110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 631
To prohibit Federal agencies from obligating funds for earmarks
included only in congressional reports, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 23, 2007
Mr. FLAKE (for himself, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. TERRY, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr.
CAMPBELL of California, Mr. FORTUN.AE6O, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. PENCE,
Mr. SALI, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. WALBERG, and Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform
A BILL
To prohibit Federal agencies from obligating funds for earmarks
included only in congressional reports, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Earmark Transparency and Accountability Act
of 2007'.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OBLIGATION OF FUNDS FOR EARMARKS INCLUDED ONLY
IN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS.
(a) In General- No Federal agency may obligate any funds made available
in an appropriation Act or other Act to implement an earmark that is included
in a congressional report accompanying the appropriation Act or other Act,
unless the earmark is also included in such Act.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(1) The term `congressional report' means a report of a committee of the
House of Representatives or the Senate, or a joint explanatory statement
of a committee of conference.
(2) The term `earmark' means a provision in a bill or conference report,
or language in an accompanying committee report or joint statement of
managers with respect to a general appropriation bill, or conference report
thereon, providing or recommending an amount of budget authority for a
contract, loan, loan guarantee, grant, or other expenditure with or to
any entity, if--
(A) such entity is specifically identified in the report or bill; or
(B) if the discretionary budget authority is allocated outside of the
statutory or administrative formula-driven or competitive bidding process
and is targeted or directed to an identifiable entity, specific State,
or Congressional district.
(3) The term `entity' includes a private business, State, territory or
locality, or Federal entity.
END
