Status of GAO's Responsibilities Under the Federal Reports Act

Gao ID: OSP-76-14 May 28, 1976

On November 16, 1973, Congress amended the Federal Reports Act of 1942 and assigned to GAO, with reduced authority, certain review responsibilities relating to the information-gathering activities of independent federal regulatory agencies. GAO has 45 days to make advance clearance reviews of the information-collection plans and forms which the regulatory agencies propose to use in order to ensure that information is obtained with a minimum burden on respondents and unnecessary duplication of information collection among federal agencies is eliminated.

GAO has had limited success in affecting the paperwork burden placed on the public by the independent federal regulatory agencies. Factors contributing to GAO's limited success are: (1) poor performance by the regulatory agencies in developing and executing their information-gathering activities; (2) ambiguities in GAO's forms clearance authority; and (3) inadequate attention in legislation to the paperwork burden imposed by the federal government. The regulatory agencies must assume more direct responsibility for reducing respondent burden and duplication.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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