instruction:
In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Government Accountability Office 
Improvement Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO OBTAIN RECORDS.

    (a) Authority To Obtain Records.--Section 716 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended in subsection (a)--
            (1) by striking ``(a)'' and inserting ``(2)''; and
            (2) by inserting after the section heading the following:
    ``(a)(1) The Comptroller General is authorized to obtain such 
agency records as the Comptroller General requires to discharge his 
duties (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), 
including through the bringing of civil actions under this section. In 
reviewing a civil action under this section, the court shall recognize 
the continuing force and effect of the authorization in the preceding 
sentence until such time as the authorization is repealed pursuant to 
law.''.
    (b) Interviews.--Section 716(a) of title 31, United States Code, as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended in the second sentence of 
paragraph (2) by inserting ``and interview agency officers and 
employees'' after ``agency record''.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTERING OATHS.

    Section 711 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking 
paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
            ``(4) administer oaths to witnesses, except that, in 
        matters other than auditing and settling accounts, the 
        authority of an officer or employee to administer oaths to 
        witnesses pursuant to a delegation under paragraph (2) shall 
        not be available without the prior express approval of the 
        Comptroller General (or a designee).''.

SEC. 4. ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION.

    (a) Access to Certain Information.--Subchapter II of chapter 7 of 
title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``Sec. 721. Access to certain information
    ``(a) No provision of the Social Security Act shall be construed to 
limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to 
obtain any information, to inspect any record, or to interview any 
officer or employee under section 716 of this title, including with 
respect to any information disclosed to or obtained by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services under part C or D of title XVIII of the 
Social Security Act.
    ``(b) No provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the 
Comptroller General to obtain any information, to inspect any record, 
or to interview any officer or employee under section 716 of this 
title, including with respect to any information concerning any method 
or process which as a trade secret is entitled to protection.
    ``(c) No provision of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements 
Act of 1976 and the amendments made by that Act shall be construed to 
limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to 
obtain any information, to inspect any record, or to interview any 
officer or employee under section 716 of this title, including with 
respect to any information disclosed to the Assistant Attorney General 
of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice or the Federal 
Trade Commission for purposes of pre-merger review under section 7A of 
the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 18a).
    ``(d)(1) The Comptroller General shall prescribe such policies and 
procedures as are necessary to protect from public disclosure 
proprietary or trade secret information obtained consistent with this 
section.
    ``(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed--
            ``(A) to alter or amend the prohibitions against the 
        disclosure of trade secret or other sensitive information 
        prohibited by section 1905 of title 18 and other applicable 
        laws; or
            ``(B) to affect the applicability of section 716(e) of this 
        title, including the protections against unauthorized 
        disclosure contained in that section, to information obtained 
        consistent with this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 7 of title 31, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 720 the following:

``721. Access to certain information.''.

SEC. 5. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORTS.

    Section 719 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)(C), by striking the period at the 
        end and inserting ``; and'';
            (3) by adding at the end of subsection (b)(1) the 
        following:
            ``(D) for agencies subject to sections 901 to 903 and other 
        agencies designated by the Comptroller General, an assessment 
        of their overall degree of cooperation in making personnel 
        available for interview, providing written answers to 
        questions, submitting to an oath authorized by the Comptroller 
        General under section 711, granting access to records, 
        providing timely comments to draft reports, adopting 
        recommendations in reports and responding to such other matters 
        as the Comptroller General deems appropriate.'';
            (4) in subsection (c)(2)(B), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (5) in subsection (c)(3), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and'', and
            (6) by adding at the end of subsection (c) the following:
            ``(4) as soon as practicable when an agency does not, 
        within a reasonable time, respond to a request by the 
        Comptroller General regarding any matter described in 
        subsection (b)(1)(D).''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 29, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.
answer:
Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008 - 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) interview agency officers and employees to get information about agency duties, powers, activities, organization, and financial transactions; and (3) administer oaths to witnesses (currently, the Comptroller General may administer oaths to witnesses when auditing and settling accounts).

Requires the Comptroller General to prescribe such policies and procedures as are necessary to protect from public disclosure proprietary or trade secret information obtained under this Act.

Declares 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 shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to obtain information, inspect records, or interview specified agency officers or employees, including with respect to: (1) information disclosed to or obtained by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Social Security Act; (2) information concerning any method or process protected as a trade secret; and (3) 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. Declares that this Act shall not be construed to: (1) alter or amend the prohibitions against the disclosure of trade secret or other sensitive information; and (2) affect the applicability of requirements governing the availability of agency information to information obtained.

Requires the Comptroller General to: (1) report annually on the cooperation of agencies subject to the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and other agencies designated by the Comptroller General in making personnel available for interviews, providing written answers to questions, submitting to an oath authorized by the Comptroller General, granting access to records, providing timely comments to draft reports, adopting report recommendations, and responding to such matters as the Comptroller General deems appropriate; and (2) report to Congress when agencies do not respond to requests regarding such matters.


question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Food Tracking Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. TRACEABILITY OF FOOD.

    The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) in section 301, by inserting at the end the following:
    ``(jj) The failure to comply with any requirement of section 414A 
(relating to the traceability of food).''; and
            (2) in chapter IV, by inserting after section 414 the 
        following:

``SEC. 414A. TRACEABILITY OF FOOD.

    ``(a) Establishment of System.--Not later than 3 years after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a 
traceability system described in subsection (b) for all stages of 
manufacturing, processing, packaging, and distribution of food.
    ``(b) Description of System.--The traceability system required by 
subsection (a) shall require each article of food shipped in interstate 
commerce to be identified in a manner that enables the Secretary to 
retrieve the history, use, and location of the article through a 
recordkeeping and audit system, a secure, online database, or 
registered identification.
    ``(c) Records.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may require that each 
        person required to identify an article of food pursuant to 
        subsection (b) maintain accurate records, as prescribed by the 
        Secretary, regarding the purchase, sale, and identification of 
        the article.
            ``(2) Access.--Each person described in paragraph (1) 
        shall, at all reasonable times, on notice by a duly authorized 
        representative of the Secretary, allow the representative to 
        access to each place of business of the person to examine and 
        copy the records described in paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Duration.--Each person described in paragraph (1) 
        shall maintain records as required under this subsection for 
        such period of time as the Secretary prescribes.
    ``(d) False Information.--No person shall falsify or misrepresent 
to any other person or to the Secretary, any information as to any 
location at which any article of food was held.
    ``(e) Alteration or Destruction of Records.--No person shall, 
without authorization from the Secretary, alter, detach, or destroy any 
records or other means of identification prescribed by the Secretary 
for use in determining the location at which any article of food was 
held.
    ``(f) Advisory Committee.--
            ``(1) In general.--In order to assist the Secretary in 
        implementing the traceability system under subsection (a), the 
        Secretary shall convene an advisory committee (referred to in 
        this subsection as the `Committee').
            ``(2) Membership.--The Committee shall consist of 13 
        members appointed by the Secretary which shall include--
                    ``(A) an equitable number of food safety and 
                tracking technology experts, representatives of the 
                food industry, and consumer advocates; and
                    ``(B) officials from the Center for Food Safety and 
                Applied Nutrition and the Office of Regulatory Affairs 
                of the Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture 
                Marketing Service of the Department of Agriculture.
            ``(3) Chairperson.--The Secretary shall appoint a 
        Chairperson of the Committee.
            ``(4) Meeting.--The Committee shall convene not later than 
        180 days after the date of enactment of this section and 
        periodically thereafter at the call of the Chairperson.
            ``(5) Report of committee.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this section, the Committee shall 
                submit to the Secretary and the Office of the 
                Commissioner a report that describes the 
                recommendations regarding the most practicable approach 
                to providing for the traceability of food, including 
                the most efficient means of implementing the traceback 
                of contaminated foods.
                    ``(B) Considerations.--In developing the report 
                under subparagraph (A), the Committee shall consider 
                the following approaches to providing for the 
                traceability of food:
                            ``(i) A national database or registry 
                        operated by the Food and Drug Administration.
                            ``(ii) Electronic records identifying each 
                        prior sale, purchase, or trade of the food and 
                        its ingredients, and establishing that the food 
                        and its ingredients were grown, prepared, 
                        handled, manufactured, processed, distributed, 
                        shipped, warehoused, imported, and conveyed 
                        under conditions to ensure the safety of the 
                        food. The records would include an electronic 
                        statement with the date of, and the names and 
                        addresses of all parties to, each prior sale, 
                        purchase, or trade, and any other information 
                        as appropriate.
                            ``(iii) Standardized tracking numbers on 
                        all shipments. These numbers would identify the 
                        country of origin, the unique facility 
                        registration number, date of production, and 
                        lot number (if applicable).
                            ``(iv) Recall performance standards for 
                        each food or commodity type.
                            ``(v) Safeguards for the combining, 
                        repacking, or otherwise mixing of items of 
                        food, particularly fresh produce.
                            ``(vi) Other approaches that enable the 
                        reliable tracking of food and food products.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2011.''.
answer:
Food Tracking Improvement Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit failing to comply with any requirement of this Act.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a traceability system for all stages of manufacturing, processing, packaging, and distribution of food; and (2) convene an advisory committee to assist in implementing the system. Requires the system to identify each article of food shipped in interstate commerce in a manner that enables the Secretary to retrieve the history, use, and location of the article through a recordkeeping and audit system, a secure, online database, or registered identification.

Authorizes the Secretary to direct each person required to identify an article of food to maintain accurate records regarding the purchase, sale, and identification of the article. Requires each such person to allow authorized representatives of the Secretary to examine and copy records. Prohibits any person from: (1) falsifying or misrepresenting information as to the location at which any article of food was held; or (2) altering, detaching, or destroying any records or other means of identification for use in determining such a location.


question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Recovery Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITED PAYMENTS OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL AND 
              EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES.

    (a) Expedited Payments Authorized.--Notwithstanding the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
et seq.) or any regulation issued pursuant to such Act, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, shall pay to an eligible applicant, in 
accordance with subsection (b), 50 percent of the Federal share of 
assistance that the applicant is eligible to receive under section 
403(b), 407(d), or 503 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(b), 5173(d), 5193).
    (b) Date of Payment.--A claim described in subsection (a) shall be 
paid not later than 60 days after the date on which such applicant 
files an eligible claim for assistance.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Eligible applicant.--The term ``eligible applicant'' 
        means the following:
                    (A) A State government.
                    (B) A local government.
                    (C) A private non-profit organization or 
                institution that owns or operates any private nonprofit 
                educational, utility, emergency, medical, or custodial 
                care facility, including a facility for the aged or 
                disabled, or any other facility providing essential 
                governmental services to the general public, and such 
                facilities on Indian reservations.
                    (D) An Indian tribe or authorized tribal 
                organization, or an Alaska Native village or 
                organization, but not Alaska Native Corporations, the 
                ownership of which is vested in a private individual.
            (2) Eligible claim for assistance.--The term ``eligible 
        claim for assistance'' means the following:
                    (A) Debris removal.--A claim for the clearance, 
                removal, or disposal of debris such as trees, sand, 
                gravel, building components, wreckage, vehicles, and 
                personal property, if such debris is the result of an 
                emergency or major disaster and such clearance, 
                removal, or disposal is necessary for any of the 
                following:
                            (i) To eliminate an immediate threat, as 
                        determined by the Secretary of Homeland 
                        Security, to human life, public health, or 
                        safety.
                            (ii) To eliminate an immediate threat, as 
                        determined by the Secretary, of significant 
                        damage to public or private property.
                            (iii) To ensure the economic recovery of 
                        the community affected by the emergency or 
                        major disaster to the benefit of such community 
                        and any other community, as determined by the 
                        Secretary.
                            (iv) To ensure the provision of temporary 
                        public transportation service in the community 
                        affected by the emergency or major disaster 
                        pursuant to section 419 of the Robert T. 
                        Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act 
                        (42 U.S.C. 5186).
                    (B) Emergency protective measures.--An action taken 
                by an applicant before, during, or after an emergency 
                or major disaster that is necessary for any of the 
                following:
                            (i) To eliminate or reduce an immediate 
                        threat, as determined by the Secretary of 
                        Homeland Security, to human life, public 
                        health, or safety.
                            (ii) To eliminate or reduce an immediate 
                        hazard, as determined by the Secretary, that 
                        threatens significant damage to public or 
                        private property.
                    (C) Other claims.--Any other claim that the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security determines to be 
                appropriate.
            (3) Emergency.--The term ``emergency'' has the meaning 
        provided by section 102(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
        and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(1)).
            (4) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' has the 
        meaning provided by section 102(2) of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)).

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO ENSURE DEBRIS CLEARANCE, REMOVAL, AND DISPOSAL 
              FROM EMERGENCY ACCESS ROADS.

    (a) Requirement.--Any reimbursement authorized under section 407 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5173) for clearing and removing debris shall include 
reimbursement for clearing, removing, and disposing of debris from any 
emergency access road.
    (b) Emergency Access Road Defined.--For purposes of subsection (a), 
the term ``emergency access road'' means a road that requires access by 
emergency personnel, including firefighters, police, emergency medical 
personnel, or any other entity identified by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security that provides an emergency service after a declaration of an 
emergency or major disaster (as defined in section 102 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5122)).

SEC. 4. INCLUSION OF DEBRIS REMOVAL FROM PRIVATE LAND AS ELIGIBLE CLAIM 
              FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.

    Section 408(c)(2)(A) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) at the end of clause (i), by striking ``and'';
            (2) at the end of clause (ii), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new 
        clause:
                            ``(iii) the removal, clearance, and 
                        disposal of debris from private property that 
                        is the result of an emergency or major 
                        disaster.''.
answer:

Disaster Recovery Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to pay an eligible disaster relief applicant 50 percent of the Federal share of assistance for which the applicant is eligible under specified sections of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, within 60 days after the applicant files a claim for such assistance.

Requires authorized reimbursement for clearing and removing debris to include reimbursement for clearing, removing, and disposing of debris from any emergency access road.

Authorizes Federal assistance for removing, clearing, and disposing of debris from private property.