Overview
Title
An Act To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch agencies, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill wants to make it easier for a helpful office in Congress to get important information from other parts of the government to do their job better. It also says they should keep any secrets they learn while doing this.
Summary AI
H. R. 7032, also known as the "Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act," aims to improve the data-sharing process between executive branch agencies and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill allows the CBO director to request information from these agencies while maintaining required confidentiality. It ensures that new laws do not override this authority unless explicitly stated. Additionally, the CBO must report any challenges in accessing requested information within a year of the bill's enactment.
Published
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AnalysisAI
Overview of the Legislative Proposal
The bill under consideration, titled the "Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act," aims to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Its primary purpose is to enhance the capacity of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to gather data from executive branch agencies more efficiently. By modifying the 1974 law, the bill seeks to facilitate improved transparency and quicker data sharing between the CBO and other governmental bodies, which can be crucial for the CBO's role in providing budgetary and economic information to Congress.
Key Issues Identified
Several significant issues arise from the current draft of the bill:
Legal Conflicts with Future Legislation: There is a provision stating that no law passed after this Act could alter the CBO's authority unless explicitly stated. This could lead to conflicts and challenges in legislative processes, as future laws might inadvertently conflict with this provision.
Ambiguity in Agreements: The bill allows the CBO Director to gather data "with or without written agreement." This phrasing introduces potential vagueness, as it remains unclear when and how formal agreements should be documented, which might lead to inconsistent practices across different agencies.
Administrative Burden: The bill mandates that within a year, the CBO Director report on all data requests and any challenges encountered. This requirement could impose a significant administrative workload on the CBO, but the bill does not provide details on the resources needed to meet this obligation.
Confidentiality Concerns: The bill includes language about maintaining legal levels of confidentiality, yet lacks specific guidelines. Without clear instructions, there may be varied interpretations of how to handle sensitive information, potentially risking breaches of confidentiality.
Complex Language: The legislative text is laden with technical and legal jargon that may not be easily understood by the general public, thus complicating citizens’ ability to comprehend the bill's intentions and impacts.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
The bill's potential implications are wide-ranging. For the general public, the primary benefit could be more effective oversight and accountability in how governmental entities manage and report financial information. By facilitating smoother data sharing, the CBO could provide more timely analyses to inform policy decisions that affect the country's budget and economy.
For government agencies, however, the bill might introduce operational complexities. Agencies would need to navigate the new data-sharing requirements, which could mean adjusting existing protocols and possibly increasing transparency. This could be seen positively as fostering accountability or negatively as adding bureaucratic hurdles, depending on the agency's perspective and resource capacities.
Stakeholders such as policymakers and researchers could benefit from improved access to data, allowing for more informed decision-making. However, the bill's complexity and potential issues with ambiguity and confidentiality might create initial disruptions as processes are refined and as agencies adapt to the new requirements.
In conclusion, while the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act seeks to streamline data access and enhance the CBO's efficiency, careful consideration of its impacts and a clear framework for implementation will be crucial to ensure that its objectives are met without imposing undue burdens on stakeholders or risking confidentiality breaches. Simplifying the language and clarifying procedural details could enhance both understanding and application of the proposed changes.
Issues
The provision in Section 2(a)(3) stating that no law enacted after the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act can supersede or modify the Director's authority unless explicitly stated could create legal conflicts with future legislation. This could hinder legislative processes and pose challenges in ensuring laws are aligned with contemporary needs and priorities.
The amendment in Section 2(a) allows the Director to obtain information 'with or without written agreement.' This could lead to ambiguity and lack of clarity in how the agreements are documented and enforced, potentially resulting in inconsistent application and confusion among the agencies involved.
The requirement in Section 2(b) for the Director to submit a detailed report on information requests within one year may impose a significant administrative burden on the Congressional Budget Office. The act does not define the scope or potential costs involved, which could lead to resource allocation challenges.
The language in Section 2(a) regarding confidentiality—'provided that the Director maintains the level of confidentiality required by law'—could be seen as too vague without specific guidelines on maintaining confidentiality. This lack of specificity may result in inconsistent interpretations and handling of sensitive information.
The overall complexity and legal jargon in the bill could make it difficult for those not specialized in legislative or legal terminology to understand the bill's implications and effects. Simplifying the language could improve public accessibility and transparency.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the act introduces its short title, which is the “Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act.”
2. Requests by CBO of information from executive agencies Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines changes to a law that allow the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to request information from government agencies while maintaining confidentiality. It also requires the CBO Director to report on these requests and any issues faced when trying to access information within one year of the Act's passage.