General Management Laws: A Compendium (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
May 19, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RL30795 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Ronald C. Moe, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
This report (hereafter "compendium") is a companion to CRS Report RL32388(pdf) , General
Management Laws: Major Themes and Management Policy Options . In combination, these
reports
have three main objectives: (1) to identify and describe the major management laws under which the
executive branch of the federal government is required to operate, including their rationale, design,
and scope; (2) to assist Members of Congress and their staff in oversight of executive branch
management; and (3) to help Congress when considering potential changes to the management laws
themselves, as well as other legislation, including authorization statutes and appropriations.
The compendium contains profiles of selected "general management laws" -- broad statutes
designed to regulate the activities, procedures, and administration of all or most executive branch
agencies. The quality of the general management laws, as well as their implementation, are
considered crucial to maintaining the accountability of the executive branch to Congress, the
President, and the public. Moreover, these laws influence the effectiveness of federal agencies when
they implement, evaluate, and help formulate public policies.
The compendium includes more than 90 separate entries that describe general management
laws
for the executive branch of the federal government. The entries in the compendium are organized
into the following seven functional categories: (1) Information and Regulatory Management; (2)
Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, and Program Evaluation; (3) Financial Management,
Budget, and Accounting; (4) Organization; (5) Procurement and Real Property Management; (6)
Intergovernmental Relations Management; and (7) Human Resources Management and Ethics.
These categories include many laws and topics, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA,
section I.E.), Privacy Act (I.F.), Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA, I.G.), National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, I.L.), Data Quality Act (I.O.; increasingly known as the
Information Quality Act (IQA)), Inspector General Act (II.A.), Government Performance and Results
Act (II.B.), Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (III.D.), Budget Enforcement Act
(III.E.), Government Corporation Control Act (IV.A.), Davis-Bacon Act (V.F.), Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act (UMRA, VI.C.), Hatch Act (VII.A.(5) and VII.A.(29)), Ethics in Government Act
(VII.B.), Federal Tort Claims Act (VII.E.), and issues like information security (section I), improper
payments (section III), services acquisition and contracting (section V), and federal employees and
civil service laws (e.g., the National Security Personnel System at the Department of Defense, and
the Department of Homeland Security personnel system (section VII.A)).
For each entry in the compendium, one or more CRS analysts present a brief history of the
general management law, describe the law's major provisions, discuss key developments and issues,
and provide source readings for readers who want more information. The compendium reflects the
status of general management laws at the end of the first session of the 108th Congress, and will be
updated along with the companion report to reflect actions taken through the close of the 108th
Congress.
