I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5499 
To require the appropriation of funds to use a fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds 
from a settlement received by a Federal agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 16, 2016 
Mr. PALMER (for himself, Mr. BABIN, Mr. BARR, Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. BISHOP 
of Michigan, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. BROOKS of Alabama, Mr. BUCK, 
Mr. BYRNE, Mr. CHABOT, Ms. FOXX, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GROTHMAN, 
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. 
LAMALFA, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. SCA-
LISE, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SMITH of Mis-
souri, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. 
WESTERMAN, Mr. WALKER, Mr. MEADOWS, Mrs. ELLMERS of North 
Carolina, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. 
HENSARLING, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. 
DESJARLAIS, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. COLE, Mrs. LOVE, Mr. FLORES, 
Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, Mr. DUNCAN of South 
Carolina, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. PERRY, Mr. HUELSKAMP, Mr. GRIFFITH, 
Mr. DESANTIS, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. YOHO, Mr. 
RATCLIFFE, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. MULVANEY, Mr. GARRETT, Mr. LABRADOR, 
Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Mr. BLUM, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. 
MCCLINTOCK, Mr. NUNES, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. MULLIN, and 
Mr. MESSER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, and 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To require the appropriation of funds to use a fee, fine, 
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penalty, or proceeds from a settlement received by a 
Federal agency, 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 ‘‘Agency Accountability 
Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS REQUIRED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, an agency that receives a fee, fine, penalty, 
or proceeds from a settlement shall deposit such amount 
in the general fund of the Treasury. 
(b) USE OF AMOUNTS.— 
(1) SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION.—Consistent 
with paragraph (2), any amounts deposited pursuant 
to subsection (a) shall only be available to the ex-
tent, and in such amounts, as are provided in ad-
vance in appropriation Acts. 
(2) OBLIGATION LIMITATION; DEFICIT REDUC-
TION.—Of the amounts so deposited during the fis-
cal year in which this section is enacted, such 
amounts— 
(A) may not be available for obligation 
during such fiscal year; and 
(B) shall be used for purposes of deficit re-
duction. 
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(c) USPTO REPORT TO CONGRESS REQUIRED.—Not 
later than March 1 of each year, the Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the 
United States Patent and Trademark Office shall submit 
to Congress a report that describes any fee, fine, penalty, 
or proceeds from a settlement collected by the United 
States Patent and Trademark Office for the previous fis-
cal year. 
(d) AGENCY DEFINED.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United 
States Code, but does not include the United States Postal 
Service or the United States Patent and Trademark Of-
fice. 
SEC. 3. OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS AND RECEIPTS AS REV-
ENUE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 3(2)(A)(iv), by inserting ‘‘except 
as provided in section 316,’’ before ‘‘offsetting re-
ceipts’’; and 
(2) by adding after section 315 the following: 
‘‘TREATMENT OF OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS AND 
RECEIPTS 
‘‘SEC. 316. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, offsetting receipts and collections shall be treated as 
revenue for purposes of carrying out this or any other Act. 
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