Ricketts, Rosen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Transparency on Improper Federal Payments
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Improper Payments Transparency Act. The bill would require that the President’s annual budget request include clear and comprehensive data on the improper payments made by federal agencies. Ricketts is a member of the Senate DOGE Caucus.
“When federal agencies waste money, it means less money for essential services, national defense, or deficit reduction,” said Senator Ricketts. “Transparency brings accountability. My bipartisan bill will highlight where money is being misspent so we can combat waste and save taxpayer dollars.”
“We owe it to the hardworking people of Nevada to make sure that the federal government is using their tax dollars efficiently and responsibly,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan legislation will help to increase transparency and cut down on wasteful government spending. I’ll keep working to clean up Washington and look after American taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”
The bill was first covered by Fox News here. Bill text can be found here.
BACKGROUND
Improper payments are defined by U.S. code as any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount, including an overpayment or underpayment, under a statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirement.
Since 2003, the Government Accountability Office estimates that the federal government has made $2.8 trillion in improper payments. GAO estimated $236 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2023 and $161.6 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2024. The true cost of improper payments is likely higher due to a lack of reporting requirements. In FY23, the GAO reported that 10 of 24 executive branch agencies required to report improper payment information did not fully comply.
The Improper Payments Transparency Act would require clear data on improper payments in the President’s annual budget request, including:
- Descriptions of programs required to submit improper payment reports;
- Detailed explanations of why improper payments occurred;
- Trends in improper payment amounts;
- Corrective actions agencies will take to reduce improper payments.
The National Taxpayers Union named the legislation to their 2024 “No Brainers” List as one of the top bipartisan bills for taxpayers.