To amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors.

Bill Number

H.R. 4465

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-09-10: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

Last Updated

2026-02-03T19:50:17Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

This bill (H.R. 4465) updates chapters 4, 10, and 131 of Title 5 of the U.S. Code, which cover Inspectors General (independent watchdogs in federal agencies), Federal Advisory Committees (groups advising the government), and Ethics in Government (financial disclosure rules for officials). The goal is to incorporate laws passed after October 19, 2021, that affect these chapters—following their reorganization by the 2022 recodification act (Public Law 117-286)—and fix minor technical errors like typos or outdated references. It explicitly states that these changes do not alter the meaning or effect of current law; they only reflect and clarify what already exists.

Key Provisions

• Table of Contents and General Effect (Sections 1–2): Outlines the bill's structure and confirms it maintains existing legal intent.
• Amendments to Chapter 4 (Inspectors General, Section 3(a)):
• Adds definitions (e.g., "appropriate congressional committees" includes key oversight panels like Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs).
• Updates rules for removing, transferring, or placing Inspectors General (IGs) on non-duty status: Requires the President (or agency head) to give Congress 30 days' written notice with detailed reasons; for non-duty status, 15 days' notice unless there's an immediate threat (e.g., safety risk), with specifics on inquiries.
• Covers acting IG appointments during vacancies: Prioritizes a designated "first assistant" (e.g., Principal Deputy IG); allows presidential overrides with qualifications (e.g., GS-15 level, expertise in auditing/law) and 30 days' congressional notice.
• Revises semiannual IG reports (due April 30 and October 31): Includes data on problems/abuses, investigations, questioned costs (expenses flagged as improper), funds for better use (savings suggestions), peer reviews, whistleblower retaliation, agency interference (e.g., budget limits), and senior official misconduct. Agency heads must respond with action plans.
• Enhances independence: IGs report serious issues immediately; new rules for notifying Congress on withheld information or assistance.
• Adds public access rules: Reports available online or by request; protections for whistleblower privacy; chance for businesses/non-profits named in reports to respond within 30 days.
• Amendments to Chapter 10 (Federal Advisory Committees, Section 3(b)): Minor fix to punctuation in reporting requirements.
• Amendments to Chapter 131 (Ethics in Government, Section 3(c)):
• Expands financial disclosure filings to include all judicial officers, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges.
• Requires a public online database (searchable, downloadable) for judges' reports, available 90 days after filing, with redactions for sensitive info (e.g., home addresses).
• Subsequent Amendments (Section 4): Integrates recent laws:
• Law Enforcement and Victim Support Act (2024): Adds IG reporting on false claims cases.
• Federal Prison Oversight Act (2024): Creates an IG inspections regime for Bureau of Prisons facilities (announced/unannounced, based on risk scores for issues like conditions, staffing, abuse); establishes an Ombudsman for complaints from inmates/staff (confidential, with referrals); ensures access to facilities/records.
• Intelligence Authorization Act (FY 2025): Expands whistleblower protections to former employees/contractors in intelligence community.
• Conforming Amendments (Section 5): Updates references across 20+ U.S. Code titles (e.g., Titles 2, 5–7, 10, 15, etc.) to point to the new Title 5 locations instead of old appendix citations. Also fixes minor errors in prior recodification.
• Transitional and Savings Provisions (Section 6): Treats updates as if enacted on their original dates; no impact on prior laws.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• No Substantive Shifts: All changes are technical or incorporative; they codify post-2021 tweaks (e.g., from defense authorizations, COVID relief acts) into Title 5 without new policies.
• Enhanced Procedures: Introduces stricter notifications for IG personnel actions (e.g., 15–30 day congressional alerts with case-specific reasons), acting IG rules (limits to one role at a time), and prison oversight (risk-based inspections, ombudsman hotline/database).
• Reporting Expansions: Semiannual IG reports now mandate more details (e.g., whistleblower retaliation consequences, interference examples, closed investigations of seniors); prison reports include staffing ratios, abuse incidents.
• Ethics Updates: First-time public database for all federal judges' finances; removes Postal Regulatory Commission from certain IG lists (now handled separately).
• Repeals and Effective Dates: Nullifies duplicate prior amendments; some take effect as if enacted earlier (e.g., July/December 2024).

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: IGs gain clearer tools for independence, but face more reporting burdens; agencies (e.g., DOJ for prisons) must provide faster record access (10–30 days) and respond to inspections/plans. Could increase administrative workload but improve accountability.
• Citizens: Greater transparency via public IG reports, judge disclosures, and prison ombudsman (e.g., anonymous complaints, education on rights). Whistleblowers and families of inmates benefit from protections against retaliation and confidential channels.
• International Relations: Negligible; focuses on domestic oversight (minor intelligence whistleblower tweaks could indirectly aid global ops transparency).

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Inspectors General and Offices: Directly impacted by procedural updates, reporting expansions, and prison oversight roles.
• Federal Agencies/Establishments: Must comply with IG access, notifications, and responses (e.g., Bureau of Prisons for inspections/ombudsman).
• Congress: Enhanced notifications and reports to committees (e.g., Oversight, Judiciary) for better monitoring of executive actions.
• Federal Employees/Officials: Senior staff face more scrutiny in reports; whistleblowers get stronger safeguards.
• Judicial Branch: Judges/bankruptcy/magistrate judges must file disclosures publicly online.
• Incarcerated People, Families, and Prison Staff: Benefit from IG inspections (e.g., on abuse, health care) and ombudsman for complaints (e.g., conditions, visitation).
• Public/Businesses: Access to reports/disclosures; entities named in audits can respond.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Clarifies ambiguities post-recodification (e.g., cross-references), preventing litigation over outdated citations. Ensures continuity for ~100 incorporated amendments; prison provisions align with existing IG access laws (no overrides).
• Constitutional: Bolsters congressional oversight (Article I) via mandatory notifications, balancing executive authority (e.g., presidential IG removals) without infringing separation of powers. Protects due process (e.g., notice for non-duty status) and privacy (e.g., whistleblower redactions).
• Political: Neutral, housekeeping bill reduces politicization of IGs by requiring "case-specific" rationales for actions, potentially deterring abrupt removals. Prison oversight could address bipartisan concerns on federal inmate conditions; overall, promotes nonpartisan accountability without controversy.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]

Recent Actions

• 2025-09-10: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
• 2025-09-10: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
• 2025-07-16: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
• 2025-07-16: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• To amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors. — issued 2025-07-16 — PDF (139 pages)