I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5143 
To require all bills, resolutions, and other documents of Congress to be 
created, transmitted, and published in searchable electronic formats, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2018 
Mr. AMASH (for himself, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MCKINLEY, 
Mr. CRAMER, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. POLIS, 
Mr. JONES, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. MESSER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BRAT, Mr. 
TONKO, Mr. NORMAN, and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subse-
quently 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 all bills, resolutions, and other documents of 
Congress to be created, transmitted, and published in 
searchable electronic formats, 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; PURPOSES. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Searchable Legislation Act of 2018’’. 
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(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To establish nonproprietary, machine-read-
able data standards for the creation, transmission, 
and publication of Congressional information. 
(2) To encourage the uniform use of nonpropri-
etary, machine-readable data standards, including 
searchable electronic formats, for Congressional in-
formation by Congress and its support agencies and 
offices. 
(3) To ensure that Congressional information, 
especially bills, resolutions, orders, and votes, can be 
freely 
downloaded 
in 
bulk 
and 
electronically 
searched. 
SEC. 2. REQUIRING SEARCHABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS 
FOR CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS. 
(a) SEARCHABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title 1, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
107 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 107a. Searchable electronic formats 
‘‘To the greatest extent practicable, Congress shall 
ensure that all bills, resolutions, orders, and other docu-
ments of Congress, and all records of votes cast in Con-
gress and committees of Congress, are created, trans-
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mitted, and published in searchable electronic formats, 
consistent with data standards recommended by such advi-
sory bodies as Congress may establish.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 2 of title 1, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 107 the following new item: 
‘‘107a. Searchable electronic formats.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to the One Hundred 
Sixteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL DATA TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate, 
acting jointly, shall establish an advisory body to be known 
as the ‘‘Congressional Data Task Force’’ (hereafter re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) DUTIES.— 
(1) RECOMMENDATION OF DATA STANDARDS.— 
The Task Force shall recommend data standards for 
the creation, transmission, and publication of infor-
mation and documents of Congress, including bills, 
resolutions, amendments, reports, laws, and records, 
in searchable electronic formats for purposes of sec-
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tion 107a of title 1, United States Code (as added 
by section 2(a)). 
(2) SPECIFICATIONS
FOR
STANDARDS.—All 
data standards recommended by the Task Force 
shall be nonproprietary and machine-readable, and, 
to the greatest extent possible, shall enable the bulk 
downloading of information. 
(3) CONSULTATION
WITH
EXPERTS.—In car-
rying out its duties, the Task Force shall consult 
with private entities with expertise in data trans-
parency standards. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 
composed of employee representatives of the Office 
of the Clerk of the House, the Office of the Sec-
retary of the Senate, the Library of Congress, the 
Congressional Research Service, the Government 
Publishing Office, the Center for Legislative Ar-
chives, and such other offices of Congress and the 
legislative branch as the Clerk and Secretary con-
sider appropriate. 
(2) NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR SERV-
ICE.—Members of the Task Force may not receive 
additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of 
their service on the Task Force. 
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(d) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—No additional funds 
may be appropriated to carry out this section during a 
fiscal year. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 
on the last day of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress. 
Æ 
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