Federal Advisory Committee Database Act

The Federal Advisory Committee Database Act aims to increase transparency and accountability for federal advisory committees by significantly expanding the General Services Administration's (GSA) responsibilities . It mandates the GSA's Committee Management Secretariat to continually collect comprehensive information from federal agencies regarding their advisory committees. This collected data will be published annually on a public, machine-readable website , with access maintained for previous years. The required information includes committee names, charters, membership details (including ethics designations and appointing authorities), operational costs, meeting summaries, and recommendations issued along with their implementation status. Furthermore, the GSA must issue regulations and guidelines to ensure standardization and consistency in reporting this information. Agency heads are now explicitly required to establish uniform administrative guidelines, maintain systematic information, and ensure timely and accurate reporting to the GSA, including the newly mandated data. They must also establish performance measures for their advisory committees and ensure overall compliance with relevant regulations. The GSA's biennial reports to Congress will incorporate compliance with these new reporting requirements and offer recommendations for action. This legislation specifies that no additional funds are authorized for its implementation.