SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency in Gov-
ernment Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
TITLE I—IMPROVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT 
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES 
Sec. 101. Greater disclosure and electronic filing of personal financial informa-
tion. 
Sec. 102. Greater disclosure of travel reports. 
Sec. 103. Greater disclosure of gift reports. 
Sec. 104. Greater disclosure of earmarks. 
Sec. 105. Online posting of disbursements from Members’ Representational Al-
lowance. 
Sec. 106. GAO study and report on effects of written requests by Members of 
Congress for funding of projects. 
TITLE II—ENHANCING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE WORK OF 
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES, LEGISLATION, AND VOTES 
Sec. 201. Increased transparency of committee work. 
Sec. 202. Increased transparency of committee schedules through the Clerk. 
Sec. 203. Increased transparency of recorded votes. 
Sec. 204. Electronic format. 
Sec. 205. Congressional data task force. 
Sec. 206. Use of data standards by congressional support offices. 
TITLE III—ENHANCING PUBLIC ACCESS TO CONGRESSIONAL 
RESEARCH SERVICE 
Sec. 301. Short title; findings. 
Sec. 302. Availability of certain Congressional Research Service information. 
Sec. 303. Other methods of public access. 
Sec. 304. Definitions. 
Sec. 305. Effective date. 
TITLE IV—LOBBYING DISCLOSURE 
Sec. 401. Short title. 
Sec. 402. Modifications to enforcement. 
Sec. 403. Definition of lobbyist. 
Sec. 404. Expedited online registration of lobbyists; expansion of registrants. 
Sec. 405. Disclosure of political contributions. 
Sec. 406. Identification numbers for lobbyists. 
Sec. 407. Ethics training for lobbyists. 
Sec. 408. Estimates based on tax reporting system. 
Sec. 409. Effective date. 
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TITLE V—TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING 
Sec. 501. Improving application programming interface and website data ele-
ments. 
Sec. 502. Improving data quality. 
Sec. 503. Requirements relating to reporting of award data. 
Sec. 504. Recipient performance transparency. 
Sec. 505. Improvement of Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Infor-
mation System Database. 
Sec. 506. Federal contractor compliance. 
Sec. 507. Improving access to information disclosed on lobbying activities. 
TITLE VI—EXECUTIVE BRANCH TRANSPARENCY 
Sec. 601. Requirement for disclosure of Federal sponsorship of all Federal ad-
vertising or other communications. 
Sec. 602. Improving access to influential executive branch official’s visitor ac-
cess records. 
Sec. 603. Improving access to budget justifications by the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget. 
Sec. 604. Improving rulemaking disclosure for the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs. 
Sec. 605. Improving E-filing data collection and distribution for non-profits. 
Sec. 606. Improving ease of online access to registration information from 
agents of foreign principals. 
Sec. 607. Agency defined. 
Sec. 608. Government-Wide entity identifier. 
TITLE VII—STRENGTHENING THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION 
ACT 
Sec. 701. Digital access to completed responses to the Freedom of Information 
Act. 
Sec. 702. Explanation required for creation of exemption in the Freedom of In-
formation Act. 
Sec. 703. FOIAonline for agencies. 
Sec. 704. Agency defined. 
TITLE VIII—IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY WITHIN THE JUDICIAL 
SYSTEM 
Sec. 801. Televising Supreme Court proceedings. 
Sec. 802. Audio recording of Supreme Court proceedings. 
Sec. 803. Availability on the Internet of financial disclosure reports of judicial 
officers. 
Sec. 804. GAO audit of PACER. 
TITLE IX—ENFORCEMENT 
Sec. 901. Audits by the Government Accountability Office. 
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TITLE I—IMPROVING ACCESS TO 
INFORMATION ABOUT MEM-
BERS 
OF 
CONGRESS 
AND 
CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES 
SEC. 101. GREATER DISCLOSURE AND ELECTRONIC FILING 
OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION. 
(a) ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIRE-
MENTS.—(1) Section 102(a)(1)(B) of the Ethics in Gov-
ernment Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 102(a)(1)(B)) is 
amended in clause (iv) by striking ‘‘$15,000’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$25,000’’ and by striking clauses (v) through (ix) and 
inserting the following new clauses: 
‘‘(v) greater than $25,000 but not 
more than $100,000, rounded to the near-
est $10,000, 
‘‘(vi) greater than $100,000 but not 
more than $1,000,000, rounded to the 
nearest $100,000, or 
‘‘(vii) greater than $1,000,000, round-
ed to the nearest $1,000,000.’’. 
(2) Section 102(d)(1) of such Act (5 U.S.C. App. 
102(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘(3), (4), (5), and (8)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(5) and (8)’’. 
(3) Section 102(d) of such Act (5 U.S.C. App. 
102(d)) is amended by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
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paragraph (3) and by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The categories for reporting the amount or value 
of the items covered in paragraphs (3) or (4) of subsection 
(a) are as follows: 
‘‘(A) Not more than $15,000. 
‘‘(B) Greater than $15,000 but not more than 
$25,000. 
‘‘(C) Greater than $25,000 but not more than 
$100,000, rounded to the nearest $10,000. 
‘‘(D) Greater than $100,000 but not more than 
$1,000,000, rounded to the nearest $100,000. 
‘‘(E) Greater than $1,000,000, rounded to the 
nearest $1,000,000.’’. 
(b) MORE FREQUENT DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL 
TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.— 
(1) Section 101 of such Act (5 U.S.C. App. 101) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(j) In addition to any other report required to be 
filed by a Member of Congress or officer or employee of 
the Congress, each such individual is required to file a 
quarterly report on April 30, July 30, October 30, and 
January 30 of each year covering the preceding calendar 
quarter if that individual (or the spouse or any dependent 
child of that individual) purchased, sold, or exchanged any 
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property described in subsection (a)(5) valued at not less 
than $250,000 during that calendar quarter. For any such 
transaction of not less than $250,000, such report shall 
contain all of the information required under subsection 
(a)(5).’’. 
(2)(A) Clause 1 of rule XXVI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives is amended by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ 
after ‘‘1.’’ and by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(b) If any report is filed with the Clerk for a 
calendar quarter pursuant to section 101(i) of the 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Clerk shall 
compile all such reports sent to the Clerk by Mem-
bers and have them printed as a House document, 
which shall be made available to the public, as soon 
as practicable. 
‘‘(c) Each individual required to file a report 
with the Clerk under title I under the Ethics in Gov-
ernment Act of 1978 shall file and maintain such re-
port in electronic form.’’. 
(B) Comparable language to be added by the Senate. 
(c) AVAILABILITY ON THE INTERNET OF REPORTS 
FILED UNDER THIS TITLE WITH THE CLERK OF THE 
HOUSE OR THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE.—Section 
103 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
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App. 103) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(m) The Clerk of the House of Representatives and 
the Secretary of the Senate shall each make available any 
report filed with them under this title (whether the report 
is filed in paper or electronic form) within 48 hours of 
the applicable submission deadline on the website of the 
Clerk or the Secretary, as applicable, in a searchable, sort-
able, downloadable, machine-readable format.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to reports filed for calendar years 
or calendar quarters beginning after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 102. GREATER DISCLOSURE OF TRAVEL REPORTS. 
(a) FOREIGN TRAVEL.—Clause 8(b)(3) of rule X of 
the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘Within 48 
hours after any such report is filed with the chair of a 
committee, the chair shall post the report on the Internet 
site of the committee in a searchable, sortable, 
downloadable, machine-readable format.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to travel commencing after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 103. GREATER DISCLOSURE OF GIFT REPORTS. 
(a) REQUIRING CLERK OF THE HOUSE TO POST RE-
PORTS
ON INTERNET NOT LATER THAN 48 HOURS 
AFTER RECEIPT.—(1) Clause 5(b)(5) of rule XXV of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘shall make available’’ and 
inserting ‘‘shall post on the public Internet site 
of the Clerk and otherwise make available’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘as possible’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘as possible, but in no event later 
than 48 hours,’’. 
(2) Comparable language to be added by the Senate. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to reports filed on 
or after the date of the adoption of this resolution. 
SEC. 104. GREATER DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS. 
(a) ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE BY MEMBERS.—(1) 
Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
is amended by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19 and 
by inserting after clause 17 the following: 
‘‘18. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner 
who requests a congressional earmark, a limited tax ben-
efit, or a limited tariff benefit shall, within 24 hours after 
making such request— 
‘‘(1) post on his or her public website for the 
remainder of the Congress the following— 
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‘‘(A) the name and address of the intended 
recipient; 
‘‘(B) whether the intended recipient is a 
for-profit or not-for-profit entity; 
‘‘(C) the requested amount (only in the 
case of congressional earmarks); and 
‘‘(D) an explanation of the request, includ-
ing the purpose, and why it is a valuable use 
of taxpayer funds; 
‘‘(2) electronically submit to the committee of 
subject-matter jurisdiction the webpage address 
where such information is posted; 
‘‘(3) identify each request as having been sub-
mitted to the committee of subject-matter jurisdic-
tion; and 
‘‘(4) display on the homepage of such website a 
hypertext link that contains the words ‘Earmarks’, 
‘Appropriations Requests’, ‘Limited Tax Benefits’, 
or ‘Limited Tariff Benefits’ and that directs to such 
webpage address, and maintain that link for at least 
30 calendar days after the last such request is made 
during the Congress.’’. 
(2) The last sentence of clause 16 of rule XXIII of 
the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by 
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striking ‘‘and clause 17’’ and inserting ‘‘, clause 17, and 
clause 18’’. 
(b) ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE BY COMMITTEES.— 
Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is 
amended by adding at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘Earmark disclosure websites 
‘‘(s)(1) Any committee that accepts any request of 
a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner for a con-
gressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tar-
iff benefit shall maintain a public website with an earmark 
disclosure webpage that contains the following for each 
such request— 
‘‘(A) the bill name; 
‘‘(B) the name, State, and district of that indi-
vidual; 
‘‘(C) the name and address of the intended re-
cipient; 
‘‘(D) whether the intended recipient is a for- 
profit or not-for-profit entity; 
‘‘(E) the requested amount (only in the case of 
congressional earmarks); 
‘‘(F) a brief description; and 
‘‘(G) the applicable department or agency of the 
Government, and the account or program (if pro-
vided to the committee in the request); 
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and is in a downloadable format that is searchable and 
sortable by such characteristics. 
‘‘(2) Any written statement received by a committee 
under clause 17(a) of rule XXIII shall be posted on the 
earmark disclosure webpage of the committee. 
‘‘(3) The earmark disclosure webpage of a committee 
shall list the names of any Member, Delegate, and Resi-
dent Commissioner who requests a congressional earmark, 
a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit and link 
directly to their webpage addresses referred to in clause 
18(2) of rule XXIII. 
‘‘(4) The earmark disclosure webpage of a committee 
shall post the information required under subparagraphs 
(1) through (3) within one week of receipt, and shall main-
tain that information on that webpage for the remainder 
of the Congress. 
‘‘(5) For purposes of this paragraph, the terms ‘con-
gressional earmark’, ‘limited tax benefit’, and ‘limited tar-
iff benefit’ shall have the meaning given them in clause 
9 of rule XXI.’’. 
(c) POINT OF ORDER.—Clause 9 of rule XXI of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by re-
designating paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) as paragraphs (f), 
(g), and (h), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph 
(d) the following: 
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‘‘(e) It shall not be in order to consider any bill or 
joint resolution, or an amendment thereto or conference 
report thereon, that carries a congressional earmark, lim-
ited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit for which a Mem-
ber, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner failed to comply 
with any applicable requirement of clause 18 of rule 
XXIII.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to requests for congressional ear-
marks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits 
made after the date this resolution is agreed to. 
(e) CENTRALIZED DATABASE FOR EARMARKS, LIM-
ITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS.— 
(1) The Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Sec-
retary of the Senate, and the chairs of the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate shall collaborate to create one centralized database 
where all requests for earmark, limited tax benefits, and 
limited tariff benefits are available on the Internet in a 
searchable, sortable, downloadable format to the public. 
The data available to the public for each earmark should 
include— 
(A) an identification of the bill into which the 
earmark is to be inserted; 
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