PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 30, 2009
Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2009 - Requires each executive agency, except for the Department of Defense (DOD), to establish and maintain specified safeguards and internal controls for official purchase cards and convenience checks, including measures to ensure that: (1) records are kept of each card holder and applicable transaction limits; (2) rebates and refunds based on prompt payment, sales volume, or other agency actions on card accounts are reviewed for accuracy; (3) periodic reviews are performed to determine whether each cardholder needs a card; (4) effective systems, techniques, and technologies are used to prevent or identify fraudulent purchases; and (5) steps are taken to recover the cost of erroneous, improper, or illegal purchases made with a purchase card or convenience check through salary offsets. Establishes similar requirements for DOD.
Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review existing guidance and prescribe additional guidance governing the implementation of the safeguards and internal controls. Requires each agency head to provide for appropriate adverse personnel actions or other punishment, including dismissal, in cases where employees violate agency policies implementing the guidance or make improper, erroneous, or illegal purchases. Requires the guidance to direct each agency head with more than $10 million in purchase card spending annually and each Inspector General to jointly report to the Director on such violations semiannually.
Lists actions that each agency Inspector General should take, including to conduct periodic assessments of agency purchase card or convenience check programs to identify and analyze risks of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments in order to develop a plan for periodic audits of transactions.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Amends the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 to require each agency to establish safeguards and internal controls over federal contractor-issued travel charge cards to ensure the proper, efficient, and effective use of such cards.
Requires agencies that have employees who use a travel charge card that is billed directly to the U.S. government to establish and maintain specified internal control activities, including requirements to: (1) compare items submitted on an employee's travel voucher with items paid for using a centrally billed account on any related travel; (2) dispute unallowable and erroneous charges and track disputed transactions to ensure appropriate resolution; and (3) submit requests to servicing airlines for refunds for fully or partially unused tickets and to track unused tickets to ensure appropriate resolution.
People & committees
Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] · R–SC
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.
Referred to House Armed Services
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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.
Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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