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Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018

Public Law 115-435 · H.R. 4174 · 115th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 14, 2019 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI-1)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Blake Farenthold,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 356 yea, 17 nay356–17
  • 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.

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Summary

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

This bill requires agency data to be accessible and requires agencies to plan to develop statistical evidence to support policymaking.

TITLE I--FEDERAL EVIDENCE-BUILDING ACTIVITIES

(Sec. 101) The bill requires agencies to submit annually to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress a systematic plan for identifying and addressing policy questions. The plan must include, among other things

• questions for developing evidence to support policymaking;

• data the agency intends to collect, use, or acquire to facilitate the use of evidence in policymaking;

• methods and analytical approaches that may be used to develop evidence to support policymaking; and

• challenges to developing evidence to support policymaking, including any statutory or other restrictions to accessing relevant data.

Each agency shall designate a senior employee as Evaluation Officer to coordinate evidence-building activities and an official with statistical expertise to advise on statistical policy, techniques, and procedures.

The OMB shall establish an Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building.

Agency strategic plans shall contain an assessment of the coverage, quality, methods, effectiveness, and independence of the agency's statistics, evaluation, research, and analysis efforts. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall submit to Congress a report that (1) summarizes agency findings and highlights trends in the assessment, and (2) recommends actions to further improve agency capacity to use evaluation techniques and data to support evaluation efforts.

The OMB shall issue guidance for program evaluation and identify best practices for evaluation. Agencies must implement such guidance.

The Office of Personnel Management shall, for program evaluation within an agency, identify key skills and competencies, establish or update an occupational series, and establish a new career path.

TITLE II--OPEN GOVERNMENT DATA ACT

Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act or the OPEN Government Data Act

(Sec. 202) This bill requires public government data assets to be published as machine-readable data. The General Services Administration must maintain an online federal data catalogue to provide a single point of entry for the public to access agency data.

Each agency shall develop and maintain a comprehensive data inventory and designate a Chief Data Officer.

The bill establishes in the OMB a Chief Data Officer Council for establishing government-wide best practices for the use, protection, dissemination, and generation of data and for promoting data sharing agreements among agencies.

The GAO shall report to Congress identifying (1) the value of information made available to the public as a result of this bill, (2) whether publishing information that has not yet been published would be valuable to the public, and (3) the completeness of each comprehensive data inventory developed.

The OMB shall biennially report on agency performance and compliance with this bill.

TITLE III--CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION AND STATISTICAL EFFICIENCY

Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018

(Sec. 302) The bill codifies and revises the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002.

Each statistical agency or unit shall (1) produce and disseminate relevant and timely statistical information; (2) conduct credible, accurate, and objective statistical activities; and (3) protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses.

(Sec. 303) An agency shall make data assets available to any statistical agency or unit for purposes of developing evidence. This shall not apply to any data asset that is subject to a statute that prohibits the sharing or intended use of such asset. Each statistical agency or unit shall expand access to data assets acquired or accessed to develop evidence while protecting such assets from inappropriate access and use.

The OMB shall (1) make public all standards and policies established under this bill; (2) ensure that statistical agencies and units have the ability to make information public on the federal data catalogue; and (3) establish a process through which agencies, the Congressional Budget Office, state, local, and tribal governments, researchers, and other individuals may apply to access the data assets accessed or acquired by a statistical agency or unit for purposes of developing evidence.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 356 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

356 yea17 nay59 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(174)

Republicans who voted yea(182)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1191 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.

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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.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.Con.Res. 149Procedurally-relatedRelated bill

    Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make certain corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 4174.

  • S. 2046Identical bill

    Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 26 actions.

  1. Jan 14, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-435.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jan 2, 2019FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 31, 2018FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 149, enrollment corrections on H.R. 4174 have been made.
  5. Dec 21, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. 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): 356 - 17 (Roll no. 484).House roll call 484
  7. 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.
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Walker moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4174.
  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): 356 - 17 (Roll no. 484).House roll call 484
  11. Dec 19, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  15. Nov 16, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  16. Nov 15, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  17. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  18. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4174.
  19. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  20. FloorFloor · Mr. Farenthold moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  21. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 303.
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 115-411.
  23. Nov 2, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  25. Oct 31, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  26. 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.

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Amendments

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

  • S.Amdt. 4171SenateSen. Ron JohnsonR-WI· offered Dec 19, 2018Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 19, 2018: Amendment SA 4171 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.

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Official record

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