Federal agencies would generally have to send reports and other materials to Congress only by email or other electronic means, under a bill (S-3027) newly introduced and approved in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Sending of paper copies–often in large multiples–increases printing, delivery, security screening and other costs, said sponsor Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, the ranking Democrat on the panel. The measure would further require that information be sent in spreadsheets or other appropriate formats for structured data.
The committee also cleared another newly offered bill, S-3031, targeting the long-running issue of disposing of excess properties that burden agency budgets. Under the bill, agencies would have to assess their properties under new guidance to be set by the GSA on identifying the age and condition of a property and the extent to which it is used and needed. When a piece of property is declared excess, other federal agencies would have an opportunity to claim it; if unclaimed, there would be a period for state agencies to claim property, after which the property would be made available for sale or donation to the public.
Also passed were two bills targeting improper payments: S-2948, to require agencies to focus more attention on programs at the highest risk and to target the most common causes of improper payments, among other steps; and S-2374, to give agencies and IGs fuller access to SSA’s death records database.
