Transparency in Government Act of 2021
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on the Constitution, civil rightsProtections against discrimination and guarantees of equal participation, usually enforced by statute. Civil liberties are freedoms from government interference.Read the full definition (opens a new tab), and Civil Liberties.
Transparency in Government Act of 2021
This bill establishes and otherwise modifies several reporting, disclosure, and other requirements across all branches of government to expand public access to information.
For example, with respect to the legislative branch, the bill establishes additional financial disclosure requirements for Members of Congress,
requires congressional committees to post certain materials (e.g., schedules and transcripts) within specified time frames, and
provides for the creation of a centralized online database of congressionally mandated reports.
Additionally, with respect to the executive branch, the bill
requires agencies to publicly disclose additional information relating to sponsored advertisements, budget requests, and grant recipients;
requires certain legal advisory opinions and rulemaking materials to be published within specified time frames; and
provides for the appointment of a special counsel to prosecute individuals in the executive branch for contempt of Congress.
Finally, with respect to the judicial branch, the bill
requires the Supreme Court to allow proceedings that are conducted in open court to be televised,
requires certain financial disclosure statements of judicial officers to be posted within specified time frames, and
requires certain electronic filing systems to be consolidated and meet certain data standards (e.g., search functions).
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 18, 2021. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on October 19, 2021: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 117th Congress (2021-22), 362 of the 15,242 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced it on March 18, 2021, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 18, 2021, 2002 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1787 days ago, on October 19, 2021.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 117th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2023 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers