Bill Overview
Title: Easy to READ Act
Description: This bill requires Members of Congress (or candidates for congressional office) to electronically file their financial disclosure reports. Additionally, the reports must be made publicly available in a searchable database.
Sponsors: Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7]
Target Audience
Population: People affected by increased accessibility to Congressional financial disclosures
Estimated Size: 900000
- The bill mandates electronic submission of financial disclosures by Congress members or candidates, so it directly affects them.
- Candidates for Congressional office will also need to comply with the electronic filing requirement, including utilizing the searchable database.
- The general public will have access to these disclosures, increasing transparency, which indirectly affects all citizens.
- The searchable database will be publicly available. Thus, anyone interested in financial disclosures may be impacted, particularly affecting political analysts, journalists, and civic organizations.
Reasoning
- The Easy to READ Act will primarily impact congressional members who must submit their financial disclosures electronically. This group directly experiences changes in their routine filing processes.
- Indirectly, journalists, political analysts, and civic organizations access financial data more easily, leading to potential changes in journalism practices and civic engagement strategies.
- The general public learns more about their representatives due to increased transparency, potentially affecting voter trust and engagement.
- Most citizens won't notice a direct impact on their daily lives since the database affects public knowledge rather than personal circumstances.
Simulated Interviews
Journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy will enhance transparency, making my job easier and more impactful.
- More accessible data can lead to a better-informed public.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Congressional candidate (Austin, TX)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Electronic filing simplifies the process, but may add to campaign costs initially.
- The searchable database could influence voter perceptions positively if managed correctly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Member of Congress (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy requires adjusting our office processes, which initially incurs administrative challenges.
- It ensures our commitment to transparency.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Software developer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm excited because this creates more opportunities for developing accessible civic tools.
- Transparency in government operations benefits the tech community by providing valuable data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Political analyst (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Public access to this data enriches analysis and reporting, holding officials accountable.
- Long-term transparency may lead to policy reforms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
High school civics teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy offers an educational tool to help students engage with real-world political processes.
- I'll be able to illustrate the impact of transparency in governance firsthand.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Small business owner (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to financial disclosures doesn't change much for my business, but personal insights on candidates matter.
- It's good for transparency but not dramatically impactful on my daily life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired librarian (Birmingham, AL)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy means greater transparency, which I support, but it doesn't affect my daily life.
- Staying informed is crucial, and this makes it easier but doesn't alter my wellbeing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College student (Columbus, OH)
Age: 21 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This searchable database is a great step for transparency; it encourages student engagement.
- Increased access could influence future civic participation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Tech entrepreneur (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy aligns with ethical governance values that I support, potentially influencing the civic tech industry.
- Having more data leads to better tech solutions for civic engagement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Year 2: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 3: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 5: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 10: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 100: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures for the financial disclosure database is critical to protect sensitive information.
- Technical training for congressional members and staff may be required to facilitate the transition to electronic filing.
- Ongoing costs include database maintenance, data verification processes, and customer support for platform users.