I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 859 
To rescind certain excess conference costs from any agency that overspends 
on conferences, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2013 
Mr. JORDAN (for himself and Ms. SPEIER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To rescind certain excess conference costs from any agency 
that overspends on conferences, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Taxpayers’ Conference 
Overspending Prevention Act’’ or the ‘‘Taxpayers’ COP 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REPORT AND RESCISSION OF EXCESS CONFERENCE 
COSTS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than October 31 of each fis-
cal year, each executive agency shall submit to the Con-
gress a report listing the amount of funds that such agen-
cy obligated for conferences in the previous fiscal year. 
The funds described in the report shall include pre-plan-
ning, travel, and subsistence costs. 
(b) RESCISSION.—On the date that is 30 days after 
the date a report is submitted by an executive agency 
under subsection (a), from the unobligated funds made 
available to such agency in the current fiscal year for con-
ferences (including pre-planning, travel, and subsistence 
costs), there is rescinded the total amount by which the 
total costs for any conference described in such report ex-
ceeds $3,000 per agency employee attending such con-
ference, or the total amount by which the costs for any 
conference described in such report exceeds $600 per day 
per agency employee attending such conference, whichever 
is higher. 
(c) EXCEPTION FOR CRITICAL FOREIGN TRAVEL.— 
(1) CERTIFICATION.—The rescission required 
under subsection (b) shall not apply to amounts de-
scribed in a report that are greater than the limits 
provided in such subsection if— 
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(A) the head of the applicable executive 
agency certifies in writing to the Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget that the 
amounts were for foreign travel and that such 
travel was critical to the agency’s mission; and 
(B) the Director determines that such cer-
tification is valid. 
(2) REPORT.—Any determination by the Direc-
tor under paragraph (1) shall be included in the re-
port submitted under subsection (a). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget; 
(2) the term ‘‘executive agency’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 105 of title 5, United 
States Code; and 
(3) the term ‘‘conference’’ means a meeting, re-
treat, seminar, symposium, or event that— 
(A) is held for consultation, education, dis-
cussion, or training; and 
(B) is not held entirely at a Government 
facility. 
Æ 
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