Description:
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on March 20, 2013
H.R. 1104 would amend the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which governs the operation of most federal advisory committees, to require agencies to disclose additional information about committee activities to the public. It also would expand the act’s reach to additional federal committees and would require the Government Accountability Office to submit reports to the Congress concerning the appointment of advisory committee members. More than 1,000 advisory committees provide advice and guidance to federal agencies on many subjects ranging from organ donation to the operations of the Department of Homeland Security. Those committees, which may also be called commissions, councils, or task forces, have been created to collect a variety of viewpoints on specific policy issues. They can provide advice or make recommendations to federal agencies.
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1104 would cost $88 million over the
2013-2018 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Enacting the bill could affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net increase in spending by those agencies would not be significant. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
H.R. 1104 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
