Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Taxpayer Right-to-Know Act - (Sec. 2) Defines "program" for purposes of this Act as an organized set of activities by one or more agencies directed toward a common purpose or goal.

Requires that the website of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) include a program inventory that identifies each program of the federal government, which shall include: (1) any activity that is commonly referred to as a program; (2) any activity specifically created by law, or referenced in law, as a program; (3) each program that has an application process; (4) each program for which financial awards are made on a competitive basis; and (5) any activity identified as a program activity in a budget request.

Requires, for each program identified in such program inventory: (1) an identification of the specific statute that authorizes the program and any program regulations; (2) an estimate of the number of individuals served by any program that provides grants or financial assistance and the beneficiaries who received financial assistance under the program; (3) an estimate of the number of full-time employees who administer the program and the number of such employees whose salary is paid, in full or part, by the federal government; (4) links to any evaluation, assessment, or program performance reviews by the agency, an Inspector General, or the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released during the preceding five years; and (5) financial information for each program required to be reported under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.

Requires the OMB Director to 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. Authorizes the Director to issue guidance to agencies on how to more closely align programs in the program inventory for purposes of the President's annual budget submission to Congress.

(Sec. 3) Requires: (1) the OMB Director, not later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act, to prescribe regulations or other guidance to implement this Act; and (2) the implementation of this Act not later than 1 year after its enactment.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to provide taxpayers with an annual report disclosing the cost and performance of Government programs and areas of duplication among them, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
Government Operations and Politics

Potential Impact
Accounting and auditing
Census and government statistics
Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Performance measurement

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary10/6/2014

Taxpayer Right-to-Know Act - (Sec. 2) Defines "program" for purposes of this Act as an organized set of activities by one or more agencies directed toward a common purpose or goal.

Requires that the website of the Office of Management and...


Latest Action8/26/2014
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 531.