March 4, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
To increase access to agency guidance documents.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Guidance Out Of Darkness Act
or the GOOD Act
.
Sec. 2. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Agency
The term agency
has the meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Director
The term Director
means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
(3) Guidance document
(A) In general
The term guidance document
—
(i)
means an agency statement of general applicability (other than a rule that has the force and effect of law promulgated in accordance with the notice and comment procedures under section 553 of title 5, United States Code) that—
(I)
does not have the force and effect of law; and
(II)
is designated by an agency official as setting forth—
(aa)
a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue; or
(bb)
an interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue; and
(ii)
may include—
(I)
a memorandum;
(II)
a notice;
(III)
a bulletin;
(IV)
a directive;
(V)
a news release;
(VI)
a letter;
(VII)
a blog post;
(VIII)
a no-action letter;
(IX)
a speech by an agency official; and
(X)
any combination of the items described in subclauses (I) through (IX).
(B) Rule of construction
The term guidance document
—
(i)
shall be construed broadly to effectuate the purpose and intent of this Act; and
(ii)
shall not be limited to the items described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
Sec. 3. Publication of guidance documents on the internet
(a) In general
Subject to section 5, on the date on which an agency issues a guidance document, the agency shall publish the guidance document in accordance with the requirements under section 4.
(b) Previously issued guidance documents
Subject to section 5, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall publish, in accordance with the requirements under section 4, any guidance document issued by that agency that is in effect on that date.
Sec. 4. Single location
(a) In general
All guidance documents published under section 3 by an agency shall be published in a single location on an internet website designated by the Director under subsection (d).
(b) Agency internet websites
Each agency shall, for guidance documents published by the agency under section 3, publish a hyperlink on the internet website of the agency that provides access to the guidance documents at the location described in subsection (a).
(c) Organization
(1) In general
The guidance documents described in subsection (a) shall be—
(A)
categorized as guidance documents; and
(B)
further divided into subcategories as appropriate.
(2) Agency internet websites
The hyperlinks described in subsection (b) shall be prominently displayed on the internet website of the agency.
(d) Designation
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate an internet website on which guidance documents shall be published under section 3.
Sec. 5. Documents and information exempt from disclosure under FOIA
If a guidance document issued by an agency is a document that is exempt from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act
), or contains information that is exempt from disclosure under that section, that document or information, as the case may be, shall not be subject to the requirements under this Act.
Sec. 6. Rescinded guidance documents
On the date on which a guidance document issued by an agency is rescinded, or, in the case of a guidance document that is rescinded pursuant to a court order, not later than the date on which the order is entered, the agency shall, at the location described in section 4(a)—
(1)
maintain the rescinded guidance document; and
(2)
indicate—
(A)
that the guidance document is rescinded;
(B)
if the guidance document was rescinded pursuant to a court order, the case number of the case in which the order was entered; and
(C)
the date on which the guidance document was rescinded.
Sec. 7. Rules of construction
(a) Validity of guidance documents
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that noncompliance with any provision of this Act affects or otherwise impacts the validity of any guidance document.
(b) Congressional review of guidance documents
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect or otherwise impact whether a guidance document is subject to congressional review under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 8. Report on agency compliance
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on agency compliance with this Act.