Bill Summary
The "Duplication Scoring Act of 2026" is legislation aimed at improving the efficiency of federal government operations by preventing the creation of new programs, offices, or initiatives that duplicate or overlap with existing ones. The Act requires the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze bills and joint resolutions reported by Congress to identify any potential duplicative or overlapping features.
Key provisions include:
1. **Definitions**: The Act defines terms such as "covered bill or joint resolution," "existing duplicative or overlapping feature," and "new duplicative or overlapping feature" to clarify the scope of the legislation.
2. **Assessment Requirement**: For each covered bill, the Comptroller General must assess the risk of creating new duplicative features. If such risks are identified, the analysis must detail the new program, its location within the bill, and reference existing programs identified in previous GAO reports.
3. **Reporting**: The Comptroller General is required to submit this information to the Director of the Congressional Budget Office and the relevant congressional committee, as well as publish it on the Government Accountability Office's website.
4. **Integration with Budget Estimates**: This information may be included as a supplement to the budget estimates prepared for the covered bills.
5. **Effective Date**: The provisions will take effect 60 days after the Director of the Office of Management and Budget updates relevant information online or at the start of a new Congress, whichever comes first.
Overall, this legislation seeks to enhance oversight of federal programs and ensure that taxpayer resources are not wasted on redundant federal initiatives.
Possible Impacts
The "Duplication Scoring Act of 2026" has the potential to impact people in several ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Government Efficiency**: By requiring the Comptroller General to analyze new legislation for potential duplication of existing programs, the Act aims to streamline federal operations. This could lead to more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, as funds that would have been allocated to redundant programs can instead be redirected to essential services. For individuals, this may mean improved public services, such as healthcare, education, or infrastructure projects, as resources are utilized more effectively.
2. **Enhanced Transparency and Accountability**: The Act mandates that the findings of duplication assessments be published on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) website. This transparency allows citizens to be more informed about how government programs are being implemented and whether new initiatives are truly necessary. Increased public awareness may lead to greater accountability from lawmakers and government agencies, ultimately fostering trust in the government among the electorate.
3. **Potential Delay in New Initiatives**: While the legislation aims to prevent overlap and duplication, the requirement for additional analysis may slow down the legislative process for new programs and initiatives. This could affect people who are in need of urgent services or support that new legislation could provide. For example, if a new healthcare initiative is delayed due to the assessment process, individuals who rely on timely access to healthcare may experience heightened vulnerability or a lack of necessary services.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8096 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8096
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze
certain legislation in order to prevent duplication of and overlap with
existing Federal programs, offices, and initiatives.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2026
Mr. Burchett (for himself, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Gosar, Ms. Crockett, and
Ms. Mace) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the
Committees on the Budget, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze
certain legislation in order to prevent duplication of and overlap with
existing Federal programs, offices, and initiatives.
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 ``Duplication Scoring Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. ASSESSMENTS OF REPORTED BILLS BY GAO.
Section 719 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(i)(1) In this subsection--
``(A) the term `covered bill or joint 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 as an area of duplication, overlap, or fragmentation
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.
``(2) For each covered bill or joint resolution--
``(A) the Comptroller General shall, to the extent
practicable--
``(i) determine the extent to which the covered
bill or joint resolution creates a risk of a new
duplicative or overlapping feature and, if the risk so
warrants, identify--
``(I) the name of the new Federal program,
office, or initiative;
``(II) the section of the covered bill or
joint resolution at which the new duplicative
or overlapping feature is established; and
``(III) the GAO duplication and overlap
report in which the existing duplicative or
overlapping feature is identified; and
``(ii) submit the information described in clause
(i) to the Director and the committee that reported the
covered bill or joint resolution; and
``(iii) publish the information prepared under
clause (i) on the website of the Government
Accountability Office; and
``(B) subject to paragraph (3), the Director may include
the information submitted by the Comptroller General under
subparagraph (A)(ii) as a supplement to the estimate for the
covered bill or joint resolution to which the information
pertains submitted by the Director under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653).
``(3) If the Comptroller General has not submitted to the Director
the information 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 information 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 information to the Director, prepare and submit to each
applicable committee the information as a supplement to the estimate
for the covered bill or joint resolution.''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on the earlier
of--
(1) the date that is 60 days after the date on which the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget next, in
accordance with section 1122(a) of title 31, United States
Code, updates the information made available on the website
required under that section; or
(2) the date on which a new Congress begins after the date
that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
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