Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB1011

Introduced
2/14/23  

Caption

Audit and Return It Act

Impact

If passed, the bill could significantly affect federal budgeting and funding allocations. By rescinding unobligated COVID funding and reallocating it to the general fund for deficit reduction, HB1011 targets reducing the national deficit, which has been amplified by pandemic-related expenditures. The act promotes enhanced government accountability, particularly in how coronavirus aid was appropriated and whether it was fully utilized. Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to eliminate waste and ensure that taxpayer dollars are effectively managed.

Summary

House Bill 1011, known as the "Audit and Return It Act," mandates the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to audit all unobligated coronavirus-related funding. The bill requires the OMB to report on these funds within 30 days of enactment, which includes a range of federal funding acts associated with COVID-19, such as the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan. The financial audit aims to account for any federal dollars that were not distributed and determine their status, ensuring transparency and accountability of the use of public funds during the pandemic.

Contention

However, there are concerns about the implications of this bill. Critics have raised issues about potential negative impacts on ongoing state and local pandemic recovery initiatives that rely on federal funds. They point out that rescinding unobligated amounts without addressing local needs could hamper recovery efforts. Additionally, there may be resistance from members who believe that the audit process could serve as a bureaucratic hurdle, delaying much-needed support to communities still facing challenges due to the pandemic.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB1

Lower Energy Costs Act This bill provides for the exploration, development, importation, and exportation of energy resources (e.g., oil, gas, and minerals). For example, it sets forth provisions to (1) expedite energy projects, (2) eliminate or reduce certain fees related to the development of federal energy resources, and (3) eliminate certain funds that provide incentives to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases. The bill expedites the development, importation, and exportation of energy resources, including by waiving environmental review requirements and other specified requirements under certain environmental laws, eliminating certain restrictions on the import and export of oil and natural gas, prohibiting the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing (a type of process used to extract underground energy resources), directing the Department of the Interior to conduct sales for the leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters as specified by the bill, and limiting the authority of the President and executive agencies to restrict or delay the development of energy on federal land. In addition, the bill reduces royalties for oil and gas development on federal land and eliminates charges on methane emissions. It also eliminates a variety of funds, such as funds for energy efficiency improvements in buildings as well as the greenhouse gas reduction fund.

US HB348

Transparency in COVID-19 Expenditures Act This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit certain funding that was provided to address COVID-19. Specifically, the GAO must audit and report on the use of funding provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act); the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act; Divisions M and N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

US HB2606

To require auditor independence standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to past audits of a company occurring before it was a public company to treat an auditor as independent if the auditor meets established professional standards, and for other purposes.

US HB2961

Audit the Pentagon Act of 2023

US HB474

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for income tax returns for all taxable years has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies that the backlog has been eliminated.

US HB1518

Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act of 2023

US HB3746

Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2023

US HB466

Securing America's Elections Act of 2023 This bill requires voting systems for federal elections to produce paper ballots that the voter may inspect and verify before the vote is cast and counted. The bill also (1) requires the paper ballot to be suitable for manual audits, (2) prescribes approved methods for such audits, and (3) directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Election Assistance Commission to report on the desirability of using open-source software in voting systems.

US HB1614

Range Access Act

US HB913

RISEE Act of 2023 Reinvesting In Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act of 2023

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.