WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Susan Collins (R-ME) has been signed into law. The CBO Data Access Act will provide the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with timely access to information they need to complete estimates on the budgetary impacts of legislation before it can be voted on in the Senate. CBO estimates are required to advance almost all legislation through Congress, but procedural issues can delay this office’s ability to obtain the information needed from federal agencies to complete these analyses. The delays in CBO’s receipt of agency information and data can also adversely impact their ability to provide the most accurate analyses.
“The Congressional Budget office ensures that lawmakers clearly understand the financial impacts of proposed reforms. Thanks to a bipartisan effort to move this critical legislation, we have removed roadblocks that will allow the Congressional Budget Office to more readily access data, issue reports and inform Congress,” said Senator Peters. “This law is an important step to help Congress make timely, informed decisions on legislation that will benefit all Americans.”
“The research conducted by the CBO is indispensable to the legislative process,” Senator Collins said. “Ensuring the CBO promptly receives all the information from federal agencies required for their analyses allows members of Congress to make informed decisions. This bipartisan bill will enhance the efficiency and accuracy of this process, benefiting all Americans.”
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Data Access Act will eliminate procedural delays in CBO’s ability to access information from federal agencies by providing CBO with the same exemption to the Privacy Act granted to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and both chambers of Congress. Similar to the GAO’s exemption, CBO will still be required to maintain agencies’ data at the same level of confidentiality that is required of the agency from which the data originated.
###