Bill Summary
The Duplication Scoring Act of 2019 is a bill that aims to prevent duplication and overlap of existing federal programs, offices, and initiatives. The bill requires the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze any legislation that is reported by Congress and identify any potential risks of creating a new duplicative or overlapping feature. The bill also requires the Comptroller General to submit this information to the Director of the Congressional Budget Office and the appropriate congressional committee, as well as publish it on the Government Accountability Office's website. The Director may then include this information in their estimate for the legislation. The bill will take effect either 60 days after the Office of Management and Budget updates its website or 1 year after the date of enactment, depending on which comes first. The bill's title has been amended to reflect its purpose of identifying potential risks of duplication and overlap in legislation.
Possible Impacts
1. Increased Government Accountability: This legislation requires the Comptroller General to analyze legislation and identify potential duplication and overlap with existing federal programs. This could lead to a more efficient government and save taxpayer money by reducing unnecessary program duplication.
2. Impact on New Federal Programs: The legislation requires the Comptroller General to identify any new federal programs, offices, or initiatives that could duplicate or overlap with existing programs. This could potentially limit the creation of new federal programs or require changes to existing programs in order to avoid duplication and overlap.
3. Impact on Congressional Budget Estimates: The Director of the Congressional Budget Office may include the assessment information submitted by the Comptroller General as a supplement to the estimate for the covered bill or joint resolution. This could potentially affect the budget estimates and decision-making process for the legislation.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2183 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 216
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2183
[Report No. 116-113]
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 18, 2019
Mr. Paul (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Lankford, and Ms. Ernst)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
September 23, 2019
Reported by Mr. Johnson, with amendments and an amendment to the title
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
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 2019''.
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 Public Law 111-139 (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--
<DELETED> ``(i) prepare an assessment--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) to determine whether the
covered bill or joint resolution creates a new
duplicative or overlapping feature;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(II) if the covered bill or
joint resolution creates a new duplicative or
overlapping feature, that includes--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(aa) the name of the new
Federal program, office, or initiative;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(bb) a reference to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(AA) the section
of the covered bill or joint
resolution at which the new
duplicative or overlapping
feature is established;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(BB) the GAO
duplication and overlap report
in which the existing
duplicative or overlapping
feature is
identified;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) submit the assessment prepared
under clause (i) to the Director; and</DELETED>
``(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 assessment information prepared
under clause (i) on the website of the Government
Accountability Office; and
``(B) subject to paragraph (3), the Director may include
the assessment information submitted by the Comptroller General
under subparagraph (A)(ii) with as a supplement to the estimate
for the covered bill or joint resolution to which the
assessment 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
an assessment 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
assessment 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 assessment information 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. 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.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to require the
Comptroller General of the United States to review certain
legislation in order to identify potential risks of duplication
of and overlap with existing Federal programs, offices, and
initiatives.''.
Calendar No. 216
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2183
[Report No. 116-113]
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 23, 2019
Reported with amendments and an amendment to the title