I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4809 
To increase access to agency guidance documents. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 16, 2018 
Mr. WALKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To increase access to agency guidance documents. 
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 ‘‘Guidance Out Of 
Darkness Act’’ or the ‘‘GOOD Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(2) GUIDANCE DOCUMENT.—The term ‘‘guid-
ance document’’— 
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(A) means the whole or a part of an agen-
cy statement of general or particular applica-
bility and future effect that— 
(i) is designed to implement, inter-
pret, or prescribe law or policy or describ-
ing the organization, procedure, or practice 
requirements of an agency and includes the 
approval or prescription for the future of 
rates, wages, corporate or financial struc-
tures or reorganizations thereof, prices, fa-
cilities, appliances, services or allowances 
therefor or of valuations, costs, or account-
ing, or practices bearing on any of the 
foregoing; and 
(ii) has not been issued through the 
notice and comment process under section 
553 of title 5, United States Code; 
(B) includes— 
(i) a memorandum; 
(ii) a notice; 
(iii) a bulletin; 
(iv) a directive; 
(v) a news release; 
(vi) a letter; and 
(vii) a blog post; and 
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(C) does not include a rule, as that term 
is defined in section 551 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ON THE 
INTERNET. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—On the date on which an agency 
issues a guidance document, the agency shall publish the 
guidance document on the Internet website of the agency. 
(b) PREVIOUSLY ISSUED GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS.— 
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, each agency shall publish on the Internet website of 
that agency any guidance document issued by that agency 
during the 10-year period ending on the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(c) SINGLE LOCATION.—All guidance documents 
published under subsections (a) and (b) by an agency shall 
be published in a single location on the Internet website 
of the agency. 
(d) RESCINDED GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS.—On the 
date on which a guidance document issued by an agency 
is rescinded, the agency shall— 
(1) maintain the rescinded guidance document 
at the location described in subsection (c); and 
(2) at the location described in subsection (c), 
indicate— 
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(A) that the guidance document is re-
scinded; and 
(B) the date on which the guidance docu-
ment was rescinded. 
Æ 
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