Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1984

(Reported to Senate from the Committee on Governmental Affairs with amendment, S. Rept. 98-576)

Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1984 - Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 to require the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. (Currently, the Administrator is appointed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.)

Requires the statistical policy and coordination functions of the Director to include: (1) periodically reviewing and updating long-range plans for the coordination and performance of Federal statistical activities and programs; (2) assuring that budget proposals of agencies are consistent with such long-range plans; and (3) developing and implementing Government-wide standards concerning statistical data sources required for the administration of Federal programs. Requires the Director to: (1) appoint a chief statistican to carry out such functions; and (2) integrate such functions with his or her other information resources management functions.

Requires the Director to: (1) update annually the five-year plan for meeting the Government's automatic data processing and telecommunications needs; (2) set goals of reducing the burden of Federal information collections requirements by at least five percent each year for FY 1984 through 1988; (3) issue a comprehensive set of information resources management policies and guidelines to implement such policies; (4) report to Congress on means of enhancing public access to information relating to information collection requests required to be made available to the public; and (5) identify initiatives to reduce the burden of Federal collections of information associated with Federal grant programs.

Requires the Director to include in the annual report to Congress on Federal information policy activities: (1) a summary of accomplishments and planned initiatives to improve information resources management within agencies; (2) a statement on each agency's initiatives to acquire information technology to improve such management; (3) an analysis of the extent to which the newly issued information management guidelines deter or promote such initiatives; (4) a description of the actions taken or planned to carry out statistical policy and coordination functions; (5) a description of the status of each major statistical program; and (6) a description and summary of the current long-range plans for the major Federal statistical activities and programs.

Requires the Director, when the President submits the annual budget to Congress for FY 1986, to submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which describes the funds requested for such fiscal year and the funds allocated to OIRA in the preceding fiscal year for each of specified information resources management functions.

Requires the Administrator to make available to the public, upon request, a copy of any draft of a proposed or final rule submitted by an agency to OIRA for review and any material concerning such draft submitted to OIRA by the agency, or to the agency by OIRA, after such draft is submitted.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1988 to carry out the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980.

Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to combine the existing Federal telecommunications and automatic data processing funds into an Information Technology Fund. Authorizes appropriations for such Fund. Directs the Administrator: (1) to determine the cost and capital requirements for the Fund for each fiscal year and submit plans for such requirements to the Director; and (2) if such plans are approved by the Director, to establish rates to be charged to agencies provided information technology resources through the Fund. Permits the Administrator to enter into multiyear contracts for the provision of such resources if: (1) adequate funds are available to pay contract costs for the first fiscal year any costs of cancellation or termination; (2) such a contract is awarded on a fully competitive basis; (3) the Government's need for such resources will continue over the contract period; and (4) use of a multiyear contract will cost less than other acquisition methods and will not exclude small business participation. Requires the Administrator to report to the Director on the operation of the Fund annually.

Authorizes the Director to employ up to 20 individuals, without regard to specified provisions of Federal law governing civil service appointments and pay, to carry out OIRA functions.

Prohibits an agency from conducting an information collection activity unless the agency's notice of the information collection request to be published in the Federal Register includes: (1) a title for the request; (2) a brief description fo the need for the imformation and its proposed use; (3) a description of the likely respondents and proposed frequency of response; and (4) an estimate of the burden imposed by such request.