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H.R. 3826: Program Assessment and Results Act

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H.R. 3826: Program Assessment and Results Act

108th Congress · introduced 2004-02-25 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 474.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2004-02-25 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Platts, Todd Russell [R-PA-19] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 474. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Program Assessment and Results Act

Plain summary

(NOTE: This summary reflects language of the bill text as set forth in House Report 108-768, which differs from the language of the official bill text.) Program Assessment and Results Act - (Sec. 3) States as the purposes of this Act: (1) improving the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 by implementing a process to determine the strengths and weaknesses of Federal programs, with a particular focus on results produced by individual programs; (2) using information to help the executive branch make informed management decisions and evidence-based funding requests; (3) providing Congress with the information necessary to conduct more effective oversight and make better-informed authorization and spending decisions. (Sec. 4) Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the maximum extent practicable to conduct, jointly with agencies of the Federal Government, an assessment of each Federal program at least once every five fiscal years (program assessments). Requires the Director to: (1) coordinate with Federal agency heads to determine the programs to be assessed and to evaluate the purpose, design, strategic plan, management, and results of such programs; (2) develop criteria for identifying programs to be assessed each fiscal year; (3) assess certain higher priority programs more frequently than once every five years; (4) publish in electronic format and provide to Congress a list of programs to be assessed during a fiscal year and the criteria to be used to assess the programs, and allow interested person to comment on such programs; and (5) provide guidance to Federal agency heads for implementing the requirements of this Act. Requires the Director to report to Congress the results of program assessments conducted during a fiscal year at the same time the President submits the next budget after the end of such fiscal year. Provides for the submission of program assessments containing classified information. Requires that program assessment activities be performed only by Federal employees as inherently Governmental functions. Terminates program assessments after September 30, 2013. (Sec. 5) Changes: (1) the date by which the heads of each Federal agency are required to submit strategic plans for program activities to September 30 of each year following a presidential election, beginning with September 30, 2005; and (2) the period of coverage for strategic plans from five to four years.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Program Assessment and Results Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s))

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Platts, Todd Russell [R-PA-19] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3826, Program Assessment and Results Act (2004-06-14); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3826, Program Assessment and Results Act (2004-06-14)

Cosponsors on this site

Pete Sessions (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year
The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr3826 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108