United States 114th Congress Status: Died 1 R cosponsors

S 278 — Citizen Empowerment Act

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. Died in session

This bill died with 114th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Citizen Empowerment Act Requires any executive agency employee who is conducting a covered interaction with an individual to allow the individual to make an audio recording of such interaction at the individual's expense and with the individual's equipment. Defines "covered interaction" as an in-person or telephonic official interaction relating to a possible violation of a federal statute or regulation that could result in the imposition of a fine or penalty against, the forfeiture of property by, or the collection of an unpaid tax, fine, or penalty from, the individual or a business owned or operated by the individual. Permits the employee conducting a covered interaction to record it if the employee: (1) informs the individual prior to or at the initiation of the interaction, and (2) provides the individual with a transcript or copy of the recording upon request and with the individual's reimbursement. Requires the employee, before or at an initial covered interaction, to provide to the individual a verbal or written notice of such individual's rights under this Act. Exempts any such interaction that is likely to include the discussion of: (1) classified material; or (2) information that, if released publicly, would endanger public safety or an ongoing criminal investigation. Subjects any executive agency employee who violates this Act to disciplinary action.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read S 278 on the official United States source →

Action History

  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 546 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

Administrative law and regulatory procedures Civil actions and liability Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Evidence and witnesses Government ethics and transparency, public corruption Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Tax administration and collection, taxpayers Telephone and wireless communication Government operations and politics
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 278 do?
Citizen Empowerment Act Requires any executive agency employee who is conducting a covered interaction with an individual to allow the individual to make an audio recording of such interaction at the individual's expense and with the individual's equipment. Defines "covered interaction" as an in-person or telephonic official interaction relating to a possible violation of a federal statute or regulation that could result in the imposition of a fine or penalty against, the forfeiture of property by, or the collection of an unpaid tax, fine, or penalty from, the individual or a business owned or operated by the individual. Permits the employee conducting a covered interaction to record it if the employee: (1) informs the individual prior to or at the initiation of the interaction, and (2) provides the individual with a transcript or copy of the recording upon request and with the individual's reimbursement. Requires the employee, before or at an initial covered interaction, to provide to the individual a verbal or written notice of such individual's rights under this Act. Exempts any such interaction that is likely to include the discussion of: (1) classified material; or (2) information that, if released publicly, would endanger public safety or an ongoing criminal investigation. Subjects any executive agency employee who violates this Act to disciplinary action.
Who sponsors S 278?
S 278 is sponsored by Roy Blunt (R).
What is the current status of S 278?
This bill died with 114th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track S 278?
Track S 278 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on S 278

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of S 278

Last checked for changes about 9 hours ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →