CLEAR DPA Accountability Act

Summary#

This bill changes how the Defense Production Act (DPA) committee is run and creates a public registry of how DPA authorities are used. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to appoint a full-time Chairperson from the Senior Executive Service to lead the Committee and report directly to the Secretary. The Chairperson must provide information to committee members about meeting schedules, needed data, and planning for use of DPA authorities. Agencies must each name an SES coordinator to work with the Chairperson within 90 days. The Secretary must ensure the Chairperson has staff and must submit funding requests for the Committee as part of the President's budget. The Comptroller General must report within two years on the Committee's coordination and planning.

The bill also adds a new section creating a secure electronic DPA Registry. The Registry must be established within one year and list every federal use of DPA authorities going back one year before the bill's enactment. For each entry it must say why the authority was used and how it supported national defense. Agency heads must enter past data within 180 days of the Registry going live and update it every quarter. The Secretary must secure the Registry against cyber attacks. The Registry must allow different access levels for federal users, congressional users, and the public, but the Secretary may limit access to sensitive national security information.

What it means for you#

  • Federal agencies: must name a coordinator, provide required data to the Chairperson, populate the Registry, and update it quarterly.
  • Committee leadership: a full-time Commerce senior executive will lead the DPA Committee and report to the Secretary of Commerce.
  • Congress and public: will be able to access much of the Registry information, subject to national security limits.
  • Oversight: the Comptroller General will review Committee coordination and provide recommendations within two years.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on total costs or budget amounts. The bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to provide staff and resources for the Chairperson, submit funding requests for the Committee in the President's budget, and to build and secure a new electronic DPA Registry, but it does not specify dollar amounts.

Proponents' View#

The bill aims to strengthen leadership, coordination, planning, and accountability for the use of DPA authorities by creating a full-time Commerce Chairperson, requiring agency coordinators, and making uses of the DPA visible through a secure Registry. Supporters present these changes as ways to improve transparency and resilience while protecting sensitive information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.