Bureaucratic Accountability Act of 1979

Bureaucratic Accountability Act of 1979 - Title I: Rulemaking Involving Public Property, Loans, Grants, Benefits, or Contracts - Requires formal public rulemaking procedures in the establishment of practices or procedures with respect to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts and military or foreign affairs not specifically authorized by executive order to be kept secret and in fact classified pursuant to such order.

Title II: Payment of Expenses Incurred Before Agencies - Requires each agency to pay reasonable attorney fees and other reasonable costs, including fees for witnesses, filing, and reproduction to any interested person who participates in agency rulemaking proceedings if the agency determines that such person is unable to bear the burden of such fees and such person made a substantial contribution toward agency implementation of the intent of any law pursuant to which such proceeding is conducted.

Title III: Sovereign Immunity - Waives the sovereign immunity of the United States in suits claiming that an officer, agency, or employee of the United States acted or failed to act in an official capacity or under color of law if such suit is for other than money damages.

Title IV: Enforcement of Standards for Grants - Authorizes each agency which makes and administers grants-in-aid to maintain a procedure for the receipt, consideration, and disposition of complaints from persons who are or may be adversely affected by the alleged failure to comply with the terms of such grant-in-aid with respect to the submission of any plan or the application, administration, or operation of a grant-in-aid program. Requires all grantees to establish a similar procedure and permits the agency which receives any such complaint to process it itself or to refer such complaint to the grantee for investigation and resolution.

Requires each such agency to consider all complaints which, if the facts alleged are true, constitute a failure to comply which would have an adverse effect upon a substantial number of persons on behalf of whom the complaint was submitted or if such failure to comply would substantially impair a purpose of the law pursuant to which the grant was administered. Establishes remedies available to such agency to be used against a noncomplying grantee including ordering compliance, seeking another qualified grantee, or obtaining reimbursement from such noncomplying grantee.

States that if the agency decides not to consider a complaint or if the agency or grantee which handles such complaint decides that the grantee is in compliance, the agency or grantee, as the case may be, shall notify the complainant within 60 days. States that where the grantee determines that it was not in compliance it shall comply and, where applicable, provide retroactive benefits or services covering the period of noncompliance.