Oversight and Reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act

GAO discussed the oversight and reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has made some progress toward implementing the act, especially in the area of reducing Federal paperwork burdens; however, it has fallen behind schedule in meeting statutory milestones for completing other task requirements. GAO believes that OMB needs to provide stronger leadership to Federal agencies to capitalize on the potential benefits of advanced ADP and telecommunications technology. OMB has done little to carry out its responsibilities for statistical policy development, coordination, and oversight. GAO stated that progress toward full implementation of the act has not been as complete or timely as it could have been. In large measure, this appears to result from decisions to assign to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) regulatory reform responsibilities outside the scope of the act, although the office was specifically established to lead the act's implementation. OIRA has assumed these responsibilities along with a sharply increased Paperwork Reduction workload. GAO does not wish to minimize the importance of regulatory reform, but the effect of these combined responsibilities dilutes OIRA resources needed to carry out its Paperwork Reduction responsibilities. GAO suggested three options for Congress to consider, which GAO believes complement its recommendations from a prior report to OMB. These include: (1) a requirement that OMB report to Congress on the resources needed and expended for its Paperwork Act activities; (2) provision for separate funding to OMB for implementing the act; or (3) specific statutory prohibition of OIRA undertaking activities not related to the act. GAO supports H.R. 2718, a bill to reauthorize the Paperwork Reduction Act and strengthen several provisions of it.