I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4631 
To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office to establish 
and maintain a website accessible to the public that allows the public 
to obtain electronic copies of all congressionally mandated reports in 
one place, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2017 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. LOUDERMILK, 
Mr. BRAT, Mr. COOPER, and Mr. SOTO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office 
to establish and maintain a website accessible to the 
public that allows the public to obtain electronic copies 
of all congressionally mandated reports in one place, 
and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Access to Congression-
ally Mandated Reports Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORT.— 
The term ‘‘congressionally mandated report’’— 
(A) means a report that is required to be 
submitted to either House of Congress or any 
committee of Congress, or subcommittee there-
of, by a statute, resolution, or conference report 
that accompanies legislation enacted into law; 
and 
(B) does not include a report required 
under part B of subtitle II of title 36, United 
States Code. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Government Publishing Office. 
(3) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ has the meaning given that term under sec-
tion 102 of title 40, United States Code, but does 
not include the Government Accountability Office. 
(4) OPEN FORMAT.—The term ‘‘open format’’ 
means a file format for storing digital data based on 
an underlying open standard that— 
(A) is not encumbered by any restrictions 
that would impede reuse; and 
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(B) is based on an underlying open data 
standard that is maintained by a standards or-
ganization. 
(5) REPORTS
WEBSITE.—The term ‘‘reports 
website’’ means the website established under section 
(3)(a). 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF WEBSITE FOR CONGRESSION-
ALLY MANDATED REPORTS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH WEBSITE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
establish and maintain a website accessible by the 
public that allows the public to obtain electronic cop-
ies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 
place. The Director may publish other reports on the 
website. 
(2) EXISTING FUNCTIONALITY.—To the extent 
possible, the Director shall meet the requirements 
under paragraph (1) by using existing websites and 
functionality under the authority of the Director. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this Act, 
the Director shall consult with the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Sen-
ate, and the Librarian of Congress regarding the re-
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quirements for and maintenance of congressionally 
mandated reports on the reports website. 
(b) CONTENT AND FUNCTION.—The Director shall 
ensure that the reports website includes the following: 
(1) Subject to subsection (c), with respect to 
each congressionally mandated report, each of the 
following: 
(A) A citation to the statute, conference 
report, or resolution requiring the report. 
(B) An electronic copy of the report, in-
cluding any transmittal letter associated with 
the report, in an open format that is platform 
independent and that is available to the public 
without restrictions, including restrictions that 
would impede the re-use of the information in 
the report. 
(C) The ability to retrieve a report, to the 
extent practicable, through searches based on 
each, and any combination, of the following: 
(i) The title of the report. 
(ii) The reporting Federal agency. 
(iii) The date of publication. 
(iv) Each congressional committee re-
ceiving the report, if applicable. 
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(v) The statute, resolution, or con-
ference report requiring the report. 
(vi) Subject tags. 
(vii) A unique alphanumeric identifier 
for the report that is consistent across re-
port editions. 
(viii) The serial number, Super-
intendent of Documents number, or other 
identification number for the report, if ap-
plicable. 
(ix) Key words. 
(x) Full text search. 
(xi) Any other relevant information 
specified by the Director. 
(D) The date on which the report was re-
quired to be submitted, and on which the report 
was submitted, to the reports website. 
(E) Access to the report not later than 30 
calendar days after its submission to Congress. 
(F) To the extent practicable, a permanent 
means of accessing the report electronically. 
(2) A means for bulk download of all congres-
sionally mandated reports. 
(3) A means for downloading individual reports 
as the result of a search. 
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(4) An electronic means for the head of each 
Federal agency to submit to the reports website each 
congressionally mandated report of the agency, as 
required by section 4. 
(5) In tabular form, a list of all congressionally 
mandated reports that can be searched, sorted, and 
downloaded by— 
(A) reports submitted within the required 
time; 
(B) reports submitted after the date on 
which such reports were required to be sub-
mitted; and 
(C) reports not submitted. 
(c) NONCOMPLIANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) REPORTS NOT SUBMITTED.—If a Federal 
agency does not submit a congressionally mandated 
report to the Director, the Director shall to the ex-
tent practicable— 
(A) include on the reports website— 
(i) the information required under 
clauses (i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of subsection 
(b)(1)(C); and 
(ii) the date on which the report was 
required to be submitted; and 
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