Bill Overview
Title: Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires executive agencies to submit information regarding settlement agreements to a public database. Specifically, an agency must submit information regarding any settlement agreement (including a consent decree) entered into by the agency related to an alleged violation of federal law. If an agency determines that information regarding an agreement must remain confidential to protect the public interest, the agency must publish an explanation of why the information is confidential.
Sponsors: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
Target Audience
Population: People involved or interested in settlement agreements with US executive agencies
Estimated Size: 1000000
- The bill impacts all individuals who are subject to or interested in the activities of executive agencies making settlement agreements.
- Lawyers and advocates who monitor government transparency will be affected as they gain additional access to the database information.
- Settlements involving businesses and individuals will be documented, impacting potentially millions involved in or affected by these agreements.
- Public interest groups will be able to access more information for their advocacies, affecting the broader public they represent.
Reasoning
- Different stakeholders will experience varied impacts due to the policy's implementation, which aims at increasing transparency.
- Lawyers and legal professionals were assigned moderate to high impacts due to their direct involvement with settlements.
- Individuals with less interaction with executive agencies or settlements are estimated to have low or no impact.
- Public interest advocates are poised to experience medium to high impacts given their interest in greater government transparency.
- Cost constraints mean the policy's average impact score across individuals should not imply major individual spending but ensure systematic rollout.
Simulated Interviews
Attorney (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy provides the transparency we have been advocating for a long time.
- It will enhance our ability to hold government agencies accountable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This helps the public gain better insights into government actions.
- It will empower journalists like myself to report more thoroughly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Business Owner (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 52 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm concerned about the confidentiality aspect, but transparency is usually good for business.
- Hoping it doesn't mean more bureaucratic red tape.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Public Policy Advocate (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased transparency aligns with our goals.
- We will monitor to ensure it's implemented fairly.
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 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired Government Official (Chicago, IL)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency is always a plus, but governments must be cautious about sensitive information.
- The explanation for confidentiality is a step forward.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Corporate Compliance Officer (Houston, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could create more compliance work, but knowing the rules is better than unknown implications from settlements.
- Companies prefer transparency in regulatory environments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't expect this to affect me much personally.
- Technology could aid in accessing and sorting this information efficiently.
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 | 6 | 6 |
Civil Rights Attorney (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Could be a game changer for holding agencies accountable.
- We hope for consistent implementation across sectors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Small Business Owner (Miami, FL)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Even though this doesn't affect my business directly, understanding policy trends is useful.
- This might have indirect effects in the business climate.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
University Professor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a framework for academic discourse, this is very rich.
- Could positively influence curriculum on administrative law.
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 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 2: $12000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $15000000)
Year 3: $12000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $15000000)
Year 5: $13000000 (Low: $9000000, High: $16000000)
Year 10: $14000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $18000000)
Year 100: $16000000 (Low: $11000000, High: $19000000)
Key Considerations
- The variable nature of settlement agreements means fluctuations in database updates and operational costs year over year.
- Importance of systemic and secure IT solutions to handle sensitive data.
- Potential increase in public trust and government accountability.
- Need for ongoing training and potential hiring within agencies to manage new responsibilities.