I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 850 
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 
FEBRUARY 3, 2017 
Mr. PALMER (for himself, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BABIN, Mrs. 
BLACKBURN, Mr. BLUM, Mr. BRAT, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, Mr. BROOKS of 
Alabama, Mr. BUCK, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. 
DAVIDSON, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. DUNN, Mr. EMMER, Mr. 
FARENTHOLD, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Ms. FOXX, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GRIF-
FITH, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia, Mr. 
JORDAN, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. PERRY, Mr. 
RATCLIFFE, Mr. RENACCI, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. 
SCHWEIKERT, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. 
WALBERG, Mr. WALKER, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Iowa, Mr. 
ABRAHAM, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. 
MCHENRY, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. RUSSELL, Mr. AUSTIN 
SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. ARRINGTON, and Mr. BUDD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Gov-
ernment 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 concerned 
A BILL 
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. 
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 ‘‘Agency Accountability 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS REQUIRED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, and consistent with subsection (c), an agency 
that receives a fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settle-
ment 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. 
(c) EXCEPTION.—This section shall not apply to any 
amounts to be paid to an individual entitled to such 
amounts as a whistleblower, including any amounts re-
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ceived as a percentage of amounts received by the Govern-
ment pursuant to a judgment or settlement agreement. 
(d) 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. 
(e) 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: 
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