As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on November 20, 2014
H.R. 5685 would require the Department of State to submit a report to the Congress within 15 days of authorizing a reward under the department’s Rewards for Justice Program. That program uses appropriated funds to offer cash awards for information leading to the capture or conviction of certain terrorists and criminals, and for other related purposes. The report would provide details about the reward such as why it is being made, the amount, how it was publicized, and the identity of the recipient. CBO estimates that implementing that reporting requirement would cost less than $500,000 over the 2015-2019 period, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 5685 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
On August 8, 2014, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 5041, the Naftali Fraenkel Rewards for Justice Act of 2014, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on July 30, 2014. H.R. 5041 contains the same reporting requirements as H.R. 5685 and CBO’s estimates of the cost of implementing those provisions are the same.
