GORAC Act

Bill: 118-hr-397
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24]
Introduced: 2023-01-17
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Accounting and auditing

Congressional oversight

Executive agency funding and structure

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Legislative rules and procedure
Latest action: action_date: 2023-01-17
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-01-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Government Office Realignment And Closure Act of 2023 or the GORAC Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide for an independent evaluation of federal agencies and programs to identify duplicative, wasteful, or outdated functions and provides for congressional consideration of legislation to implement recommendations from the evaluation.</p> <p>Specifically, the GAO must (1) procure the services of a nonfederal auditor to evaluate each federal program carried out in the previous 20 years, make recommendations on federal agencies and programs that should be realigned or eliminated, and report on such recommendations; and (2) take steps to assure that any work performed by such auditor complies with standards established by the GAO for audits of federal establishments, programs, activities, and functions.</p> <p>The GAO must provide for the relocation of federal employees whose positions are eliminated as a result of the implementation of recommendations included in the report.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 397 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 17, 2023 Ms. Van Duyne (for herself, Mr. Finstad , and Mr. Carter of Georgia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability , and in addition to the Committee on Rules , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To require the evaluation of Federal agencies and programs for duplicative, wasteful, or outdated functions, and to recommend the elimination or realignment of such functions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Government Office Realignment And Closure Act of 2023 or the GORAC Act . 2. Evaluation of Federal agencies and programs for duplicative, wasteful, or outdated functions (a) Non-Federal auditor review The Comptroller General shall— (1) procure the services of a non-Federal auditor to— (A) evaluate each Federal program carried out in the 20-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act; (B) make recommendations, using the criteria under subsection (b), on Federal agencies and Federal programs that should be realigned or eliminated; and (C) submit to the Comptroller General a report containing such recommendations; and (2) take appropriate steps to assure that any work performed by the non-Federal auditor complies with the standards established by the Comptroller General for audits of Federal establishments, organizations, programs, activities, and functions. (b) Criteria The non-Federal auditor shall recommend under subsection (a)(1)(B)— (1) the realignment of 2 or more Federal agencies or Federal programs into a single consolidated or streamlined Federal agency or Federal program, if— (A) such Federal agencies or Federal programs have the same essential function; and (B) such function can be carried out through a single consolidated or streamlined Federal agency or Federal program; (2) the realignment or elimination of any Federal agency or Federal program that has wasted Federal funds in the 20-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act by— (A) egregious spending; (B) mismanagement of resources and personnel; or (C) use of such funds for personal benefit or the benefit of a special interest group; and (3) the elimination of any Federal agency or Federal program that during any time in the 20-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act— (A) completed its intended purpose; (B) became irrelevant; or (C) failed to meet its objectives. (c) Proposed Legislation (1) In general The Comptroller General shall propose legislation in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) to implement the recommendations included in the report submitted under subsection (d). (2) Use of savings The legislation proposed under paragraph (1) shall provide that all funds saved by the implementation of the recommendations described under subsection (a)(1)(B) shall be— (A) used to support domestic programs; or (B) pay down the national debt. (3) Relocation of federal employees The legislation proposed under paragraph (1) shall provide that if the position of an employee of a Federal agency is eliminated as a result of the implementation of the recommendations included in the report, the head of the agency shall make reasonable efforts to relocate such employee to another position within the agency or within another Federal agency. (d) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (1) the recommendations described under subsection (a)(1)(B), with supporting documentation for all recommendations; and (2) the proposed legislation described under subsection (c). (e) Additional authorities (1) Hearings The non-Federal auditor may request that the Comptroller General for the purpose of carrying out this section require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and testimony of such witnesses as any member of the Comptroller considers advisable. (2) Production of certain materials (A) In general The non-Federal auditor may request that the Comptroller General for the purpose of carrying out this section require, by subpoena or otherwise, the production of such books, records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, documents, tapes, and other evidentiary materials relating to any matter under investigation by the non-Federal auditor. (B) Authority to decline request The Comptroller General may decline a request described under subparagraph (A). (C) Issuance Subpoenas issued under subparagraph (A) shall bear the signature of the Comptroller General and shall be served by any person or class of persons designated by the chairperson for that purpose. (D) Enforcement In the case of contumacy or failure to obey a subpoena issued under subparagraph (A), the United States district court for the judicial district in which the subpoenaed person resides, is served, or may be found, may issue an order requiring such person to appear at any designated place to testify or to produce documentary or other evidence. Any failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt of that court. (E) Information from federal agencies The Comptroller General may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the non-Federal auditor considers necessary to carry out this section. Upon a request made to the Comptroller General from the non-Federal auditor, the head of an agency shall furnish such information to the auditor. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Entitlement program The term entitlement program means any program that makes payments (including loans and grants), the budget authority for which is not provided for in advance by appropriation Acts, to any person or government if, under the provisions of the law containing such authority, the United States is obligated to make such payments to persons or governments who meet the requirements established by such law. (2) Federal agency (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term Federal agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency under section 105 of title 5, United States Code. (B) Exceptions The term Federal agency does not include— (i) a military installation, as such term is defined in section 2801(c)(4) of title 10, United States Code; or (ii) any agency that solely administers entitlement programs. (3) Federal program (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term program means any activity or function of an agency. (B) Exception The term program does not include entitlement programs. (4) Non-Federal auditor The term non-Federal auditor means the non-Federal auditor from which the Comptroller General procures services under subsection (a). 3. Congressional consideration of reform proposals (a) Introduction; referral; and report or discharge (1) Introduction On the first calendar day on which both Houses are in session, on or immediately following the date on which the report is submitted to Congress under section 2, a single implementation bill shall be introduced (by request)— (A) in the Senate by the Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and (B) in the House of Representatives by the Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives. (2) Referral (A) To the appropriate committee of jurisdiction The implementation bills introduced under paragraph (1) shall be referred to any appropriate committee of jurisdiction in the Senate and any appropriate committee of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives. (B) Authority over implementation bill A committee to which an implementation bill is referred under this paragraph may review and report on such bill, may report such bill to the respective House, and may not amend such bill. (3) Report or discharge If a committee to which an implementation bill is referred has not reported such bill by the end of the 15th calendar day after the date of the introduction of such bill, such committee shall be immediately discharged from further consideration of such bill, and upon being reported or discharged from the committee, such bill shall be placed on the appropriate calendar. (b) Floor consideration (1) In general When the committee to which an implementation bill is referred has reported, or has been discharged under subsection (b)(3), it is at any time thereafter in order (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for any Member of the respective House to move to proceed to the consideration of the implementation bill, and all points of order against the implementation bill (and against consideration of the implementation bill) are waived. The motion is highly privileged in the House of Representatives and is privileged in the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is not subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the implementation bill is agreed to, the implementation bill shall remain the unfinished business of the respective House until disposed of. (2) Amendments An implementation bill may not be amended in the Senate or the House of Representatives. (3) Debate Debate on the implementation bill, and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business, or a motion to recommit the implementation bill is not in order. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the implementation bill is agreed to or disagreed to is not in order. (4) Vote on final passage Immediately following the conclusion of the debate on an implementation bill, and a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the appropriate House, the vote on final passage of the implementation bill shall occur. (5) Rulings of the chair on procedure Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to an implementation bill shall be decided without debate. (c) Coordination with action by other house If, before the passage by 1 House of an implementation bill of that House, that House receives from the other House an implementation bill, then the following procedures shall apply: (1) Nonreferral The implementation bill of the other House shall not be referred to a committee. (2) Vote on bill of other house (A) In general If prior to the passage by one House of an implementing bill of that House, that House receives the same implementing bill from the other House, then— (i) the procedure in that House shall be the same as if no implementing bill had been received from the other House; but (ii) the vote on final passage shall be on the implementing bill of the other House. (B) Exception for revenue measures received in Senate The provisions of subparagraph (A) shall not apply in the Senate to an implementing revenue bill. (d) Rules of senate and house of representatives This section is enacted by Congress— (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of an implementation bill described in subsection (a), and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Calendar day The term calendar day means a calendar day other than 1 on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than 3 days to a date certain. (2) Implementation bill The term implementation bill means only a bill which is introduced as provided under subsection (a), and contains the proposed legislation included in the report submitted to Congress under section 2(d), without modification.