AMENDING CHAPTERS 4, 10, AND 131 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THOSE CHAPTERS CURRENT AND TO CORRECT RELATED TECHNICAL ERRORS

On 2026-08-31, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) delivered a floor speech titled "AMENDING CHAPTERS 4, 10, AND 131 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THOSE CHAPTERS CURRENT AND TO CORR" in the House.

AMENDING CHAPTERS 4, 10, AND 131 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THOSE CHAPTERS CURRENT AND TO CORRECT RELATED TECHNICAL ERRORS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 137 (Monday, August 31, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 137 (Monday, August 31, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5282-H5295] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] AMENDING CHAPTERS 4, 10, AND 131 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THOSE CHAPTERS CURRENT AND TO CORRECT RELATED TECHNICAL ERRORS Mr. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4465) to amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4465 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS. The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Table of contents. Sec. 2. Purpose; effect on existing law. Sec. 3. Amendments to chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code. Sec. 4. Subsequent amendments. Sec. 5. Conforming amendments. Sec. 6. Transitional and savings provisions. SEC. 2. PURPOSE; EFFECT ON EXISTING LAW. (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary-- (1) to keep those chapters current by incorporating laws enacted after October 19, 2021, that are deemed to amend or repeal provisions of those chapters pursuant to section 5 of Public Law 117-286 (136 Stat. 4360); and (2) to correct related technical errors. (b) Effect on Existing Law.--The amendments made by this Act do not change the meaning or effect of the existing law. The amendments only incorporate laws as described in subsection (a) to reflect existing law in chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, and correct related technical errors. SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTERS 4, 10, AND 131 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE. (a) Chapter 4 of Title 5, United States Code.-- (1) Section 401.-- (A) Section 401 of title 5, United States Code, is amended-- (i) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6), respectively; and (ii) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the following new paragraph (1): ``(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term `appropriate congressional committees' means-- ``(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; ``(B) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives; and ``(C) any other relevant congressional committee or subcommittee of jurisdiction.''. (B) Section 401(5) of title 5, United States Code, as redesignated by subparagraph (A), is amended to read as follows: ``(5) Inspector general.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, the term `Inspector General' means the Inspector General of an establishment.''. (2) Section 403.-- (A) Section 403(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``(b) Removal or Transfer.-- ``(1) Authority of president; written communication.-- ``(A) In general.--An Inspector General may be removed from office by the President. If an Inspector General is removed from office or is transferred to another position or location within an establishment, the President shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons, for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate congressional committees), not later than 30 days before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or removal. ``(B) Written communication requirements in case of open or completed inquiry.--If there is an open or completed inquiry into an Inspector General that relates to the removal or transfer of the Inspector General under subparagraph (A), the written communication required under that subparagraph shall-- ``(i) identify each entity that is conducting, or that conducted, the inquiry; and ``(ii) in the case of a completed inquiry, contain the findings made during the inquiry. [[Page H5283]] ``(2) Placement on non-duty status.-- ``(A) Definition of inspector general; certain references.--In this paragraph: ``(i) Inspector general.--The term `Inspector General'-- ``(I) means an Inspector General who was appointed by the President, without regard to whether the Senate provided advice and consent with respect to that appointment; and ``(II) includes the Inspector General of an establishment, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. ``(ii) Certain references relating to removal or transfer.--A reference to the removal or transfer of an Inspector General under paragraph (1), or to the written communication described in that paragraph, shall be considered to be-- ``(I) in the case of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a reference to section 1229(c)(6) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181, 5 U.S.C. 415 note); ``(II) in the case of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a reference to section 121(b)(4) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (12 U.S.C. 5231(b)(4)); and ``(III) in the case of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, a reference to section 4018(b)(3) of the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9053(b)(3)). ``(B) Authority of president.--Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, only the President may place an Inspector General on non-duty status. ``(C) Written communication.--If the President places an Inspector General on non-duty status, the President shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons, for the change in status to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate congressional committees) not later than 15 days before the date on which the change in status takes effect, except that the President may submit that communication not later than the date on which the change in status takes effect if-- ``(i) the President has made a determination that the continued presence of the Inspector General in the workplace poses a threat described in any of clauses (i) through (iv) of section 6329b(b)(2)(A) of this title; and ``(ii) in the communication, the President includes a report on the determination described in clause (i), which shall include-- ``(I) a specification of which clause of section 6329b(b)(2)(A) of this title the President has determined applies under clause (i) of this subparagraph; ``(II) the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons, for the determination made under clause (i); ``(III) an identification of each entity that is conducting, or that conducted, any inquiry upon which the determination under clause (i) was made; and ``(IV) in the case of an inquiry described in subclause (III) that is completed, the findings made during that inquiry. ``(D) Placing inspector general on non-duty status during specified period before removal or transfer.--The President may not place an Inspector General on non-duty status during the 30-day period preceding the date on which the Inspector General is removed or transferred under paragraph (1)(A) unless the President-- ``(i) has made a determination that the continued presence of the Inspector General in the workplace poses a threat described in any of clauses (i) through (iv) of section 6329b(b)(2)(A) of this title; and ``(ii) not later than the date on which the change in status takes effect, submits to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate congressional committees) a written communication that contains the information required under subparagraph (C), including the report required under clause (ii) of that subparagraph.''. (B) Section 403(d)(1)(C) of title 5, United States Code, is amended-- (i) in clause (i), in the matter before subclause (I), by inserting ``, including employees of that Office of Inspector General'' after ``employees''; and (ii) in clause (iii), by inserting ``(including the Integrity Committee of that Council)'' after ``and Efficiency''. (C) Section 403 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(h) Vacancy in Position of Inspector General.-- ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection: ``(A) First assistant to the position of inspector general.--The term `first assistant to the position of Inspector General' means, with respect to an Office of Inspector General-- ``(i) an individual who, as of the day before the date on which the Inspector General dies, resigns, or otherwise becomes unable to perform the functions and duties of that position-- ``(I) is serving in a position in that Office; and ``(II) has been designated in writing by the Inspector General, through an order of succession or otherwise, as the first assistant to the position of Inspector General; or ``(ii) if the Inspector General has not made a designation described in clause (i)(II)-- ``(I) the Principal Deputy Inspector General of that Office, as of the day before the date on which the Inspector General dies, resigns, or otherwise becomes unable to perform the functions and duties of that position; or ``(II) if there is no Principal Deputy Inspector General of that Office, the Deputy Inspector General of that Office, as of the day before the date on which the Inspector General dies, resigns, or otherwise becomes unable to perform the functions and duties of that position. ``(B) Inspector general.--The term `Inspector General'-- ``(i) means an Inspector General who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; and ``(ii) incl

Referenced legislation: HR4465, HR4465