Congressional Budget Office Releases Cost Estimate For H.R. 2485, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act

H.R. 2485 would require the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to establish and maintain a website for the public to obtain electronic copies of all Congressionally mandated reports. Under the bill, all federal agencies would be required to provide GPO with electronic copies of reports required by law each year.

Using information from GPO and federal agencies that produce thousands of Congressionally mandated reports, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost about $400,000 a year or $2 million over the 2021-2026 period. Those costs primarily consist of the salaries and expenses associated with four employees who would establish and maintain the website. In addition, there would be some costs for the agencies to collect and submit reports in the required format. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Enacting H.R. 2485 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.