Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Problem: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sentence until such time as the authorization is repealed pursuant to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.
Solution:
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.