statement is not available 
when the committee report is filed, the committee shall 
make such information available to Members as soon as 
practicable upon submission of the statement to the com-
mittee by the Comptroller General. 
(c) EXERCISE
OF CONGRESSIONAL RULEMAKING 
POWER.—The provisions of this Act are enacted by Con-
gress—
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate, re-
spectively, and as such they shall be considered a 
part of the rules of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate and such rules shall supersede other 
rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent 
therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change such rules (so far 
as relating to such House) at any time, in the same 
manner, and to the same extent as in the case of 
any other rule of such House.
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