Overview
Title
To require the Congressional Budget Office to make publicly available the fiscal and mathematical models, data, and other details of computations used in cost analysis and scoring.
ELI5 AI
The CBO Show Your Work Act wants the Congressional Budget Office, which helps decide how much money laws might cost, to show everyone how they do their math and what numbers they use, so it's easier for people to understand their decisions.
Summary AI
H.R. 724, known as the “CBO Show Your Work Act,” requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to publicly share the models, data, and details of calculations they use to estimate the financial impacts of legislation. This includes making available fiscal and policy models, updates, and other related data, ensuring transparency in how legislative costs are evaluated. The CBO must also provide descriptive statistics for any undisclosed data, along with statutes and contact information regarding such data. This measure is set to take effect six months after the Act is enacted.
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AnalysisAI
Summary of the Bill
The bill, H.R. 724, also known as the "CBO Show Your Work Act," seeks to increase transparency in the operations of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It mandates that the CBO make publicly accessible the fiscal and mathematical models, data, and other computational details it uses in cost analysis and scoring. This requirement extends to making this information available on the CBO's website and detailing any updates to these models. Additionally, if there is any data that cannot be disclosed, the bill lays out the necessary steps to provide descriptive statistics and contact information for inquiries. The amendments are slated to take effect six months following the enactment of the bill.
Summary of Significant Issues
One of the primary issues is the potential for increased administrative costs for the CBO. As the bill does not specify a budget for these new responsibilities, handling the additional workload of preparing and publishing detailed models and data may strain current resources.
The requirement to disclose all models and data could inadvertently expose sensitive methodologies used by the CBO. This disclosure might place the U.S. government at a strategic disadvantage by revealing proprietary or confidential information.
Furthermore, the technical language in the bill may not be easily interpreted by the general public, potentially negating the bill's intention to improve transparency. Confusion may also arise from the unclear guidelines regarding which data is classified as non-disclosable.
The provision allowing replication efforts by individuals outside the CBO raises concerns about the possible misuse of sophisticated models by those with inadequate qualifications, leading to misinterpretations or incorrect applications of the data.
Lastly, the practicality of publishing every model and data routine is questionable, considering the complexity involved. This could result in incomplete disclosures or operational challenges for the CBO.
Impact on the General Public
For the general public, the bill aims to provide greater clarity and insight into the processes used by the CBO in evaluating legislation. By having access to the models and data, individuals and analysts can better understand how legislative financial impacts are assessed, potentially fostering greater trust in governmental processes.
However, the technical nature of the information and potential complexity in accessing and interpreting such data could limit its utility to those without specialized knowledge in fiscal policy and economics.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Congressional Budget Office: The bill imposes additional responsibilities on the CBO, potentially requiring more staff and resources. Failure to adequately support the office could lead to operational inefficiencies.
Policy Analysts and Economists: These individuals might find the published data and models invaluable for research and policy-making. Nonetheless, there is also a risk of improper use by individuals who may misinterpret the information.
Legislators: Lawmakers could leverage this information to facilitate more robust debates and decision-making processes while drafting legislation, provided they have the requisite expertise or advisors to interpret the data effectively.
General Public: While the bill has the noble goal of transparency, the complex nature of the information means that only a subset of the public may effectively engage with the data. This limits its broader impact on public understanding unless accompanied by educational efforts or simplified summaries.
Issues
The publication of detailed fiscal models and data (Section 2) could lead to increased administrative costs for the Congressional Budget Office without a clearly designated budget for this additional work. This might strain already limited resources.
The requirement for public access to all models, data, and assumptions (Section 2) may expose sensitive or proprietary methodologies used by the Congressional Budget Office, which could lead to a strategic disadvantage for the U.S. government.
The complex and technical language used in Section 2 might not be easily understood by the general public, limiting the transparency and utility of the information made publicly available.
There is potential ambiguity in Section 2(b)(4) regarding what data is required not to be disclosed. The criteria or guidelines for determining such data are not clearly specified, leading to potential confusion and inconsistent application.
The mandate for 'replication by individuals not employed by the Congressional Budget Office' (Section 2) could raise concerns about intellectual property rights and the risk of misuse of sophisticated fiscal models by unqualified individuals.
The requirement to publish 'each fiscal model, policy model, and data preparation routine' (Section 2) may not be practically feasible given the complexity and volume of the models involved, risking incomplete disclosures or operational challenges.
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 bill states that it may be referred to as the "CBO Show Your Work Act."
2. Publication of Congressional Budget Office models Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section amends the Congressional Budget Act to require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make its fiscal and policy models, along with data preparation routines, publicly available online. It also lays out how the CBO should handle data that cannot be disclosed, including providing descriptive statistics and contact information for access inquiries, and specifies that these changes will take effect six months after the law is enacted.