SIGHT Act

Bill: 116-s-3766
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2020-05-19
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Appropriations

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Congressional oversight

Congressional-executive branch relations

Department of the Treasury

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Executive Office of the President

Executive agency funding and structure

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Health programs administration and funding

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Seeking Inspector General's Honest Testimony Act or the SIGHT Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the President from blocking inspectors general from reporting to Congress regarding the implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and requires a report to Congress under specified circumstances involving denial of access to records under such act.</p> <p>Specifically, if the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, or the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery determines that Treasury or the White House has not provided timely access or has impeded access to records regarding implementation of the CARES Act, then the office or committee shall report to Congress on the lack of access. If Treasury is responsible for the lack of access, then funding for the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury shall be rescinded until Treasury provides access to the records.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3766 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 19, 2020 Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To prohibit the President from blocking Inspectors General from reporting to Congress and to require a report to Congress if the Department of the Treasury or the White House does not provide timely access to records, documents, and other materials relating to the implementation and execution of the CARES Act, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Seeking Inspector General's Honest Testimony Act or the SIGHT Act . 2. Compliance with access to records under the CARES Act (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Committee means the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee established under section 15010 of division B of the Co­ro­na­vi­rus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( Public Law 116–136 ); (2) the term covered records means all records, documents, and other materials in the custody or possession of the Department or the White House, as applicable, relating to the implementation and execution of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( Public Law 116–136 ); (3) the term Department means the Department of the Treasury; and (4) the term Special Inspector General means the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery appointed under section 4018 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( Public Law 116–136 ). (b) Reporting requirement If the Inspector General of the Department, the Committee, or the Special Inspector General determines that the Department or the White House has not complied with the requirement to provide timely access to covered records or has prevented or impeded the access of the Inspector General of the Department, the Committee, or the Special Inspector General to those covered records— (1) the Inspector General of the Department, the Committee, or the Special Inspector General, as applicable, shall submit to Congress a report on the noncompliance or lack of access not later than 5 days after the date on which the Department or the White House, as applicable, does not comply with the requirement or prevents such access; and (2) if the Department has not complied with the requirement or has prevented or impeded such access, there shall be rescinded from the Office of the Secretary of the Department any amounts appropriated to that Office for the fiscal year and deposited into the general fund of the Treasury until the Department complies with the requirement. 3. Reporting on CARES Act (a) Definition of Inspector General In this section, the term Inspector General means— (1) an Inspector General of an establishment or a designated Federal entity (as defined in sections 12 and 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.)), respectively; and (2) the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery established under section 4018 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( Public Law 116–136 ). (b) Prohibition The President shall not block or otherwise prevent an Inspector General from reporting to Congress on issues related to the implementation of the CARES Act ( Public Law 116–136 ).