I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5336 
To require Members of the House of Representatives to post information 
on their official public websites on the costs of trips taken by Members 
for which expenses were paid by the Department of Defense, the Depart-
ment of State, or other offices of the House of Representatives, to 
direct the Committee on House Administration of the House of Rep-
resentatives to maintain an online clearinghouse on its official public 
website of all such information for all Members, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2016 
Mrs. ELLMERS of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To require Members of the House of Representatives to 
post information on their official public websites on the 
costs of trips taken by Members for which expenses 
were paid by the Department of Defense, the Depart-
ment of State, or other offices of the House of Rep-
resentatives, to direct the Committee on House Adminis-
tration of the House of Representatives to maintain an 
online clearinghouse on its official public website of all 
such information for all Members, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Taxpayer-Funded 
Travel Transparency Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIRING MEMBERS OF HOUSE TO POST INFOR-
MATION ON COSTS OF CERTAIN TAXPAYER- 
FUNDED TRAVEL. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Member of the House 
of Representatives shall post on the Member’s offi-
cial public website, and shall provide to the Com-
mittee on House Administration of the House of 
Representatives— 
(A) a description of each trip taken by the 
Member for which transportation, lodging, or 
related expenses were paid by the Department 
of Defense, the Department of State, or an of-
fice of the House of Representatives; and 
(B) the amounts paid by the Department 
of Defense, the Department of State, or office 
of the House for such expenses. 
(2) EXCEPTION FOR MEMBERS’ REPRESENTA-
TIONAL ALLOWANCE.—Paragraph (1) does not apply 
with respect to a trip taken by a Member for which 
expenses were paid by the Members’ Representa-
tional Allowance of such Member. 
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(b) CLEARINGHOUSE
OF INFORMATION
ON COM-
MITTEE WEBSITE.—The Committee on House Adminis-
tration of the House of Representatives shall maintain on 
its official public website a clearinghouse of all of the in-
formation provided to the Committee under subsection (a) 
by all Members of the House. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad-
ministration shall promulgate such regulations as it con-
siders appropriate to carry out this section. 
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION AND DISCLOSURE OF EXPENSES 
INCURRED BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN PAYING 
MEMBER TRAVEL EXPENSES. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
SECRETARY
OF
DE-
FENSE.—In the case of a trip taken by a Member of the 
House of Representatives for which the Department of 
Defense pays transportation, lodging, or related expenses, 
the Secretary of Defense shall— 
(1) determine the cost of the transportation, 
lodging, and related expenses paid with respect to 
the Member; and 
(2) subject to subsection (c), provide the Mem-
ber with a written statement of the expenses not 
later than 10 days after completion of the trip in-
volved. 
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(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.—In 
the case of a trip taken by a Member of the House of 
Representatives for which the Department of State pays 
transportation, lodging, or related expenses, the Secretary 
of State shall— 
(1) determine the cost of the transportation, 
lodging, and related expenses paid with respect to 
the Member; and 
(2) subject to subsection (c), provide the Mem-
ber with a written statement of the expenses not 
later than 10 days after completion of the trip in-
volved. 
(c) EXCEPTION FOR DISCLOSURES AFFECTING NA-
TIONAL SECURITY.—The Secretary of Defense may waive 
the application of paragraph (2) of subsection (a), and the 
Secretary of State may waive the application of paragraph 
(2) of subsection (b), with respect to a statement of ex-
penses relating to a trip taken by a Member of the House 
of Representatives if the Secretary determines that pro-
viding the statement of expenses may affect national secu-
rity. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives’’ includes a Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to the Congress. 
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SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall apply with respect to trips taken on 
or after the date of the enactment of this Act, except that 
this Act does not apply with respect to any trip which 
began prior to such date. 
Æ 
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