Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (2 Aug 2012): Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
What this bill does
This bill, S. 1409, aims to improve how federal agencies prevent, identify, and recover improper payments. It would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to identify high-priority programs for review, set targets for reducing improper payments, and provide guidance for agencies to better estimate these errors. Agencies would also need to report on their efforts to prevent and recover improper payments, with OMB making these reports publicly available online.
The legislation would establish a "Do Not Pay Initiative," which would require agencies to check various federal databases, including those related to deceased individuals and excluded parties, before issuing payments. This initiative is intended to prevent payments from going to ineligible recipients. Additionally, the bill would authorize agencies and Inspectors General to use computer matching agreements for ongoing data analysis to detect and prevent improper payments and fraud.
S. 1409 has passed the Senate and will now move to the House of Representatives. If passed by the House, it would be sent to the President for signature into law. The bill also directs the Attorney General to make recommendations on using conviction and incarceration data to prevent improper payments and fraud.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) identify, on an annual basis, a list of high-priority federal programs for greater levels of oversight and review of improper payments; (2) coordinate with executive agencies responsible for administering high-priority programs to establish semi-annual or quarterly targets and actions for reducing improper payments; and (3) provide guidance to agencies for improving estimates of improper payments.
Requires agencies to report to their Inspectors General on an annual basis on any high-priority programs in which the highest dollar value or rate of improper payments occurs or for which there is a higher risk of improper payments. Requires OMB to make agency reports available on a central website.
(Sec. 5) Requires each agency to review prepayment and pre-award procedures and available databases to determine program or award eligibility and prevent improper payments before releasing any federal funds.
Establishes a Do Not Pay Initiative based on information from databases maintained by the federal government, including: (1) the Death Master File of the Social Security Administration (SSA), (2) the Excluded Parties List System of the General Services Administration (GSA), (3) the Debt Check Database of the Department of the Treasury, (4) the Credit Alert System or Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), (5) the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and (6) any other database designated by the Director of OMB that substantially assists in preventing improper payments.
Requires the Director to: (1) provide to Congress a plan for the inclusion of other databases in the Do Not Pay Initiative, for agency access to the Initiative, and for multilateral data use agreements for carrying out the Initiative; (2) establish a working system for prepayment and pre-award review that includes the Do Not Pay Initiative; (3) establish a plan for improving the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of death data maintained by SSA; and (4) submit annual reports to Congress on whether the Do Not Pay Initiative has reduced improper payments or awards. Requires each agency to review all payments and awards for all of its programs through the working system not later later than June 1, 2013.
Amends the Privacy Act to authorize each agency head and Inspector General to enter into computer matching agreements that allow ongoing data matching for detecting and preventing improper payments. Requires OMB to issue guidance: (1) for such agreements, including standards for reimbursement of costs, retention and timely destruction of records, and prohibitions on duplication and redisclosure of records; and (2) for Data Integrity Boards established under the Privacy Act to improve their effectiveness and responsiveness and ensure privacy protections.
Directs the Attorney General to submit recommendations for increasing the use of, access to, and the technical feasibility of using data on the federal, state, and local conviction and incarceration status of individuals to identify and prevent improper payments and fraud.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Director to determine the current and historical rates and amounts of recovery of improper payments and targets for recovering improper payments.
Timeline
2 Aug 2012
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Common questions
- What does S. 1409 do?
- This bill, S. 1409, aims to improve how federal agencies prevent, identify, and recover improper payments. It would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to identify high-priority programs for review, set targets for reducing improper payments, and provide guidance for agencies to better estimate these errors. Agencies would also need to report on their efforts to prevent and recover improper payments, with OMB making these reports publicly available online. The legislation would establish a "Do Not Pay Initiative," which would require agencies to check various federal databases, including those related to deceased individuals and excluded parties, before issuing payments. This initiative is intended to prevent payments from going to ineligible recipients. Additionally, the bill would authorize agencies and Inspectors General to use computer matching agreements for ongoing data analysis to detect and prevent improper payments and fraud. S. 1409 has passed the Senate and will now move to the House of Representatives. If passed by the House, it would be sent to the President for signature into law. The bill also directs the Attorney General to make recommendations on using conviction and incarceration data to prevent improper payments and fraud.
- Has S. 1409 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 1409. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 1409?
- S. 1409 was sponsored by Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE] (D-DE), with 4 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 1409?
- Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (2 Aug 2012).
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