S. 3027 would require that all information federal agencies provide to the Congress be submitted in an electronic format. In addition, the bill would direct each agency to make all information provided to the Congress available online in a free searchable database.
Using information from agencies that produce the thousands of Congressionally mandated reports, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost about $2 million over the 2019-2023 period. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would require about 15 percent of the time of one federal employee and cost about $15,000 for each of the 26 major agencies to provide all reports and data electronically, as well as to create and update an online searchable database of that information at every agency. That spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
S. 3027 would affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that any net increase in spending by those agencies would be negligible. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 3027 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
S. 3027 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
On April 24, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 4631, Access to Congressional Mandated Reports, as ordered reported by the Committee on House Administration on April 12, 2018. On March 1, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 4631 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 6, 2018. H.R. 4631 contains requirements similar to those in S. 3027 and the CBO cost estimates for the bills are similar.
