I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 736 
To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office to establish 
and maintain an online portal 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 
JANUARY 23, 2019 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Ms. FOXX of North Carolina, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. 
STEFANIK, Mr. COOPER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SARBANES, 
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mr. 
SUOZZI, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. WALKER, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, and 
Mr. LOUDERMILK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform, 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 with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office 
to establish and maintain an online portal 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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Congression-
ally Mandated Reports Act’’. 
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— 
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(A) is not encumbered by any restrictions 
that would impede reuse; and 
(B) is based on an underlying open data 
standard that is maintained by a standards or-
ganization. 
(5) REPORTS ONLINE PORTAL.—The term ‘‘re-
ports online portal’’ means the online portal estab-
lished under section (3)(a). 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE PORTAL FOR CON-
GRESSIONALLY MANDATED REPORTS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH ONLINE POR-
TAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
establish and maintain an online portal accessible by 
the public that allows the public to obtain electronic 
copies of all congressionally mandated reports in one 
place. The Director may publish other reports on the 
online portal. 
(2) EXISTING FUNCTIONALITY.—To the extent 
possible, the Director shall meet the requirements 
under paragraph (1) by using existing online portals 
and functionality under the authority of the Direc-
tor. 
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(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-
quirements for and maintenance of congressionally 
mandated reports on the reports online portal. 
(b) CONTENT AND FUNCTION.—The Director shall 
ensure that the reports online portal includes the fol-
lowing: 
(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. 
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(ii) The reporting Federal agency. 
(iii) The date of publication. 
(iv) Each congressional committee re-
ceiving the report, if applicable. 
(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 online portal. 
(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. 
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(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. 
(4) An electronic means for the head of each 
Federal agency to submit to the reports online por-
tal 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 online portal— 
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(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 
(B) include the congressionally mandated 
report on the list described in subsection 
(b)(5)(C). 
(2) REPORTS NOT IN OPEN FORMAT.—If a Fed-
eral agency submits a congressionally mandated re-
port that is not in an open format, the Director shall 
include the congressionally mandated report in an-
other format on the reports online portal. 
(d) FREE ACCESS.—The Director may not charge a 
fee, require registration, or impose any other limitation 
in exchange for access to the reports online portal. 
(e) UPGRADE CAPABILITY.—The reports online por-
tal shall be enhanced and updated as necessary to carry 
out the purposes of this Act. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC COPIES OF RE-
PORTS.—Concurrently with the submission to Congress of 
each congressionally mandated report, the head of the 
Federal agency submitting the congressionally mandated 
report shall submit to the Director the information re-
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quired under subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 
3(b)(1) with respect to the congressionally mandated re-
port. Nothing in this Act shall relieve a Federal agency 
of any other requirement to publish the congressionally 
mandated report on the online portal of the Federal agen-
cy or otherwise submit the congressionally mandated re-
port to Congress or specific committees of Congress, or 
subcommittees thereof. 
(b) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 240 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Di-
rector, shall issue guidance to agencies on the implementa-
tion of this Act. 
(c) STRUCTURE OF SUBMITTED REPORT DATA.— 
The head of each Federal agency shall ensure that each 
congressionally mandated report submitted to the Director 
complies with the open format criteria established by the 
Director in the guidance issued under subsection (b). 
(d) POINT OF CONTACT.—The head of each Federal 
agency shall designate a point of contact for congression-
ally mandated report. 
(e) LIST OF REPORTS.—As soon as practicable each 
calendar year (but not later than April 1), and on a rolling 
basis during the year if feasible, the Librarian of Congress 
shall submit to the Director a list of congressionally man-
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dated reports from the previous calendar year, in consulta-
tion with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, which 
shall— 
(1) be provided in an open format; 
(2) include the information required under 
clauses (i), (ii), (iv), (v) of section 3(b)(1)(C) for 
each report; 
(3) include the frequency of the report; 
(4) include a unique alphanumeric identifier for 
the report that is consistent across report editions; 
(5) include the date on which each report is re-
quired to be submitted; and 
(6) be updated and provided to the Director, as 
necessary. 
SEC. 5. REMOVING AND ALTERING REPORTS. 
A report submitted to be published to the reports on-
line portal may only be changed or removed, with the ex-
ception of technical changes, by the head of the Federal 
agency concerned if— 
(1) the head of the Federal agency consults 
with each congressional committee to which the re-
port is submitted; and 
(2) Congress enacts a joint resolution author-
izing the changing or removal of the report. 
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SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMA-
TION ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall be con-
strued to— 
(1) require the disclosure of information or 
records that are exempt from public disclosure under 
section 552 of title 5, United States Code; or 
(2) to impose any affirmative duty on the Di-
rector to review congressionally mandated reports 
submitted for publication to the reports online portal 
for the purpose of identifying and redacting such in-
formation or records. 
(b) REDACTION OF INFORMATION.—The head of a 
Federal agency may redact information required to be dis-
closed under this Act if the information would be properly 
withheld from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, 
United States Code, and shall— 
(1) redact information required to be disclosed 
under this Act if disclosure of such information is 
prohibited by law; 
(2) redact information being withheld under 
this subsection prior to submitting the information 
to the Director; 
(3) redact only such information properly with-
held under this subsection from the submission of 
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information or from any congressionally mandated 
report submitted under this Act; 
(4) identify where any such redaction is made 
in the submission or report; and 
(5) identify the exemption under which each 
such redaction is made. 
SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION. 
Except as provided in section 4(b), this Act shall be 
implemented not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act and shall apply with respect to congres-
sionally mandated reports submitted to Congress on or 
after the date that is 1 year after such date of enactment. 
Æ 
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