HR-8107-119
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sponsored by Ro Khanna (D-CA)
What it does
This bill would require the Comptroller General (head of the Government Accountability Office) to periodically assess and report to Congress on program areas and administrative practices that pose the greatest risk to waste, fraud, abuse, and improper payments in federal funds administered by state and local governments. The first assessment would be due within 2 years of enactment, drawing primarily on existing audits and oversight materials, with the GAO determining the report's format and methodology.
Who benefits
Federal taxpayers and oversight-focused members of Congress who would gain better information on where federal grant funds are most vulnerable to misuse; federal agencies that administer grant programs, which could use the recommendations to improve oversight tools; state and local governments could benefit from improved federal technical assistance identified in the reports.
Who is hurt
State and local government agencies that administer federal programs may bear added administrative burden responding to GAO inquiries or implementing recommended changes; no group faces direct financial loss, though agencies flagged for weak practices could face reputational or political pressure and potential future funding conditions.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that federal improper payments have totaled over $200 billion annually in recent years across programs like Medicaid and unemployment insurance, much of it flowing through state-administered systems, and that a systematic GAO risk assessment would help Congress and agencies target oversight resources more effectively. They contend the bill imposes no new mandates on states, relying instead on existing audit data, making it a low-cost way to improve accountability for public funds.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that GAO and federal inspectors general already produce extensive reporting on improper payments and program risk under existing law, such as the Payment Integrity Information Act, making this an additional reporting requirement of uncertain marginal value. They contend that without new funding or authority attached, the assessments risk becoming another periodic report that sits without follow-through, while still consuming GAO staff time and resources that could go to other oversight priorities.
Constitutional context
Congress's authority to require this reporting stems from its power under Article I to appropriate and oversee spending of federal funds, including its ability to direct legislative-branch agencies like GAO to conduct oversight; this bill raises no significant constitutional question beyond that oversight authority.
Checks and balances
Congress directs a legislative-branch agency (GAO) to produce oversight reports on executive-branch grant administration, strengthening congressional oversight capacity without shifting formal authority between branches.
Historical precedent
The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 and earlier Improper Payments Information Act similarly required federal agencies to report on improper payment risks, though this bill specifically directs GAO rather than individual agencies to produce a consolidated risk assessment.