Sunset Inefficient and Unaccountable Government Act

Bill: 114-hr-1950
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Byrne, Bradley [R-AL-1]
Introduced: 2015-04-22
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Department of Agriculture

Department of Commerce

Department of Education

Department of Energy

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of Labor

Department of Transportation

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of the Interior

Department of the Treasury

Executive agency funding and structure
Latest action: action_date: 2015-04-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-04-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Sunset Inefficient and Unaccountable Government Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the abolishment of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, the Interior, the Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation on specified dates of between 2 years and 11 years after enactment of this Act or every 10 years thereafter, and of any other agency about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving abolishment during the previous 10 years, unless a disapproval of such abolishment is enacted prior to the date of the agency's scheduled abolishment. </p> <p>The head of each agency which is scheduled to be abolished must: (1) take necessary actions to dispose of the assets, obligations, and liabilities of the agency during the one-year period that begins on the date of abolishment; and (2) report to Congress on the roles and responsibilities of the agency, detailing the agency's justification for existence, including areas where the duties of the agency may overlap with the duties of other agencies. </p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1950 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 22, 2015 Mr. Byrne introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To abolish certain executive agencies unless Congress disapproves of such abolishment, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sunset Inefficient and Unaccountable Government Act . 2. Abolishment of agencies (a) In general Each agency listed in subsection (c) shall be abolished on the date set forth in subsection (c), unless a Federal law disapproving of the abolishment of the agency is enacted before such date. (b) Effect of abolishment When an agency is abolished under this Act, the head of such agency may take such actions as are necessary to dispose of the assets, obligations, and liabilities of the agency during the one-year period that begins on the date of such abolishment. (c) Schedule for abolishment (1) Agriculture The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Agriculture. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. (2) Commerce The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Commerce. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives. (C) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives. (D) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives. (3) Education The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Education. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives. (4) Energy The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Energy. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. (C) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives. (5) Health and Human Services The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 6 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the Department of Health and Human Services. (6) Housing and Urban Development; Judiciary The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Housing and Urban Development. (B) Any other agency, other than the Department of Justice— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. (7) Labor The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 8 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the Department of Labor. (8) Interior The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 9 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of the Interior. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives. (9) Treasury; Veterans Affairs The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) Any office of the Department of the Treasury. (B) Any other agency, other than the Department of the Treasury— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. (C) The Department of Veterans Affairs. (D) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. (10) Transportation; Armed Services; Foreign Affairs; Homeland Security The date of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 11 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: (A) The Department of Transportation. (B) Any other agency— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. (C) Any other agency, except the Department of Defense— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. (D) Any other agency, except the Department of State— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (E) Any other agency, except the Department of Homeland Security— (i) about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency during the previous 10 years; and (ii) whose authorizing legislation was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives. (F) Any other agency, except the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Treasury, about which Congress has not passed a concurrent resolution disapproving of the abolishment of such agency within the last 10 years. (d) Future dates On the date that is 10 years after each date listed in subsection (c) for the abolishment of an agency, and every 10 years thereafter, if such agency exists, such agency shall be abolished. 3. Self-review of agencies Not later 1 year before the date on which an agency is scheduled to be abolished pursuant to section 2(a), the head of such agency shall submit to Congress a report on the roles and responsibilities of the agency detailing the agency’s justification for existence, including areas where the duties of the agency may overlap with the duties of other agencies. 4. Agency defined The term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.