	Background

GPRAMA established a set of requirements to annually examine  potentially unnecessary plans and reports based on OMB guidance, and  for agencies to develop proposals to eliminate or modify them as  appropriate. These requirements are also included in OMB’s Circular A-11 guidance to  agencies, along with additional directions for agencies to follow when  implementing the law. OMB and Agencies Developed Hundreds of Proposals for Report Elimination or Modification

		Agencies Proposed to Eliminate or Modify Hundreds of Reporting Requirements

Since the passage of GPRAMA, OMB has publicly posted 788 report  modification proposals, which includes 523 new proposals and 265  proposals that were published a second time in 2016. These were  published in three lists (2012, 2014, and 2016) on Performance.gov. OMB staff told us that they  implemented the process every other year due to timing constraints and  because reporting requirements are relatively static and do not change as  frequently as other information used in the annual budget process. OMB staff told us that they  decided to publish the proposals online rather than in the budget because  the website hosts many related GPRAMA resources and OMB staff  determined it would be the most appropriate location for this content. Nonetheless, they pointed to the April 2017 OMB  memorandum that specifically states, “in accordance with the GPRA  Modernization Act of 2010, agencies should also include with their [fiscal  year] 2019 Budget submission a list of statutorily required reports they  believe should be eliminated or modified by Congress.” OMB staff told  us that while they prefer posting the report modification proposals on  Performance.gov, they will, at a minimum, begin referencing proposals in  future President’s budgets. However, as a result of OMB instructing  agencies to update their previously submitted report modification  proposals rather than analyzing their complete list of reports, agencies  may not have reviewed a comprehensive list of their reports, as required  by GPRAMA, when they developed proposals in fiscal year 2015. OMB staff acknowledged that their  email instructions could have contributed to missed opportunities. In 2014, Congress acted on agencies’ report  modification proposals by eliminating more than 30 reporting  requirements that agencies’ determined were unnecessary. Specifically, we found that OMB did not implement the report  modification process on an annual basis as required by GPRAMA. However, by implementing the report modification process on an  annual basis, OMB would be positioned to include new report  modification proposals in the President’s annual budgets, and agencies  would be given additional opportunities to propose eliminating or  modifying reports that may be unnecessary. OMB has also published  agencies’ proposals on Performance.gov, rather than in the President’s  annual budget as GPRAMA requires. However, publishing or referencing the proposals in the President’s  annual budget may increase their visibility and usefulness to  congressional decision makers and other stakeholders involved in  developing and using reports for Congress. Although OMB staff told us the email instructions were not  a substitute for Circular A-11 guidance, agencies may have missed  opportunities to identify new proposals by following OMB’s email  instructions. Specifically, OMB’s  email instructions to agencies should request that agencies annually  compile a list of all plans and reports they produce for Congress,  analyze the list to identify those that are outdated or duplicative,  consult and document relevant interactions with congressional  committees, and provide a total count of plans and reports and their  list of outdated and duplicative reports to OMB. This report (1) reviews  the information included in agencies’ report modification proposals, and  identifies the number of proposals published by the Office of Management  and Budget (OMB), (2) assesses the extent to which OMB and agencies  are implementing GPRAMA requirements regarding the elimination or  modification of unnecessary plans and reports, and (3) describes how  selected federal agencies determined which plans and reports are  outdated or duplicative.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal government produces thousands of plans and reports each year to meet the informational needs of Congress. GPRAMA established a process to eliminate or modify reports that may be outdated or duplicative.
GAO was asked to examine OMB and agencies' implementation of GPRAMA provisions to identify unnecessary reports and develop proposals to eliminate or modify them as appropriate. GAO's objectives were to (1) review agencies' report modification proposals, (2) assess the extent to which OMB and agencies implemented related GPRAMA requirements, and (3) describe how selected federal agencies determined which plans and reports are outdated or duplicative.
To address these objectives, GAO reviewed agencies report modification proposals, relevant laws, OMB guidance, and agency documents. GAO interviewed staff from Congress, OMB, and six selected agencies. Agencies were selected based on the number of proposals they published. GAO reviewed selected agencies' complete list of reports and internal guidance, and analyzed the contents of their report modification proposals.

What GAO Found

The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to coordinate an annual review of agencies' plans and reports for Congress and publish proposals to eliminate or modify reports that may be outdated or duplicative. Since the passage of GPRAMA, OMB posted three lists of proposals (in 2012, 2014, and 2016) on Performance.gov. These lists contained a total of 523 new proposals. In 2014, Congress acted on agencies' report modification proposals by eliminating 51 reporting requirements, including 34 that were identified through this process.
As shown in the figure, GAO found that OMB did not implement the report modification process on an annual basis, as required by GPRAMA. OMB staff said that they implemented the report modification process every other year because reporting requirements are relatively static. OMB staff said, in future years, they plan to implement the process annually as required.
GAO also found that OMB is publishing agencies' proposals on Performance.gov, rather than in the President's annual budget as GPRAMA requires. OMB staff said that they published the proposals online rather than in the budget because the website hosts many GPRAMA resources. However, publishing or referencing the proposals in the President's annual budget, in addition to posting them on Performance.gov, may increase their visibility and usefulness to congressional decision makers and others. GAO also found that OMB's email instructions to agencies did not align with GPRAMA and Circular A-11 directives for agencies to review a complete list of reports, which could have resulted in a missed opportunity to identify additional report modification proposals. OMB staff stated that their email instructions are not a substitute for A-11 guidance, but also acknowledged that the instructions could have led to missed opportunities.
Selected agencies told GAO they periodically review or update their report modification proposals. Specifically, selected agencies said they involved relevant subject matter experts when developing proposals, and followed OMB instructions to submit their proposals, and consulted with Congress.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that OMB submit or reference report modification proposals with the President's annual budget, and ensure that email instructions to agencies align with GPRAMA and Circular A-11 guidance. OMB staff agreed with the recommendations.