§162e. Sec. 702. Review and evaluation by the Comptroller General. (As Enacted)

CBA, as Enacted (Contents)

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Section 702, as Enacted

lineedgeflare

Review and evaluation by the Comptroller General

Sec. 702. (a) Section 204 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (31 U.S.C. 1154) is amended to read as follows:

“review and evaluation

“Sec. 204. (a) The Comptroller General shall review and evaluate the results of Government programs and activities carried on under existing law when ordered by either House of Congress, or upon his own initiative, or when requested by any committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate, or any joint committee of the two Houses, having jurisdiction over such programs and activities.

“(b) The Comptroller General, upon request of any committee of either House or any joint committee of the two Houses, shall—

“(1) assist such committee or joint committee in developing a statement of legislative objectives and goals and methods for assessing and reporting actual program performance in relation to such legislative objectives and goals. Such statements shall include, but are not limited to, recommendations as to methods of assessment, information to be reported, responsibility for reporting, frequency of reports, and feasibility of pilot testing; and

“(2) assist such committee or joint committee in analyzing and assessing program reviews or evaluation studies prepared by and for any Federal agency

Upon request of any Member of either House, the Comptroller General shall furnish to such Member a copy of any statement or other material compiled in carrying out paragraphs (1) and (2) which has been released by the committee or joint committee for which it was compiled.

“(c) The Comptroller General shall develop and recommend to the Congress methods for review and evaluation of Government programs and activities carried on under existing law.

“(d) In carrying out his responsibilities under this section, the Comptroller General is authorized to establish an Office of Program Review and Evaluation within the General Accounting Office. The Comptroller General is authorized to employ not to exceed ten experts on a permanent, temporary, or intermittent basis and to obtain services as authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but in either case at a rate (or the daily equivalent) for individuals not to exceed that prescribed, from time to time, for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.

“(e) The Comptroller General shall include in his annual report to the Congress a review of his activities under this section, including his recommendations of methods for review and evaluation of Government programs and activities under subsection (c).”

(b) Item 204 in the table of contents of such Act is amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 204. Review and evaluation.”

 

 

Previous:

Section 701
(CBA, as Enacted)

Next:

Section 703
(CBA, as Enacted)
Counsel Notes
JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

The managers on the part of the House and the Senate of the conference of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 7130) issued an explanatory statement of the legislation. This was included in a House Budget Committee print in 1975 after the bill’s enactment. It included the following description of this section:

Section 702. Review and Evaluation by Comptroller General

The Senate amendment expanded the review and evaluation functions and duties of the Comptroller General, including assistance to committees and Members.

The conference substitute is a revision of the Senate provision. It amends section 204 of the 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act to expand GAO assistance to Congress. As amended, section 204 (a) provided that the Comptroller General shall evaluate Government programs at his own initiative, when ordered by either House, or at the request of a congressional committee. Section 204(b) provides that upon request, the Comptroller General shall assist committees in developing statements of legislative objectives and methods for assessing program performance. The managers consider oversight of executive performance to be among the principal functions of congressional committees and they recognize that the usefulness of program evaluation can be enhanced by the clear expression of legislative objectives and the employment of modern analytic methods. The managers further believe that statements of intent can be most appropriately developed by the committee of jurisdiction. Members must be provided upon request with all related information after its release by the committee for which it was compiled.

Section 204(c) directs the Comptroller General to develop and recommend program evaluation methods to Congress. Section 204(d) authorizes the establishment of an office of program review and evaluation in GAO. Section 204(e) calls for the Comptroller General to review GAO’s evaluation activities in his annual report to Congress.

[Joint Explanatory Statement on the Committee of Conference on H.R. 7130; (Committee Print), Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, 93d Congress, 2d Session, Washington D.C. 1975.]

CURRENT SECTION

Sec. 702. Review and evaluation by the Comptroller General. (Repealed)

Classification to the U.S. Code

This section was not classified to the U.S. Code as originally enacted.

Legislative History Notes
Public Laws

Pub. L. 93–344, §702, July 12, 1974, 88 Stat. 326. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 enacted this section into law. 

Revision of title 31 of the u.s. code

Most of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was classified to Title 31 of the U.S. Code but has since been transferred either to title 2 (The Congress) or to a revised Title 31. See the following for more information: 

 

FrillBreak

[BCR § 162e]