An act to ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to information
PL 115-3 (H.R.72), enacted 01/31/2017

131 STAT. 7 
PUBLIC LAW 115–3—JAN. 31, 2017 
Public Law 115–3 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to information. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘GAO Access and Oversight 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. 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: 
‘‘§ 721. Access to certain information 
‘‘(a) No provision of the Social Security Act, including section 
453(l) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 653(l)), shall be construed to limit, 
amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to 
obtain any information or to inspect any record under section 716 
of this title. 
‘‘(b) The specific reference to a statute in subsection (a) shall 
not be construed to affect access by the Government Accountability 
Office to information under statutes that are not so referenced.’’. 
(b) AGENCY REPORTS.—Section 720(b) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 
‘‘or planned’’ after ‘‘action taken’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform of the House of Representatives, the 
congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agency pro-
gram or activity that is the subject of the recommendation, 
and the Government Accountability Office before the 61st day 
after the date of the report; and’’. 
(c) 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 
the duties of the Comptroller General (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 
Courts. 
31 USC 721. 
GAO Access and 
Oversight Act 
of 2017. 
31 USC 701 note. 
Jan. 31, 2017 
[H.R. 72] 
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131 STAT. 8 
PUBLIC LAW 115–3—JAN. 31, 2017 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 72: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 
Jan. 4, considered and passed House. 
Jan. 17, considered and passed Senate. 
of the authorization in the preceding sentence until such time 
as the authorization is repealed pursuant to law.’’. 
(d) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 
sections 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.’’. 
Approved January 31, 2017. 
31 USC 
prec. 701. 
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