II
Calendar No. 409
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2178
[Report No. 115–245]
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 30, 2017
Ms. Heitkamp (for herself, Mrs. Ernst, and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
May 10, 2018
Reported by Mr. Johnson, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic
A BILL
To require the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to make open recommendations of Inspectors General publicly available, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Inspector General Recommendation Transparency Act of 2017
.
Inspector General open recommendations database
Section 11(c) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
Open recommendations database
Definitions
In this paragraph—
the term designated Federal entity has the meaning given the term in section 8G(a)(2); and
the term open recommendation means a recommendation—
issued by an Inspector General of an establishment or designated Federal entity and made publicly available; and
that has not been adopted or implemented by the establishment or designated Federal entity during the 1-year period following the date on which the recommendation was issued.
Establishment of database
The Council shall establish and operate a publicly available database that—
is accessible via the website of the Council; and
includes the information on open recommendations submitted by each Inspector General of an establishment or designated Federal entity under subparagraph (C).
Contents
Not later than 1 year after the first semiannual reporting deadline described in section 5(a) that occurs after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and not less frequently than every 6 months thereafter, each Inspector General of an establishment or designated Federal entity shall submit to the Council, in a manner determined by the Council, the status and disposition of each open recommendation of the establishment or designated Federal entity, which shall include—
the number of recommendations issued by the Inspector General for the fiscal year;
the number of recommendations described in clause (i) that are open recommendations;
the title of each report in which an open recommendation was issued;
the assigned number of each open recommendation, as designated within a report described in clause (iii);
a short description of each open recommendation;
the date on which each open recommendation was submitted in final form to the head of the establishment or designated Federal entity;
the current status of each open recommendation, such as whether the recommendation remains open or has been partially implemented, or if the establishment or designated Federal entity has expressed that the recommendation is expected to be implemented soon;
if available, any comments of the Inspector General relating to why the recommendation remains open;
if available, any response from the establishment or designated Federal entity relating to why the recommendation remains open; and
any other information as determined by the Council.
.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Inspector General Recommendation Transparency Act of 2018
.
Inspector General open recommendations
In general
The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended—
in section 5—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (2), by inserting the total number and
before a description of
; and
by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
the total number of open recommendations described in previous semiannual reports on which corrective action has not been completed, and an identification of each open recommendation, which shall include—
the title of each report in which an open recommendation was issued;
the assigned number of each open recommendation, as designated within a report described in subparagraph (A);
a short description of each open recommendation;
the date on which each open recommendation was submitted in final form to the head of the establishment;
if available, any cost savings if the corrective action with respect to the open recommendation were completed; and
any other information as determined appropriate by the Inspector General that clarifies the progress of implementing the open recommendation or the expected timeframe for implementation.
; and
in subsection (f)—
paragraph (6)(B), by striking and
at the end;
in paragraph (7)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
the term open recommendation means a recommendation—
issued by an Inspector General of an establishment and made publicly available;
on which corrective action has not been completed by the establishment during the 1-year period following the date on which the recommendation was issued; and
that has not been otherwise closed by the Office.
; and
in section 11(c), by adding at the end the following:
Establishment of database
Not later than 18 months after the date on which the first semiannual report is required to be prepared under section 5(a) after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Council shall establish and operate a publicly available database that—
is accessible via the website of the Council in a standardized, searchable format; and
includes—
the information on open recommendations that is required to be included in each semiannual report under section 5(a)(3); and
any other information as determined necessary by the Council.
Submission of Reports
Beginning not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, each Inspector General of an establishment or a designated Federal entity (as defined in section 8G(a)) shall, not later than 30 days after the date on which the Inspector General issues a public report, submit to the Council the report for publication on a centralized website.
.
Application
The amendments made by subsection (a)(1) shall apply with respect to the first semiannual report prepared under section 5(a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) after the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
Amend the title so as to read: A bill to require the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to make open
recommendations of Inspectors General publicly available, and for other
purposes.
.
May 10, 2018
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title
