Skip to main content
S 237 112th Congress Senate Government Operations and Politics Administrative law and regulatory procedures Civil actions and liability Congressional agencies Congressional oversight Evidence and witnesses Fraud offenses and financial crimes Government Accountability Office (GAO) Government ethics and transparency, public corruption Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Trade secrets and economic espionage

Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2011

Introduced: January 31, 2011 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 24, 2012
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 363.
Apr 24, 2012
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with amendments. With written report No. 112-159.
Oct 19, 2011
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
Jan 31, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Jan 31, 2011
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2011- (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) obtain federal agency records required to discharge his or her duties, including by bringing civil actions under this Act, (2) make and retain copies of agency records, and (3) administer oaths when investigating fraud or federal employee misconduct.

(Sec. 4) States that no provision of the Social Security Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (including any information disclosed to the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for purposes of pre-merger review under the Clayton Act) shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede GAO's authority to obtain any information, inspect, or copy any record under this Act.

Requires GAO to prescribe policies and procedures to protect from public disclosure proprietary or trade secret information obtained pursuant to this Act.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) alter or amend the prohibitions against the disclosure of trade secrets or other sensitive information prohibited by federal and other applicable laws; or (2) affect prohibitions applicable to GAO against unauthorized disclosure of information.

(Sec. 5) Requires GAO to notify a congressional committee or Member of Congress if an agency has not provided within 30 days information requested by GAO relating to any request from such committee or Member.

(Sec. 6) Requires agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations to be submitted to the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity and to GAO.

What's happening now April 24, 2012

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 363.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1