H.R. 6388: Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-06-26 · Congress · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-06-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008

Plain summary

Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Comptroller General to: (1) obtain federal agency records required to discharge his or her duties, including through bringing civil actions under this Act; (2) interview agency officers and employees to get information about agency duties, powers, activities, organization, and financial transactions; and (3) administer oaths to witnesses (currently, the Comptroller General may administer oaths to witnesses when auditing and settling accounts). Requires the Comptroller General to prescribe such policies and procedures as are necessary to protect from public disclosure proprietary or trade secret information obtained under this Act. Declares that no provision of the Social Security Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the authority of the Comptroller General to obtain information, inspect records, or interview specified agency officers or employees, including with respect to: (1) information disclosed to or obtained by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Social Security Act; (2) information concerning any method or process protected as a trade secret; and (3) information disclosed to the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for purposes of pre-merger review under the Clayton Act. Declares that this Act shall not be construed to: (1) alter or amend the prohibitions against the disclosure of trade secret or other sensitive information; and (2) affect the applicability of requirements governing the availability of agency information to information obtained. Requires the Comptroller General to: (1) report annually on the cooperation of agencies subject to the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and other agencies designated by the Comptroller General in making personnel available for interviews, providing written answers to questions, submitting to an oath authorized by the Comptroller General, granting access to records, providing timely comments to draft reports, adopting report recommendations, and responding to such matters as the Comptroller General deems appropriate; and (2) report to Congress when agencies do not respond to requests regarding such matters.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), 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

Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 6388, Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008 (2008-07-17); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 6388, Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008 (2008-07-17)

Cosponsors on this site

Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY)

Agencies named in this bill

Government Accountability Office: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

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)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
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.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hr6388.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hr>

Record fed-us-cong110-hr6388 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110