Taxpayers Right to Know Act - Requires the head of each federal agency in each fiscal year to: (1) identify and describe every program administered by such agency; (2) determine the total administrative expenses and expenditures for services for each program; (3) estimate the number of clients served by each program and the beneficiaries who received assistance under each program; (4) estimate the number of full-time federal and contract employees who administer each program; and (5) identify federal programs with duplicative or overlapping missions, services, and allowable uses of funds.
Requires agency heads to publish on agency websites the information required by this Act, the latest performance reviews of each agency program, improper payment rates, the total amount of unspent and unobligated program funds held by the agency and grant recipients, and recommendations for consolidating duplicative programs, eliminating waste and inefficiency, and terminating lower priority, outdated, and unnecessary programs and initiatives.
Expands the scope of information required in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance to include: (1) programs providing assistance to foreign nations, international organizations, and services provided or funded by agencies operating outside the United States; (2) information required by this Act; and (3) budget functions and authorization and appropriation amounts for each assistance program in the Catalog.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1957 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1957
To provide taxpayers with an annual report disclosing the cost of,
performance by, and areas for improvements for Government programs, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 7, 2011
Mr. Coburn (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Burr, Mrs.
McCaskill, Ms. Collins, Mr. Begich, Mr. McCain, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Hatch,
Mr. Paul, Mr. Heller, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Coats, Mr. Enzi, Mr. DeMint, Mr.
Thune, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin, Mr. Lee, Mr. Boozman, Mr.
Hoeven, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Graham, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Toomey, Mr.
McConnell, Mr. Risch, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Barrasso)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide taxpayers with an annual report disclosing the cost of,
performance by, and areas for improvements for Government programs, and
for other purposes.
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 ``Taxpayers Right to Know Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO ANNUAL REPORT ON COST OF, PERFORMANCE
BY, AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS.
(a) Requirement To Identify and Describe Programs.--Each fiscal
year, for purposes of the report required by subsection (b), the head
of each agency shall--
(1) identify and describe every program administered by the
agency;
(2) for each such program--
(A) determine the total administrative expenses of
the program;
(B) determine the expenditures for services for the
program;
(C) estimate the number of clients served by the
program and beneficiaries who received assistance under
the program (if applicable); and
(D) estimate--
(i) the number of full-time employees who
administer the program; and
(ii) the number of full-time equivalents
(whose salary is paid in part or full by the
Federal Government through a grant or contract,
a subaward of a grant or contract, a
cooperative agreement, or another form of
financial award or assistance) who assist in
administering the program; and
(3) identify programs within the Federal Government
(whether inside or outside the agency) with duplicative or
overlapping missions, services, and allowable uses of funds.
(b) Relationship to Catalog of Domestic Assistance.--With respect
to the requirements of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2)(B), the head of an
agency may use the same information provided in the catalog of domestic
and international assistance programs in the case of any program that
is a domestic or international assistance program.
(c) Report.--Not later than February 1 of each fiscal year, the
head of each agency shall publish on the official public website of the
agency a report containing the following:
(1) The information required under subsection (a) with
respect to the preceding fiscal year.
(2) The latest performance reviews (including the program
performance reports required under section 1116 of title 31,
United States Code) of each program of the agency identified
under subsection (a)(1), including performance indicators,
performance goals, output measures, and other specific metrics
used to review the program and how the program performed on
each.
(3) For each program that makes payments, the latest
improper payment rate of the program and the total estimated
amount of improper payments, including fraudulent payments and
overpayments.
(4) The total amount of unspent and unobligated program
funds held by the agency and grant recipients (not including
individuals) stated as an amount--
(A) held as of the beginning of the fiscal year in
which the report is submitted; and
(B) held for five fiscal years or more.
(5) Such recommendations as the head of the agency
considers appropriate--
(A) to consolidate programs that are duplicative or
overlapping;
(B) to eliminate waste and inefficiency; and
(C) to terminate lower priority, outdated, and
unnecessary programs and initiatives.
(d) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Administrative expenses.--The term ``administrative
costs'' has the meaning as determined by the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget under section 504(b)(2) of
Public Law 111-85 (31 U.S.C. 1105 note), except the term shall
also include, for purposes of that section and this section,
with respect to an agency--
(A) costs incurred by the agency as well as costs
incurred by grantees, subgrantees, and other recipients
of funds from a grant program or other program
administered by the agency; and
(B) expenses related to personnel salaries and
benefits, property management, travel, program
management, promotion, reviews and audits, case
management, and communication about, promotion of, and
outreach for programs and program activities
administered by the agency.
(2) Services.--The term ``services'' has the meaning
provided by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
and shall be limited to only activities, assistance, and aid
that provide a direct benefit to a recipient, such as the
provision of medical care, assistance for housing or tuition,
or financial support (including grants and loans).
(3) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the same meaning given
that term in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code,
except that the term also includes offices in the legislative
branch other than the Government Accountability Office.
(4) Performance indicator, performance goal, output
measure, program activity.--The terms ``performance
indicator'', ``performance goal'', ``output measure'', and
``program activity'' have the meanings provided by section 1115
of title 31, United States Code.
(5) Program.--The term ``program'' has the meaning provided
by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and
shall include, with respect to an agency, any organized set of
activities directed toward a common purpose or goal undertaken
by the agency that includes services, projects, processes, or
financial or other forms of assistance, including grants,
contracts, cooperative agreements, compacts, loans, leases,
technical support, consultation, or other guidance.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
(a) Addition of International Assistance Programs.--
(1) In general.--Section 6101 of title 31, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(7) The term `international assistance' has the meaning
provided by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
and shall include, with respect to an agency, assistance
including grants, contracts, compacts, loans, leases, and other
financial and technical support to--
``(A) foreign nations;
``(B) international organizations;
``(C) services provided by programs administered by
any agency outside of the territory of the United
States; and
``(D) services funded by any agency provided in
foreign nations or outside of the territory of the
United States by non-governmental organizations and
entities.
``(8) The term `assistance program' means each of the
following:
``(A) A domestic assistance program.
``(B) An international assistance program.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Section 6102 of title 31, Untied States Code,
is amended--
(i) in subsection (a), in the matter
preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``domestic'' both places it appears; and
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking
``domestic''.
(B) Section 6104 of such title is amended--
(i) in subsections (a) and (b), by
inserting ``and international assistance''
after ``domestic assistance'' each place it
appears; and
(ii) in the section heading, by inserting
``and international'' after ``domestic''.
(b) Additional Information Required To Be Included Catalog.--
Section 6104(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(4) the information required in paragraphs (1) through
(4) of subsection (b) of the Taxpayers Right to Know Act;
``(5) the budget function or functions applicable to each
assistance program contained in the catalog;
``(6) with respect to each assistance program in the
catalog, an electronic link to the annual report required by
section 2(b) of the Taxpayers Right to Know Act by the agency
that carries out the assistance program; and
``(7) the authorization and appropriation amount provided
by law for each assistance program in the catalog in the
current fiscal year, and a notation if the program is not
authorized in the current year, has not been authorized in law,
or does not receive a specific line item appropriation.''.
(c) Report Related to Compliance With Catalog Requirements.--
Section 6104 of title 31, United States Code, is further amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Compliance.--On the website of the catalog of Federal
domestic and international assistance information, the Administrator
shall provide the following:
``(1) Contact information.--The title and contact
information for the person in each agency responsible for the
implementation, compliance, and quality of the data in the
catalog.
``(2) Report.--An annual report compiled by the
Administrator of domestic assistance programs, international
assistance programs, and agencies with respect to which the
requirements of this chapter are not met.''.
(d) Bulk Downloads of Data.--Section 6103 of such title is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Bulk Downloads.--The information in the catalog of domestic
and international assistance under section 6104 of this title shall be
available on a regular basis through bulk downloads from the website of
the catalog.''.
(e) Revision to Agency Definition.--Section 6101(2) of such title
is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following:
``except such term also includes offices in the legislative branch
other than the Government Accountability Office''.
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION.
(a) Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall prescribe regulations to implement this Act.
(b) Implementation.--This Act shall be implemented beginning with
the first full fiscal year occurring after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
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