Number:        118-17
Date:             January 17, 2025

The President Signs H.R. 5301
“Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2024”

On December 23, 2024, the President signed into law H.R.5301, the Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2024 (Public Law No: 118-172).The House previously passed this bill on November 12, 2024 and the Senate passed it on December 12, 2024.

The following provision is of interest to the Social Security Administration. 

Section 2. Sunsets for Agency Reports

Thelawamends 31 U.S.C. §1125 to require the head of each agency to include, in their annual budget justifications, a list of each outdated or duplicative recurring plan or report submitted by the agency and specified identifying information for the plans or reports.
With respect to each identified outdated or duplicative recurring plan or report 1 identified by the agency, the agency must also include:

  • a recommendation on whether to end, modify, consolidate, or reduce the frequency of the report or plan;
  • a citation to each provision of law or directive in a congressional report that requires or requests the submission of the plan or report;
  • a list of the relevant congressional committees 2; and
  • a justification explaining the recommendation, which may include an estimate of agency resources expended to prepare and submit the plan or report, and the agency's understanding of the purpose of the plan or report.

If, in submitting a recurring plan or report, an agency is required to consult with another agency or entity, the submitting agency must consult with that same agency or entity in making the determination that the report is outdated or duplicative.
If the agency or entity consulted agrees that a recurring plan or report is outdated or duplicative, the agency required to submit the recurring plan or report must:

  • include the recurring plan or report in the list; and
  • identify each agency or entity with which the agency is required to consult in submitting the recurring plan or report.

If the agency or entity consulted does not agree that a recurring plan or report is outdated or duplicative, the agency required to submit the recurring plan or report must not include the recurring plan or report in the list.

If at least two federal agencies are required to submit a recurring plan or report, the Office of Management and Budget must determine whether the requirement to submit them is outdated or duplicative, and make recommendations to Congress accordingly.

 

1 The term ‘plan or report’ means any plan or report submitted to Congress, any committee of Congress, or subcommittee thereof, by not less than one agency in accordance with Federal law; or at the direction or request of a congressional report.

2 The term ‘relevant congressional committee’ means a congressional committee to which a recurring plan or report is required to be submitted; and excludes any plan or report that is required to be submitted solely to the House or Senate Committee on Armed Services.