WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House passed 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) to provide the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with timely access to information they need to complete estimates on the budgetary impacts of legislation that has passed 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 senators’ bipartisan legislation would make the legislative process more efficient by reducing the time it takes for CBO to obtain data from federal agencies. The bill passed the Senate in June 2023 with unanimous consent before passing out of the House. It now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“The Congressional Budget Office provides critical information to lawmakers to help them best understand the financial impacts of proposed reforms. By cutting red tape to provide CBO with timely access to data, we can ensure Congress is making informed decision and advancing legislation that works for the American people,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan legislation will streamline how CBO accesses information, issues reports, and informs Congress on the budgetary impacts of proposed legislation.”
“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 would 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 would still be required to maintain agencies’ data at the same level of confidentiality that is required of the agency from which the data originated.
###