InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Government Reports Elimination Act of 2014

Public Law 113-188 · H.R. 4194 · 113th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Nov 26, 2014 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA-49)

Cosponsors (2): Rep. Gerald Connolly,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 382 yea, 0 nay382–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Government Reports Elimination Act of 2014 - Provides for the elimination or modification of reporting and notification requirements of specified federal agencies and departments.

Title I: Department of Agriculture - Eliminates:

• peanut base acres data collection and publication under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008;

• the report on export credit guarantees to emerging markets;

• the evaluation of the rural development, business and industry guaranteed loan program financing of locally or regionally produced food products;

• quarterly reports on export assistance provided by the Commodity Credit Corporation and the Secretary of Agriculture;

• annual progress reports in achieving benchmarks established in the regional investment strategy of the Rural Collaborative Investment Program; and

• the annual report on the foreign market development cooperator program.

Title II: Department of Commerce - Eliminates: (1) the annual report on efforts and progress of colleges, universities, institutions, associations, and alliances to be designated as Sea Grant Colleges or Institutes; (2) the annual report on Enterprise Integration Standardization and Implementation activities under the Enterprise Integration Act of 2001; (3) the biennial report on efforts to ensure equal access to the Sea Grant Fellowship Program; (4) the annual reports on activities of the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) and on the Technology Innovation Program Advisory Board; and (5) the annual report on activities of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission and related entities.

Title III: Corporation for National and Community Service - Eliminates: (1) the reporting requirements of federal agencies and departments to the Corporation for National and Community Service, and (2) the impact study and report on service-learning activities.

Title IV: Department of Defense (DOD) - Eliminates: (1) the requirement for submission with the annual DOD budget of a display that covers all programs and activities of the Air Sovereignty Alert Mission of the Air Force, and (2) the annual report on the reliability of DOD financial statements.

Title V: Department of Education - Eliminates the report of the Secretary of Education justifying the award of school facility emergency and modernization grants.

Title VI Department of Energy (DOE) - Eliminates reports on: (1) the science and engineering education pilot program, (2) the development of strategic unconventional fuels, and (3) energy efficiency standards for industrial equipment.

Title VII: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to eliminate the comprehensive report on Great Lakes management.

Title VIII: Executive Office of the President - Eliminates the notification requirement and the report on waivers of sanctions by the President against North Korea.

Title IX: Government Accountability Office (GAO) - (Sec. 901) Eliminates reports on: (1) expenditures of local educational agencies under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and (2) the use of funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 by states and local governments.

Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to eliminate the mandatory audit of all funds provided by such Act.

Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to eliminate the audits and reports on the state small business credit initiative and the small business lending fund program.

Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to eliminate the audit and report on assistance to the Housing Assistance Council.

(Sec. 902) Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to make the Secretary of Health and Human Resources (HHS) (currently, the Secretary and the Comptroller General) responsible for surveying the public with respect to health and health care.

Requires the Comptroller General to publish on the GAO website (currently, deliver to Congress) lists of GAO reports.

Amends the Congressional Award Act to provide for a independent public accountant (currently, the Comptroller General) to conduct the annual audit of the financial records of the Congressional Award Board. Requires the Comptroller General to review, and report on, each annual audit.

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to terminate at the end of 2014 the review by the Comptroller General of the threshold amount for injury-related liabilities under Medicare.

Title X: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Eliminates: (1) reporting requirements under the Tariff Act of 1930 relating to the prohibition on importation of products made with dog or cat fur, (2) the biennial Port of Entry Infrastructure Assessment Study, (3) the biennial National Land Border Security Plan, (4) reporting requirements with respect to fees for customs services, and (5) the status report on the modernization of the National Distress and Response System.

Title XI: Department of the Interior - Eliminates reporting requirements of the program on oil and gas royalties in-kind.

Title XII: Department of Labor - Eliminates the continuing study by the Secretary of Labor on the impact of the Andean trade preference on U.S. labor.

Title XIII: Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) - Eliminates the report on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

Title XIV: Department of State - Eliminates the annual State Department report on nuclear proliferation in South Asia and efforts to achieve a regional agreement on nuclear non-proliferation.

Title XV: Department of Transportation (DOT) - (Sec. 1601) Eliminates: (1) the reporting requirements of the Air Traffic Services Committee, (2) the annual summaries of airport financial reports, (3) the annual report on pipeline safety information grants to communities, (4) the annual report on the pilot program for innovative financing of air traffic control equipment and the reports on justifications for air defense identification zones under the Vision 100 -- Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, and (5) the annual report on the application of new standards or technologies to reduce aircraft noise levels under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century.

(Sec. 1502) Eliminates the requirement for an annual evaluation and audit of the programs and expenditures of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), allowing such evaluation and audit to be conducted as determined necessary by the Comptroller General.

Title XVI: Department of the Treasury - Eliminates: (1) the annual report on the North American Development Bank, (2) the annual report on loans considered by the Boards of Executive Directors of international financial institutions engaged in activities to promote the cause of human rights, (3) the report on new International Monetary Fund (IMF) borrowing arrangements regarding rates and maturities, and (4) the requirement for notification to Congress of any significant modifications in the auction process for issuing Treasury obligations.

Title XVII: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Eliminates the annual report on procurement of health care items by VA medical facilities.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 382 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

382 yea0 nay49 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(173)

Republicans who voted yea(209)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1154 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 2109Related bill

    Government Reports Elimination Act of 2014

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 28 actions.

  1. Nov 26, 2014Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-188.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 17, 2014FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 12, 2014Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 382 - 0 (Roll no. 516).House roll call 516
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Issa moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the Senate amendment to H.R. 4194.
  10. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 382 - 0 (Roll no. 516).House roll call 516
  11. Sep 17, 2014FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. Sep 16, 2014FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  15. Jul 31, 2014CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 505.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Carper with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-232.
  17. Jun 25, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  18. Apr 29, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  19. Apr 28, 2014FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  20. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4194.
  21. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  22. FloorFloor · Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  23. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 309.
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 113-419.
  25. Mar 12, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  26. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  27. Mar 11, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  28. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

Report a correction

Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 3820SenateSen. Thomas CarperD-DE· offered Sep 16, 2014Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Sep 16, 2014: Amendment SA 3820 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.