Washington Bureaucrat Accountability Act
Bill: H.R.3430 | Sponsor: Rep. Nehls, Troy E. (R-TX)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Washington Bureaucrat Accountability Act
This bill rescinds funding that was provided to the Department of Transportation for certain unused earmarks.
Under the bill, the term earmark  generally refers to congressionally directed spending that would benefit a specific entity or state, locality, or congressional district other than through a statutory or administrative formula or competitive award process.
The bill also requires (1) the rescinded funds to be deposited into the Treasury for the purpose of deficit reduction, and (2) federal agencies to submit certain reports regarding unobligated funds that were provided for earmarks.

To rescind unused earmarks provided for the Department of 
Transportation and deposit such funds into the Treasury for purposes of 
               deficit reduction, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Washington Bureaucrat Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. UNUSED EARMARKS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``agency'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``Executive agency'' under section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code;
            (2) the term ``earmark'' means--
                    (A) a congressionally directed spending item, as 
                defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) a congressional earmark, as defined in rule XXI 
                of the Rules of the House of Representatives; and
            (3) the term ``unused DOT earmark'' means an earmark of 
        funds provided for the Department of Transportation as to which 
        any funds remain available for obligation at the end of the 9th 
        fiscal year following the fiscal year during which the earmark 
        was made available.
    (b) Rescission of Unused DOT Earmarks.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        effective on October 1 of the 10th fiscal year after funds 
        under an unused DOT earmark are made available, all unobligated 
        amounts made available under the unused DOT earmark are 
        rescinded and deposited into the Treasury for purposes of 
        deficit reduction.
            (2) Exception.--The Secretary of Transportation may delay 
        the rescission of amounts made available under an unused DOT 
        earmark for 1 year if the Secretary determines that an 
        additional obligation of the earmark is likely to occur during 
        the 10th fiscal year after funds under the unused DOT earmark 
        are made available.
    (c) Agency-Wide Identification and Report.--
            (1) Agency identification.--Each agency shall identify and 
        submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
        an annual report regarding every project of the agency for 
        which--
                    (A) amounts are made available under an earmark; 
                and
                    (B) as of the end of a fiscal year, unobligated 
                balances remain available.
            (2) Annual report.--The Director of the Office of 
        Management and Budget shall submit to Congress and publically 
        post on the website of the Office of Management and Budget an 
        annual report that includes--
                    (A) a listing and accounting for earmarks for which 
                unobligated balances remain available, summarized by 
                agency, which shall include, for each earmark--
                            (i) the amount of funds made available 
                        under the original earmark;
                            (ii) the amount of the unobligated balances 
                        that remain available;
                            (iii) the fiscal year through which the 
                        funds are made available, if applicable; and
                            (iv) recommendations and justifications for 
                        whether the earmark should be rescinded or 
                        retained in the next fiscal year;
                    (B) the number of rescissions resulting from this 
                section and the annual savings resulting from this 
                section for the previous fiscal year; and
                    (C) a listing and accounting for earmarks provided 
                for the Department of Transportation scheduled to be 
                rescinded under subsection (b) at the end of the fiscal 
                year during which the report is submitted.
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