PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 350.
Congressional Research Service
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Jan 11, 2016
Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act
(Sec. 2) This bill requires that the website of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) include a program inventory that identifies each program of the federal government for which there is more than $1 million in annual budget authority. Such inventory shall include: (1) any activity that is commonly referred to as a program by a federal agency, and (2) any activity that is referenced in law as a program after June 30, 2019.
For programs identified in such inventory for which there is more than $1 million and not more than $10 million in annual budget authority (smaller programs), the inventory must include:
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
an identification of the program activities that are aggregated, disaggregated, or consolidated as part of identifying programs;
for each such program activity, the amount of funding for the current fiscal year and the previous two fiscal years;
an identification of the statutes that authorize the program and any major regulations specific to the program;
a description of the individuals served by a program and beneficiaries who received financial assistance under a program for the most recent fiscal year; and
links to any evaluation, assessment, or program performance reviews by the agency, an Inspector General, or the Government Accountability Office released during the preceding five years.
For programs identified in such inventory for which there is more than $10 million in annual budget authority (larger programs), the inventory must include:
an identification of the program activities that are aggregated, disaggregated, or consolidated as part of identifying programs;
for each program activity, the amount of funding for the current fiscal year and the previous two fiscal years;
an estimate of the amount of funding for the program;
an identification of the statutes that authorize the program and any major regulations specific to the program;
a description and estimate of the number of individuals served by a program and beneficiaries who received financial assistance under a program for the most recent fiscal year;
a description of the federal employees who administer the program and other individuals whose salary is paid in full or in part by the federal government through a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or another form of financial award or assistance;
links to any evaluation, assessment, or program performance reviews by the agency, an Inspector General, or the Government Accountability Office released during the preceding five years; and
financial and other information for each program activity required to be reported under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.
The OMB shall: (1) archive and preserve the information included in the program inventory; and (2) not later than February 1 of each fiscal year, publish on a public website the total amount of undisbursed grant funding remaining in grant accounts for which the period of availability to the grantee has expired.
(Sec. 3) The bill requires the OMB, not later than June 30, 2018, to: (1) prescribe guidance to implement this Act, and (2) issue guidance to assist agencies in identifying how the program activities used in budget or appropriations accounts correspond with programs identified in the program inventory required by this Act. The OMB may: (1) issue guidance to agencies to ensure that programs are presented at a similar level of detail across agencies and are not duplicative or overlapping; (2) exempt from the requirements of this Act, based on an analysis of the costs of implementation, agencies that are not required to have a chief financial officer and that have not more than $10 million in budget authority; and (3) extend the Act's implementation deadline by not more than one year.
Implementation of the requirements in this bill must be completed not later than June 30, 2019.
(Sec. 4) No additional funds may be authorized to carry out the requirements in this bill.
People & committees
Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7] · R–MI
Legislative record
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Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 350.
Received in the Senate.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 413 - 0 (Roll no. 34). (text: CR H246-247)
House roll call 34 · Individual votesMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 413 - 0 (Roll no. 34).(text: CR H246-247)
House roll call 34 · Individual votesConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H257-258)
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 598.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H246-247)
Mr. Chaffetz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 227.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-298.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-298.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H765)
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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Source last updated: Dec 6, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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