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Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act of 2021

Public Law 117-40 · S. 272 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Sep 24, 2021 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)

Cosponsors (4): Sen. Rob Portman,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 423 yea, 1 nay423–1
  • 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.

Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act of 2021

This act requires federal agencies to post budget justification materials on certain public websites, including a single searchable website (e.g., USAspending.gov) and each agency's website.

The materials most be posted in an open format that enables users to download individual reports, all reports in bulk, and the results of a search. In addition, the materials must be posted no later than two weeks after they are first submitted to Congress.

The act also requires the Office of Management and Budget to maintain a public website that includes details regarding the materials, including a list of the agencies that submit budget justification materials to Congress, the dates that the materials were submitted to Congress and posted online, and links to the materials.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 423 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

423 yea1 nay7 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(216)

Republicans who voted yea(207)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 255 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.R. 22Related bill

    Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act of 2021

  • H.R. 2055Related bill

    Transparency in Government Act of 2021

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. 19 actions.

  1. Sep 24, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-40.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 21, 2021FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 23, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 1 (Roll no. 256).House roll call 256
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. Jul 26, 2021FloorFloor · 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. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 272.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Ms. Norton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Jun 28, 2021FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Jun 24, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. May 27, 2021CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 66.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 117-23.
  17. Mar 17, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  18. Feb 8, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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

No amendments to this bill are on record.

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.