This bill would make the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) “show its work” when it estimates how much bills will cost and what effects they might have. The CBO would have to post the models, data routines, and assumptions it uses, in enough detail that outside people could try to repeat the results. If some data can’t be shared by law, the CBO would still post a list of the data variables, summary statistics, the law that blocks release, and who to contact who has full access. This aims to make government cost estimates clearer and easier to check by the public, researchers, and lawmakers .

Key points

• Who is affected: The CBO, lawmakers who rely on its estimates, researchers, and the public who want to see how estimates are made.
• What changes: The CBO must publish its models, data routines, assumptions, and computation details for each estimate; when data can’t be shared, it must post variable lists, descriptive stats, the blocking law, and contact info .
• When: These new rules would start six months after the bill becomes law.