Transparency and Accountability in Government Act

Transparency and Accountability in Government Act - Amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to authorize the Director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), in response to a request made by a Member of Congress, to secure such information, data, estimates, and statistics directly from the various departments, agencies, and establishments of the executive branch and the regulatory agencies and commissions as the Director determines (with the approval of the Member making the request) to be necessary to carry out the request.

Requires all such departments, agencies, establishments, and regulatory agencies and commissions to furnish the Director with all such available material (other than material the disclosure of which would be a violation of law).

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2571 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2571

To provide the Director of the Congressional Research Service with the 
 authority to obtain information directly from agencies of the Federal 
                              Government.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2011

Mr. Schock (for himself and Mr. Quigley) introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide the Director of the Congressional Research Service with the 
 authority to obtain information directly from agencies of the Federal 
                              Government.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transparency and Accountability in 
Government Act''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS OF CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE TO GOVERNMENT 
              INFORMATION.

    (a) Direct Access to Information.--Section 203 of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 166) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(j) In carrying out the duties and functions of the Congressional 
Research Service in response to a request made by a Member of Congress, 
the Director is authorized to secure such information, data, estimates, 
and statistics directly from the various departments, agencies, and 
establishments of the executive branch of the Government and the 
regulatory agencies and commissions of the Government as the Director 
determines (with the approval of the Member making the request) to be 
necessary to carry out the request, and all such departments, agencies, 
establishments, and regulatory agencies and commissions shall furnish 
the Director with all such available material (other than material the 
disclosure of which would be a violation of law).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 203(d)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
166(d)(1)) is amended in the matter following subparagraph (C) by 
striking ``and in the performance of this duty'' and all that follows 
through ``comply with such request;''.
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