Transparency in Government Act 2008

Summary:

Additional Information:

• Sec. 501. Creation of a public database for performance of contractors and suspension and debarment actions.
• Sec. 502. Increased disclosure of lobbying contacts by Federal contractors

1. Sec. 501. Creation of a public database for performance of contractors and suspension and debarment actions. (2 Comments)

   1. In General- The Administrator of General Services shall establish and maintain a searchable, sortable, downloadable public database of information regarding integrity and performance of Federal contracts and assistance recipients for use by Federal contracting officers, Federal officials having authority to suspend or debar persons from Federal contracts or assistance, and Federal officials having authority over grant assistance.

   2. Information Included- The database--

      1. shall consist of information regarding civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings initiated or concluded by the Federal Government and State governments against Federal contractors or assistance recipients; and

      2. shall include with respect to each person awarded a Federal contract or assistance--

         1. information regarding all proceedings referred to in paragraph (1) against that person in at least the most recent five-year period;

         2. with respect to each proceeding--

            1. a brief description of the proceeding; and

            2. any amount paid by the person to the Federal Government or a State government;

         3. all Federal contracts and assistance awarded to the person that were terminated in such period due to default;

         4. all Federal suspensions and debarments of the person in that period;

         5. all Federal suspension and debarment show cause orders received by the person in that period; and

         6. all administrative agreements signed with such person in that period.

   3. Input of Data- The Administrator shall design and maintain the database in a manner that allows the appropriate officials of each Federal agency to directly input and update in the database information relating to actions it has taken with regard to contractors or assistance recipients.

   4. Availability- The Administrator shall make the database available to all Federal agencies and to the public by posting the database on the General Services Administration Web site.

   Recent comments on Sec. 501

   (View all 2 comments | Add a comment)

   1. Laura Morris (none):

      The term "lobbying contact" needs to be clearly defined. There is little understanding of what constitutes "lobbying," and as a former Senate staffer, I found Executive Branch employees overly concerned about any contact with Congressional staff. There is no better way of learning whether laws are being carried out as intended than talking with those who are directly administering them. ...

      April 7, 2008

   2. matt burton, independent federal contractor:

      The text requires the GSA to furnish contract performance reports it to the public. Are federal agencies already required to produce such reports? If so, I recommend adding a clause that requires agencies to make GSA database input part of their standard procedure. They will not do it voluntarily.

      April 1, 2008

   Add a Comment on Section 501

2. Sec. 502. Increased disclosure of lobbying contacts by Federal contractors

   1. In General- 31 USC 1352 is amended as follows:

      1. Any declaration to be filed under this Section shall be filed, in electronic form accessible by computers, with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House and made publicly available within 48 hours of filing;

      2. The Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House shall make the information available to the public at no charge in a searchable, sortable, downloadable database;

   2. 31 USC 1352(d)(2)(A) shall be deleted.

   3. 31 USC 1352(b)(2) is amended to provide that declarations required to be filed shall include the name of all persons who have made lobbying contacts, including regularly employed officers or employees of a person requesting or receiving a Federal contract, grant, loan or cooperative agreement.

   4. 31 USC 1352 is further amended by inserting the following:

      ` for each specific request for a Federal contract, grant, loan or cooperative agreement, a list identifying each covered executive branch official and each Member of Congress with whom a lobbyist (including staff of the requesting organization) employed by the registrant engaged in a lobbying contact with respect to that request'.

   Add a Comment on Section 502