TRUE Accountability Act
TRUE Accountability Act
Plain Language Summary
# TRUE Accountability Act Summary **What the bill would do:** The TRUE Accountability Act would require the federal government to create and maintain better internal control systems for managing money during emergencies and disasters. Specifically, it would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidelines to federal agencies for developing plans that help prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement when emergency funds are distributed quickly. These agencies would need to regularly report their control plans to OMB, which would then share them with Congress for oversight. **Who it affects and key provisions:** The bill primarily affects federal agencies that handle disaster relief, health programs, and other emergency assistance.
It requires these agencies to follow established frameworks (created by the Government Accountability Office) designed to catch improper payments and fraudulent claims before they happen. The bill emphasizes being prepared in advance—agencies should have these safeguards ready to deploy immediately when crises strike, rather than developing them after money has already been misspelled or misused. **Current status:** The bill (S. 78) was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies Accountability Act or the TRUE Accountability ActThis bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance to certain executive branch agencies for the development of internal control plans that are available for immediate use in future emergencies or crises. (Internal control refers to a process that provides reasonable assurance of achieving effective and efficient operations, reliable financial reporting, and legal compliance.)This guidance must be in alignment with the Government Accountability Office reports entitled A Framework for Managing Improper Payments in Emergency Assistance Programs and A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs. Periodically, the agencies subject to this guidance must submit their internal control plan to OMB and OMB must submit such agency plans to Congress.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.