Program Assessment and Results Act

Bill: 108-hr-3826
Sponsor: Rep. Platts, Todd Russell [R-PA-19]
Introduced: 2004-02-25 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Government publicity
Performance measurement
Planning-programming-budgeting
Productivity in government
Science, Technology, Communications
Strategic planning
Waste in government spending
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2004-02-25
text: 
Program Assessment and Results Act - Amends the Federal law provisions concerning the budget and fiscal, budget, and program information to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to review program activities of Government agencies at least once every five fiscal years. Instructs the Director to develop criteria for identifying program activities to be reviewed each fiscal year.
 
Requires the results of such reviews to be submitted in a report to Congress at the same time the President submits the next Federal budget.
 
Requires the head of each agency to submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congress a strategic plan for program activities not later than September 30 of each year following a year in which an election for President occurs, beginning September 30, 2005.

action_date: 2004-10-08
text: 

(NOTE: This summary reflects language of the bill text as set forth in House Report 108-768, which differs from the language of the official bill text.)

 
Program Assessment and Results Act - (Sec. 3) States as the purposes of this Act: (1) improving the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 by implementing a process to determine the strengths and weaknesses of Federal programs, with a particular focus on results produced by individual programs; (2) using information to help the executive branch make informed management decisions and evidence-based funding requests; (3) providing Congress with the information necessary to conduct more effective oversight and make better-informed authorization and spending decisions.
 
(Sec. 4) Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the maximum extent practicable to conduct, jointly with agencies of the Federal Government, an assessment of each Federal program at least once every five fiscal years (program assessments).
 
Requires the Director to: (1) coordinate with Federal agency heads to determine the programs to be assessed and to evaluate the purpose, design, strategic plan, management, and results of such programs; (2) develop criteria for identifying programs to be assessed each fiscal year; (3) assess certain higher priority programs more frequently than once every five years; (4) publish in electronic format and provide to Congress a list of programs to be assessed during a fiscal year and the criteria to be used to assess the programs, and allow interested person to comment on such programs; and (5) provide guidance to Federal agency heads for implementing the requirements of this Act.
 
Requires the Director to report to Congress the results of program assessments conducted during a fiscal year at the same time the President submits the next budget after the end of such fiscal year. Provides for the submission of program assessments containing classified information.
 
Requires that program assessment activities be performed only by Federal employees as inherently Governmental functions.
 
Terminates program assessments after September 30, 2013. 
 
(Sec. 5) Changes: (1) the date by which the heads of each Federal agency are required to submit strategic plans for program activities to September 30 of each year following a presidential election, beginning with September 30, 2005; and (2) the period of coverage for strategic plans from five to four years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-08
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 474.
action_date: 2004-10-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Government Reform. H. Rept. 108-768.
action_date: 2004-10-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Government Reform. H. Rept. 108-768.
action_date: 2004-06-03
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2004-06-03
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2004-05-19
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2004-05-19
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2004-03-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency and Financial Management.
action_date: 2004-02-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.
action_date: 2004-02-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E226)
action_date: 2004-02-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-02-25
text: Introduced in House