S. 3600: Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-09-20 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: 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 2012-09-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: 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

Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2012

Plain summary

Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to revise the contents of the existing single updated searchable public website. Requires the website to include for all federal funding for each federal agency, component of an agency, appropriations account, program activity, object class, and other accounts or data as appropriate the amount: budget authority available and the amount obligated, outlays, any federal funds reprogrammed or transferred, and expired and unexpired unobligated balances. Authorizes the website to use as data sources the Payment Automation Manager and Federal Information Repository, other Department of the Treasury data or databases, and other data from federal agencies collected and identified by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires the website to: (1) be updated at least once each quarter with information relating to federal funds, (2) enable the separate search requirement for such funds, and (3) have the ability to aggregate data for the categories described in the Act without double-counting data. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: collect and make available to OMB financial and payment data from federal agencies to assist OMB in carrying out this Act; establish specified government-wide financial data standards for federal funds; issue guidance on the data standards to federal agencies within one year after enactment of this Act; and use such collected data and other available data (including from state and local governments) to detect, prevent, and recover improper payments through pre-award, post-award pre-payment, and post-payment analysis. Requires upon the Secretary's request: the Commissioner of Social Security to make available the Social Security earnings information of a living or deceased employee, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to make available information relating to federal prisoners, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make available information in the HUD Credit Alert Verification System. Requires the Secretary to: (1) use such information only to assist in federal debt collection and in the prevention, identification, or recovery of improper payments; and (2) ensure that it is adequately protected and collected in a manner consistent with privacy protections. Requires the Director of OMB to review reporting requirements for federal award recipients in order to instruct federal agency heads on how to reduce and simplify them. Establishes an interagency Federal Accountability Spending and Transparency Board to supersede the Government Accountability and Transparency Board, which is hereby terminated. Declares that nothing in this Act shall require the disclosure to the public or to any person without an identifiable need to know: classified information; personally identifiable information; information that would compromise national security; information that would endanger the personal safety of all entities, employees, or clients; or information protected under the Privacy Act, or confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. Amends the Social Security Act to revise the purposes for information in the National Directory of New Hires to include assisting the Secretary in the prevention, identification, and recovery of improper payments to persons under review to determine their eligibility to receive them or to participate in a federal, state, or local government program. Requires the Director of OMB to make required financial management status reports and governmentwide five-year financial management plans available on the OMB single website.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] reported raising $20.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
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 (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s3600.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>

Record fed-us-cong112-s3600 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112