H.R. 850: Agency Accountability Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-03 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-03 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. 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

Agency Accountability Act of 2017

Plain summary

Agency Accountability Act of 2017 This bill requires any agency that receives a fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement to deposit the amount in the general fund of the Treasury. The funds may not be used unless the funding is provided in advance in an appropriations bill. Any amounts deposited during the fiscal year in which this bill is enacted may not be obligated during the fiscal year and must be used for deficit reduction. The bill includes an exception for funds to be paid to an individual entitled to receive the funds as a whistle-blower, including funds received as a percentage of amounts received by the government pursuant to a judgment or settlement agreement. The bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require offsetting receipts and collections to be treated as revenue. (Offsetting receipts and collections are funds collected by agencies from other government accounts or from the public in businesslike or market-oriented transactions. Under current law, the collections are treated as negative budget authority and outlays rather than revenue and may be used to offset spending for budget enforcement purposes.) The requirements of the bill do not apply to the U.S. Postal Service or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO must submit annually to Congress a report describing any fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement collected by the USPTO during the previous year.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Agency Accountability Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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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. Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6] · 158 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Neal P. Dunn (R-FL), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Scott Perry (R-PA), David Rouzer (R-NC), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Jason Smith (R-MO), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Austin Scott (R-GA), Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX), Ted Budd (R-NC), Jim Banks (R-IN), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Trent Kelly (R-MS) and 98 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6] reported raising $1.2 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 (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
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.
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.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr850.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr850 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115