Bill Overview
Title: GAO Database Modernization Act of 2021
Description: This bill requires federal agencies to report to the Government Accountability Office certain information about agency rules that are made ineffective due to an agency action or other reason.
Sponsors: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Target Audience
Population: People employed within or interacting with US federal government agencies
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill affects federal agencies, which means the employees within these agencies need to comply with new reporting requirements.
- GAO, as the recipient of these reports, will see impacts as it facilitates increased data handling and analysis.
- Indirectly, the general public may be impacted as the enhanced accountability and transparency could influence government operations, potentially leading to more effective governance.
Reasoning
- The primary impact of the GAO Database Modernization Act will be on federal employees who need to adjust to new reporting requirements, therefore experiencing changes in workload and processes.
- GAO employees will have to handle an increased volume of data, potentially requiring new skills and additional resources.
- A secondary and indirect impact could occur among the general public due to increased transparency and efficiency in government operations, leading to an enhanced public trust in governmental agencies.
- Given the budget allocations, the primary financial outlay concerns technological upgrades and personnel training to manage the new data reporting and analysis requirements.
- The size of the affected population is large, but the direct impact on each individual within this population might vary from low to medium, influenced by their specific roles within or with respect to federal practices.
Simulated Interviews
Data Analyst at a Federal Agency (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think streamlining these reporting processes can improve our efficiency.
- However, initially it might increase my workload as we'll have to adapt to new systems or protocols.
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 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
IT Specialist at GAO (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This act can be a big step forward in modernizing our data systems.
- I expect an increase in task loads initially but it should settle with enhanced systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Legal Advisor in a Government Agency (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The act should help improve compliance transparency, which is always positive.
- The initial added responsibility may be stressful but will likely result in better regulatory compliance long-term.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
HR Manager at a Federal Agency (Dallas, Texas)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I foresee some HR policy changes needed to align with this new act.
- There might be a bit of initial friction as staff adjusts to new reporting protocols.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Policy Analyst (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like these can make the regulatory environment more efficient.
- An increase in transparency benefits citizens and can enhance trust in governance.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Public Liaison Officer (New York, New York)
Age: 31 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better data handling and reporting can help improve public perception of government.
- I'll likely have additional work managing public interaction as transparency initiatives increase.
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 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Federal Contractor (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This act will likely increase demand for IT consultancy services.
- The resulting workload might be stressful initially but beneficial career-wise.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Government Accountant (Boston, Massachusetts)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Involving more data in our reporting will require initial adaptations in our department.
- However, it might improve our accuracy and compliance measures long-term.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
IT Auditor at GAO (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 48 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The modernization act aligns with enhancing accountability, which is crucial.
- IT audits might become more complex but also more impactful and rewarding.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Junior Officer at a Federal Agency (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any change that leads to more order in reporting is welcome though challenging at first.
- As a junior officer, adapting might be tough but it's a critical learning opportunity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 2: $7500000 (Low: $6000000, High: $9000000)
Year 3: $7500000 (Low: $6000000, High: $9000000)
Year 5: $8000000 (Low: $6400000, High: $9600000)
Year 10: $8500000 (Low: $6800000, High: $10200000)
Year 100: $8500000 (Low: $6800000, High: $10200000)
Key Considerations
- Federal agencies will require initial and ongoing resources to comply with the new reporting standards.
- The effectiveness of the bill will depend significantly on the quality and timeliness of the data submitted by agencies.
- The GAO's capacity to process and utilize the information effectively is crucial to meeting the bill's objectives.