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HR 4878
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Improper Payments Information Act of 2002

October 17, 2002. Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 4878) entitled ``An Act to provide for estimates and reports of improper payments by Federal agencies.'', do pass with the following AMENDMENT: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Improper Payments Information Act of 2002''. SEC. 2. ESTIMATES OF IMPROPER PAYMENTS AND REPORTS ON ACTIONS TO REDUCE THEM. (a) Identification of Susceptible Programs and Activities.--The head of each agency shall, in accordance with guidance prescribed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, annually review all programs and activities that it administers and identify all such programs and activities that may be susceptible to significant improper payments. (b) Estimation of Improper Payment.--With respect to each program and activity identified under subsection (a), the head of the agency concerned shall-- (1) estimate the annual amount of improper payments; and (2) submit those estimates to Congress before March 31 of the following applicable year, with all agencies using the same method of reporting, as determined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (c) Reports on Actions To Reduce Improper Payments.--With respect to any program or activity of an agency with estimated improper payments under subsection (b) that exceed $10,000,000, the head of the agency shall provide with the estimate under subsection (b) a report on what actions the agency is taking to reduce the improper payments, including-- (1) a discussion of the causes of the improper payments identified, actions taken to correct those causes, and results of the actions taken to address those causes; (2) a statement of whether the agency has the information systems and other infrastructure it needs in order to reduce improper payments to minimal cost-effective levels; (3) if the agency does not have such systems and infrastructure, a description of the resources the agency has requested in its budget submission to obtain the necessary information systems and infrastructure; and (4) a description of the steps the agency has taken to ensure that agency managers (including the agency head) are held accountable for reducing improper payments. (d) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section: (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means an executive agency, as that term is defined in section 102 of title 31, United States Code. (2) Improper payment.--The term ``improper payment''-- (A) means any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount (including overpayments and underpayments) under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements; and (B) includes any payment to an ineligible recipient, any payment for an ineligible service, any duplicate payment, payments for services not received, and any payment that does not account for credit for applicable discounts. (3) Payment.--The term ``payment'' means any payment (including a commitment for future payment, such as a loan guarantee) that is-- (A) made by a Federal agency, a Federal contractor, or a governmental or other organization administering a Federal program or activity; and (B) derived from Federal funds or other Federal resources or that will be reimbursed from Federal funds or other Federal resources. (e) Application.--This section-- (1) applies with respect to the administration of programs, and improper payments under programs, in fiscal years after fiscal year 2002; and (2) requires the inclusion of estimates under subsection (b)(2) only in annual budget submissions for fiscal years after fiscal year 2003. (f) Guidance by the Office of Management and Budget.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prescribe guidance to implement the requirements of this section. Attest: Secretary. H. R. 4878

Introduced Jun 6, 2002

Latest action (Nov 26, 2002) Became Public Law No: 107-300.

Referred to
Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Legislative subjects (22)
CongressCongressional reporting requirementsCost accountingCost controlCost effectivenessData banksEconomics and Public FinanceFederal aid programsFederal budgetsFederal employeesFederally-guaranteed loansFederal officialsFinance and Financial SectorGovernment liabilityGovernment procurementInformation technologyLawPerformance measurementRating of executivesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSubsidiesWaste in government spending

Summary

The bill requires federal agencies to annually identify programs and activities susceptible to significant improper payments and estimate the annual amount of such improper payments. Agencies must report these estimates to Congress before March 31 each year using a uniform reporting method determined by the Office of Management and Budget. For programs with estimated improper payments exceeding $10 million, agencies must also provide detailed reports on the causes of improper payments, corrective actions being taken, needed information systems and infrastructure, budget requests for those systems, and measures to hold managers accountable for reducing improper payments.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
5 cosponsors

Actions (27)
  1. Nov 26, 2002 Became Public Law No: 107-300. · house
  2. Nov 26, 2002 Signed by President. · house
  3. Nov 15, 2002 Presented to President. · house
  4. Nov 12, 2002 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  5. Nov 12, 2002 On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote. (consideration: CR H8085-8086; text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H8085) · house
  6. Nov 12, 2002 Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.(consideration: CR H8085-8086; text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H8085)
  7. Nov 12, 2002 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4878. · house
  8. Nov 12, 2002 Mr. Horn moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment. · house
  9. Nov 4, 2002 By Senator Lieberman from Committee on Governmental Affairs filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 10/17/2002. Report No. 107-333. · senate
  10. Oct 21, 2002 Message on Senate action sent to the House. · senate
  11. Oct 17, 2002 Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S10752; text as passed Senate: CR S10752; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S10752) · senate
  12. Oct 17, 2002 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S10752; text as passed Senate: CR S10752; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S10752)
  13. Oct 15, 2002 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 727. · senate
  14. Oct 15, 2002 Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman without amendment. Without written report. · senate
  15. Oct 9, 2002 Committee on Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. · senate
  16. Jul 11, 2002 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. · senate
  17. Jul 9, 2002 The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. · house
  18. Jul 9, 2002 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  19. Jul 9, 2002 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4378-4379) · house
  20. Jul 9, 2002 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4378-4379)
  21. Jul 9, 2002 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4878. · house
  22. Jul 9, 2002 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4378-4380) · house
  23. Jul 9, 2002 Mr. Horn moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. · house
  24. Jun 18, 2002 Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. · house
  25. Jun 18, 2002 Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations. · house
  26. Jun 6, 2002 Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform. · house
  27. Jun 6, 2002 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

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  • S 803 — E-Government Act of 2002 (shares 10 subjects)
  • HR 4857 — Government Waste, Fraud, and Error Reduction Act of 1998 (shares 10 subjects)
  • HR 3857 — Economic Equity Act of 1996 (shares 10 subjects)
  • S 2045 — CPSC Reform Act of 2007 (shares 9 subjects)
  • HR 5130 — Secure Borders Act (shares 9 subjects)
  • HR 3666 — Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 (shares 9 subjects)
  • HR 4852 — Oceans Act of 1994 (shares 9 subjects)
  • S 1072 — Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2004 (shares 8 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HRES 1345 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8312) to establish fraud prevention and program integrity functions and data sharing authorities within the Department of Treasury and a permanent governmentwide Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8464) to amend title 31, United States Code, to authorize pausing and segmenting payments, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1335) condemning actors seeking to defraud the United States Government, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that governmentwide fraud and improper payment prevention reforms will meaningfully improve the financial prosperity of the United States, and that Federal program eligibility should be verified before payment; and providing for consideration of the bill (S. 2) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 33. · Passed House Jun 9, 2026 · Cong. 119 69%
  • HRES 211 — Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 25) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Internal Revenue Service relating to ‘‘Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuating Digital Asset Sales’’; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1156) to amend the CARES Act to extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain unemployment programs, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1968) making further continuing appropriations and other extensions for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes; and for other purposes. · Passed House Sep 16, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HCONRES 14 — Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034. · Passed Senate May 20, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HRES 282 — Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 18) disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions''; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 28) disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to ''Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications''; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1526) to amend title 28, United States Code, to limit the authority of district courts to provide injunctive relief, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 22) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes; and for other purposes. · Passed House Apr 1, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • HRES 294 — Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 18) disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions"; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 28) disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications"; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1526) to amend title 28, United States Code, to limit the authority of district courts to provide injunctive relief, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 22) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes; and for other purposes. · Passed House Apr 8, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • HR 6157 — Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 · Became Law Sep 28, 2018 · Cong. 115 60%

Full text

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 4878 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

In the Senate of the United States,

October 17, 2002. Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 4878) entitled “An Act to provide for estimates and reports of improper payments by Federal agencies.”, do pass with the following

AMENDMENT:

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Improper Payments Information Act of 2002”.

SEC. 2. ESTIMATES OF IMPROPER PAYMENTS AND REPORTS ON ACTIONS TO REDUCE THEM.

(a) Identification of Susceptible Programs and Activities.—The head of each agency shall, in accordance with guidance prescribed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, annually review all programs and activities that it administers and identify all such programs and activities that may be susceptible to significant improper payments.

(b) Estimation of Improper Payment.—With respect to each program and activity identified under subsection (a), the head of the agency concerned shall—

(1) estimate the annual amount of improper payments; and

(2) submit those estimates to Congress before March 31 of the following applicable year, with all agencies using the same method of reporting, as determined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(c) Reports on Actions To Reduce Improper Payments.—With respect to any program or activity of an agency with estimated improper payments under subsection (b) that exceed $10,000,000, the head of the agency shall provide with the estimate under subsection (b) a report on what actions the agency is taking to reduce the improper payments, including—

(1) a discussion of the causes of the improper payments identified, actions taken to correct those causes, and results of the actions taken to address those causes;

(2) a statement of whether the agency has the information systems and other infrastructure it needs in order to reduce improper payments to minimal cost-effective levels;

(3) if the agency does not have such systems and infrastructure, a description of the resources the agency has requested in its budget submission to obtain the necessary information systems and infrastructure; and

(4) a description of the steps the agency has taken to ensure that agency managers (including the agency head) are held accountable for reducing improper payments.

(d) Definitions.—For the purposes of this section:

(1) Agency.—The term “agency” means an executive agency, as that term is defined in section 102 of title 31, United States Code.

(2) Improper payment.—The term “improper payment”—

(A) means any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount (including overpayments and underpayments) under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements; and

(B) includes any payment to an ineligible recipient, any payment for an ineligible service, any duplicate payment, payments for services not received, and any payment that does not account for credit for applicable discounts.

(3) Payment.—The term “payment” means any payment (including a commitment for future payment, such as a loan guarantee) that is—

(A) made by a Federal agency, a Federal contractor, or a governmental or other organization administering a Federal program or activity; and

(B) derived from Federal funds or other Federal resources or that will be reimbursed from Federal funds or other Federal resources.

(e) Application.—This section—

(1) applies with respect to the administration of programs, and improper payments under programs, in fiscal years after fiscal year 2002; and

(2) requires the inclusion of estimates under subsection

(b)(2) only in annual budget submissions for fiscal years after fiscal year 2003.

(f) Guidance by the Office of Management and Budget.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prescribe guidance to implement the requirements of this section.

Attest:

Secretary. 107th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 4878

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