Sponsors (2)
The bill increases transparency about overlapping federal programs and clarifies effective dates to help lawmakers and agencies avoid redundant spending and plan implementation, but it risks slowing legislative timelines, creating timing uncertainty tied to OMB action, raising administrative costs, and publicly stigmatizing programs labeled as duplicative.
Taxpayers and Congress: receive earlier, specific identification of proposed duplicative or overlapping federal programs so lawmakers can more easily avoid redundant spending.
Federal agencies, state governments, and the public: gain clearer, actionable notice of when the amendment takes effect because the bill ties effectiveness to OMB publication, enabling planning and compliance.
Congressional committees (and state/local governments involved in oversight): receive detailed, actionable information (program name, statutory citation, GAO report citation) to improve drafting and amendment decisions.
Federal agencies, state governments, and stakeholders: could face delays of up to a year before the amendment takes effect because effectiveness is tied to OMB updating its website, creating uncertainty about timing.
Congress and federal employees: additional GAO review and reporting requirements may lengthen committee report timelines and slow consideration of bills.
Taxpayers and federal employees: implementing more detailed GAO assessments increases GAO and CBO workload and may raise administrative costs that are ultimately funded by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires GAO to flag reported bills that risk creating duplicative or overlapping federal programs, send findings to CBO and the reporting committee, and publish them online.
Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review bills and joint resolutions reported by congressional committees for risks that they would create new duplicative or overlapping federal programs, offices, or initiatives relative to items already identified in GAO’s annual duplication and overlap reports. GAO must identify the new feature and its statutory location, cite the existing overlapping feature, send the information to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director and the reporting committee, and publish it online; the CBO Director may add GAO’s information as a supplement to CBO cost estimates.
Introduced September 8, 2025 by Rand Paul · Last progress September 8, 2025