How HR 4365 changes current law

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill mandates the Comptroller General to assess certain legislation for potential duplication with existing federal programs, offices, and initiatives, thereby amending the reporting requirements in current law.

• 31 U.S.C. § 719

  (i)(1) In this subsection-- (A) the term `covered bill or resolution' means a bill or joint resolution of a public character reported by any committee of Congress (including the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on the Budget of either House); (B) the term `Director' means the Director of the Congressional Budget Office; (C) the term `existing duplicative or overlapping feature' means an element of the Federal Government previously identified in a GAO duplication and overlap report; (D) the term `GAO duplication and overlap report' means each annual report prepared by the Comptroller General under section 21 of the Joint Resolution entitled `Joint Resolution increasing the statutory limit on the public debt', approved February 12, 2010 (31 U.S.C. 712 note); and (E) the term `new duplicative or overlapping feature' means a new Federal program, office, or initiative created under a covered bill or joint resolution that would duplicate or overlap with an existing duplicative or overlapping feature.

  This addition defines terms related to the assessment of legislation for duplication and sets up a framework for analysis.

• 31 U.S.C. § 719

  (2) For each covered bill or joint resolution-- (A) the Comptroller General shall-- (i) prepare an assessment-- (I) to determine whether the covered bill or joint resolution creates a new duplicative or overlapping feature; and (II) if the covered bill or joint resolution creates a new duplicative or overlapping feature, that includes-- (aa) the name of the new Federal program, office, or initiative; and (bb) a reference to-- (AA) the section of the covered bill or joint resolution at which the new duplicative or overlapping feature is established; and (BB) the GAO duplication and overlap report in which the existing duplicative or overlapping feature is identified; (ii) submit the assessment prepared under clause (i) to the Director; and (iii) publish the assessment prepared under clause (i) on the website of the Government Accountability Office;

  This mandates the Comptroller General to analyze covered legislation for duplication and publish findings.

• 31 U.S.C. § 719

  (B) subject to paragraph (3), the Director may include the assessment submitted by the Comptroller General under subparagraph (A)(ii) with the estimate for the covered bill or joint resolution to which the assessment pertains submitted by the Director under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653).

  This allows the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to incorporate the Comptroller General's assessment into their cost estimates for bills.

• 31 U.S.C. § 719

  (3) If the Comptroller General has not submitted to the Director an assessment for a covered bill or joint resolution under paragraph (2)(A)(ii) on the date on which the Director submits the estimate for the covered bill or joint resolution to which the assessment pertains under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653), the Director may, on the date on which the Comptroller General submits the assessment to the Director, prepare and submit to each applicable committee a version of the estimate for the covered bill or joint resolution that includes the assessment.

  This establishes a procedure for the Director if the assessment is not received in time, allowing flexibility in the reporting process.