Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 - Directs any Federal agency to collect only the information which is necessary and directly related to performing agency functions. Requires all information collection forms of an agency to be simple, understandable, and as short as possible. Includes specified independent regulatory agencies within the definition of the term "Federal agency" for purposes of provisions of Federal law concerning the coordination of Federal reporting services. Repeals: (1) the exemption from such provisions for the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding health professions data; (2) provisions of the General Education Provisions Act directing the Secretary of Education to review and coordinate agency activities for the collection of information concerning education and establishing the Federal Education Data Acquisition Council; and (3) the exemption of specified agencies from the authority of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to require agencies to share information. Allows an independent regulatory agency to conduct or sponsor the collection of information which has been disapproved by the Director if the majority of agency members vote to override such disapproval. Requires the Director: (1) to take actions to eliminate the collection of duplicative information; (2) to establish a Federal information locator system which shall list and classify all types of information collected by Federal agencies, but shall not contain information obtained from the public; and (3) to publish in the Federal Register an annual Federal information calendar which lists the major information collection proposals submitted to the Director by the agencies and invites public comments on such proposals. Directs each Federal agency to designate an agency employee: (1) to minimize the use of information collection forms by the agency; and (2) to examine and reduce the burden imposed by such forms on individuals, small businesses, and small organizations by using sampling techniques, modifying compliance requirements, or exempting such persons from compliance with agency forms. Requires each agency to transmit to the Director an annual information collection budget containing a description of the purpose of and persons affected by each information collection form of the agency and an estimate of the number of hours required to comply with each and all such forms. Requires the Director to review, modify when appropriate, and approve such budget. Prohibits an agency from issuing a form which would cause the total number of hours for complying with agency forms to exceed the total number of hours established in the approved budget. Authorizes a majority of the members of an independent regulatory agency to vote to issue a form which causes the agency to exceed such limitation. Permits the Director to waive such limitation for other agencies for good cause. Directs each Federal agency: (1) to review each form within two years after it is issued and every five years thereafter to determine whether it should be revised or discontinued; and (2) to report to the Director on each review. Requires the Director to report to the President and Congress on the efforts of Federal agencies to implement this Act.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on April 24, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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.