No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a new section 307 of title 5, United States Code, requiring the head of each agency, not later than two years after the date of enactment, to create and maintain a public online database containing a categorized, searchable list of information and copies (subject to exemptions for confidentiality provisions, court orders, or FOIA withholdings under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)) on "covered settlement agreements." "Covered settlement agreements" include agency agreements (including consent decrees) resolving alleged violations of federal civil or criminal law that (1) obligate at least $10 million in payments, (2) involve appointment of a special master or monitor, (3) involve a state, local government, county, or other non-federal government unit, or (4) are designated by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) using additional criteria; exclusions apply to settlements related to the United States Trustee Program, federal employee personnel actions, non-prosecution agreements or plea bargains, the Internal Revenue Code, or matters under 18 U.S.C. chapter 46. Database entries must include, for each agreement, (1) whether it resolves civil, criminal, or both claims; (2) execution date; (3) alleged statutory violations; (4) attorney fees and expenses; (5) explicitly obligated payments by settling parties; (6) specified civil or criminal penalties or fines; (7) payments to or by the federal government; (8) projected duration, if available; and (9) involved non-federal government units. Not later than one year after enactment, the OMB Director, in coordination with the Attorney General, must issue guidance (and periodic updates) specifying annual or more frequent publication deadlines, common data standards (searchable, machine-readable, platform-independent format), additional designation criteria based on significant compliance costs, and uniform database URLs (e.g., agencyname.gov).