Duplication Scoring Act of 2025
The Duplication Scoring Act of 2025 would require the GAO (the Comptroller General) to analyze each “covered bill or joint resolution” reported by a Congressional committee to assess the risk that the bill would create a new federal program, office, or initiative that duplicates or overlaps with existing government programs identified in GAO’s prior duplication and overlap reports. For each bill, GAO would identify any such new duplicative feature (if warranted), specify where in the bill it would be created, reference the GAO report that identifies the existing overlap, and publish this information on GAO’s website. The Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) could include this GAO-provided information as a supplement to the bill’s budget estimate. If GAO has not submitted the information by the time the Director submits the budget estimate, the Director may still prepare and submit the supplement once GAO provides the data. The act would take effect once certain conditions tied to updating federal spending information or the start of a new Congress occur. In short, the bill adds a formal, pre-enactment duplication review to intercepted legislation, with GAO conducting duplication risk assessments and making results publicly available, and with those findings potentially informing budget estimates.
Key Points
- 1Coverage and scope definitions
- 2- A “covered bill or joint resolution” means any bill or joint resolution of a public character reported by any Senate or House committee (including Appropriations and Budget).
- 3- The review relies on GAO’s existing framework for identifying duplicative or overlapping features from its annual duplication and overlap reports.
- 4GAO analysis duties
- 5- For each covered bill, GAO would assess whether there is a risk of creating a new duplicative or overlapping feature.
- 6- If such a risk exists, GAO must identify the potential new program/office/initiative and link it to the exact bill section where it would be created, and reference the GAO report that identified the existing overlap.
- 7Reporting and publication
- 8- GAO must submit this information to the Director (CBO) and the reporting committee, and publicly publish it on GAO’s website.
- 9- The Director may incorporate GAO’s findings as a supplement to the bill’s budget estimate under the Congressional Budget Act (section 402).
- 10Contingent timing and supplements
- 11- If GAO has not provided the information by the time the Director submits the budget estimate, the Director may still prepare and submit the supplement once GAO provides the data.
- 12Effective date
- 13- The act takes effect on the earlier of: (a) 60 days after the OMB Director updates the required website information, or (b) the start of the new Congress after one year from enactment.