Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act of 2008

To improve Federal agency awards and oversight of contracts and assistance and to strengthen accountability of the Government-wide suspension and debarment system.

4/23/2008--Passed House amended. Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act of 2008 -
(Sec. 2) Requires the Administrator of General Services, subject to the authority of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to establish and maintain on a General Services Administration (GSA) website a database of information regarding the integrity and performance of persons awarded federal contracts and grants for use by federal officials. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Administrator to make the database available to all federal agencies. Requires the database to include information, for the last five years, regarding:
(1) any civil or criminal proceeding, or and administrative proceeding resulting in a finding of fault and payment of restitution to a government of $5,000 or more, concluded by the federal government and state governments against such persons; and
(2) federal contacts and grants terminated due to defaults by such persons;
(3) federal suspensions and debarments of such persons;
(4) federal and state administrative agreements to resolve suspension or debarment proceedings; and
(5) final findings by a federal official that such a person has been determined not to be a responsible source under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act. Requires federal regulations to be amended to require applicants for federal grants or contracts exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold to disclose such information in writing. Requires the Administrator to develop policies to require:
(1) notification of any covered person when information relevant to the person is entered into the database; and
(2) an opportunity for any covered person to append comments to information about such person in the database.

(Sec. 3) Requires an official to:
(1) review such database prior to awarding a contract or grant; and
(2) document why a prospective contract or grant awardee against whom a judgment or conviction for the same offense, or similar offences, has been rendered more than once within any three-year period, if each judgment or conviction is a cause for debarment, is considered presently responsible.
(Sec. 5) Requires the Interagency Committee on Debarment and Suspension to:
(1) resolve issues regarding determination of the lead agency responsible for initiating suspension or debarment proceedings;
(2) coordinate actions among interested agencies;
(3) encourage and assist federal agencies in entering into cooperative efforts to pool resources and achieve operational efficiencies in the government-wide suspension and debarment system;
(4) recommend to OMB changes to such system and its rules;
(5) authorize OMB to issue guidelines that implement such recommendations;
(6) authorize the Committee's chair to establish subcommittees; and
(7) report to Congress annually on progress and efforts to improve such system, member agencies' active participation in the committee's work, and a summary of each agency's activities and accomplishments in such system.
(Sec. 6) Allows federal agencies, commissions, or organizations not currently participating in the federal suspension and debarment system to participate and to recognize suspensions or debarments issued by participating agencies.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Administrator to submit a report to Congress that includes:
(1) a list of all databases that include information about federal contracting and grants; and
(2) recommendations for legislation or administrative action to create a centralized, comprehensive federal contracting and grant database.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
• and 7 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16]
  • Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D, NY-4]
  • Rep. R. Bradley Miller [D, NC-13]
  • Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
  • Rep. Anthony Weiner [D, NY-9]
  • Rep. Albert Wynn [D, MD-4]
  close

Committees

• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• 2 more
  • House Oversight and Government Reform
  • House Oversight and Government Reform
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.3033

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
July 12, 2007		April 23, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Apr 24, 2008: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Apr 23, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Apr 23, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3033.
• Apr 23, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Apr 23, 2008: Mr. Towns moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Added to calendar on Apr 18, 2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 369..
• Apr 18, 2008: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government. H. Rept. 110-596.
• Added to calendar on Mar 13, 2008: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote..
• Mar 13, 2008: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Mar 11, 2008: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
• Mar 11, 2008: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Jul 17, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.
• Jul 13, 2007: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1519-1520)
• Jul 12, 2007: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• Introduced on Jul 12, 2007.

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Related Bills:

• S.2904

Related Issue Areas:

• Web sites
• Liability (Law)
• Internet
• Grants-in-aid
• 25 more
• General Services Administration
• Finance
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Congress
• Public contracts
• Administrative procedure
• Budgets
• Court records
• Data banks
• Electronic government information
• Evidence (Law)
• Executive departments
• Federally-guaranteed loans
• Fines (Penalties)
• Fraud
• Government contractors
• Government information
• Government lending
• Government paperwork
• Government procurement
• Government publicity
• Law
• Subsidies
• Technology
• Telecommunication

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In the News

March 21, 2008 House GOP eager to strip debarment provision from contracting bill

... said the Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act (HR 3033) would place many of the country's largest and most influential contractors at ...

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Source: GovExec.com, DC

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July 19, 2007 Wackenhut Services Inc. Comes Under Congressional Scrutiny

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), a member of the subcommittee, reintroduced the "Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act " (HR 3033) ...

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Source: PR Newswire (press release), NY

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July 19, 2007 Privatizing the War on Terror: Endangering the Homefront

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), a member of the Congressional Subcommittee, just introduced HR 3033, new legislation that calls for careful oversight ...

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Source: PR Newswire (press release)

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Blog Coverage

June 01, 2008 Support POGO's Contractor Responsibility Database

May 19, 2009 Contact: Scott Amey, 202-347-1122. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Washington, DC. - Today, thirty-three organizations are urging both the House and Senate to support an important provision ...

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May 14, 2008 House Passes Legislation to Curb Contractor Fraud

On April 23, 2008, the House passed Congresswoman Maloney’s bill, HR 3033 (“Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act”) with a voice vote, to put a stop to contractors defrauding the government. This legislature requires the ...

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Source: Whistleblower Law Blog

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April 24, 2008 In the House: Contractor Acountability Day

In the House: Contractor Acountability Day April 24, 2008 - by Donny Shaw In a whirlwind of good-government legislating, ... Spending Accountability Act of 2007 (H.R.3033): H.R.3033

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