Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-237
Sponsor: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO]
Introduced: 2011-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Civil actions and liability
Congressional agencies
Congressional oversight
Evidence and witnesses
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Trade secrets and economic espionage

Summary:
action_date: 2011-01-31
text: 
Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2011- Authorizes the Comptroller General to: (1) obtain federal agency records required to discharge his or her duties, including through bringing civil actions under this Act, (2) make and retain copies of agency records, and (3) administer oaths when investigating fraud or federal employee misconduct.
 
States that no provision of the Social Security Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (including any information disclosed to the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for purposes of pre-merger review under the Clayton Act) shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the Comptroller General's authority to obtain any information, inspect, or copy any record under this Act.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to prescribe policies and procedures to protect from public disclosure proprietary or trade secret information obtained pursuant to the authority of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
 
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) alter or amend the prohibitions against the disclosure of trade secret or other sensitive information prohibited by federal and other applicable laws; or (2) affect the applicability of this Act, including the protections against unauthorized disclosure to obtained information.
 
Requires agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to Comptroller General recommendations to be submitted to the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity and to GAO.
 

action_date: 2012-04-24
text: 
Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2011- (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) obtain federal agency records required to discharge his or her duties, including by bringing civil actions under this Act, (2) make and retain copies of agency records, and (3) administer oaths when investigating fraud or federal employee misconduct.
 
(Sec. 4) States that no provision of the Social Security Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (including any information disclosed to the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for purposes of pre-merger review under the Clayton Act) shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede GAO's authority to obtain any information, inspect, or copy any record under this Act.
 
Requires GAO to prescribe policies and procedures to protect from public disclosure proprietary or trade secret information obtained pursuant to this Act.
 
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) alter or amend the prohibitions against the disclosure of trade secrets or other sensitive information prohibited by federal and other applicable laws; or (2) affect prohibitions applicable to GAO against unauthorized disclosure of information.
 
(Sec. 5) Requires GAO to notify a congressional committee or Member of Congress if an agency has not provided within 30 days information requested by GAO relating to any request from such committee or Member.
 
(Sec. 6) Requires agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations to be submitted to the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity and to GAO.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-04-24
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 363.
action_date: 2012-04-24
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with amendments. With written report No. 112-159.
action_date: 2012-04-24
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with amendments. With written report No. 112-159.
action_date: 2011-10-19
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2011-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate