Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025
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The bill would require federal agencies to report spending under "other transaction agreements" — flexible contracting tools exempt from many procurement rules — on the USAspending.gov website, closing a gap in public federal spending data.
It would also require Treasury to publish an annual report on unreported federal spending and its reasons, and require inspector general reviews of agency spending-data quality for a decade, aiming to make federal spending more transparent and harder to obscure.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to expand the definition of "federal award" to include other transaction agreements (OTAs), contracting instruments that are exempt from many standard procurement laws and are not currently required to be posted on USAspending.gov. Within three years of enactment, the Treasury Department would have to ensure OTA data is automatically transmitted to the website with a centralized view. Treasury would also have to publish an annual report on federal spending not posted to the site and why, and determine every two years which agencies must report data. The bill would also revise inspector general reporting deadlines on agency spending-data quality for ten years, tighten agency responsibility for data accuracy, and direct the Government Accountability Office to recommend updates to a related federal acquisition regulation clause. It does not eliminate the exemptions OTAs have from procurement law itself.
Key provisions
- 1Would expand the definition of "federal award" under the Transparency Act to include other transaction agreements, requiring their reporting to USAspending.gov
- 2Would require Treasury to automatically transmit OTA data to USAspending.gov with a centralized view within 3 years of enactment
- 3Would require an annual Treasury report on unposted federal spending data and the reasons it was not posted
- 4Would require an implementation plan and interim compilation report if Treasury has not met OTA reporting deadlines
- 5Would revise inspector general reporting deadlines requiring periodic public reports on agency spending-data quality for 10 years
- 6Would require Treasury to determine which agencies must report spending data, publish the list, and establish data accuracy and display standards
- 7Would direct the Government Accountability Office to recommend updates to a related Federal Acquisition Regulation clause
Who would be affected
Federal agencies that use other transaction agreements, including defense and research agencies that rely on OTAs for flexible contracting; the Department of the Treasury and Office of Management and Budget, which must build and oversee the reporting system; agency inspectors general; and members of the public and Congress who use USAspending.gov to track federal spending.
Why it matters
Other transaction agreements have grown as a way to award federal money quickly outside standard contracting rules, but their spending has not been consistently visible on the government's public spending database. Requiring this data on USAspending.gov would give Congress, watchdogs, and the public more complete visibility into how agencies spend money through these less-regulated instruments.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) (Sec. 2(a))
Expands the definition of federal award to include other transaction agreements, requiring their reporting to USAspending.gov
Amends Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) (Sec. 2(b)-2(c), Sec. 3(b))
Adds requirements for automatic transmission of OTA data, an annual unreported-spending report, and agency reporting determinations
Amends Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) (Sec. 3(a))
Revises inspector general reporting deadlines to require reports on agency spending data quality for 10 years
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Treasury must ensure OTA data is automatically transmitted to USAspending.gov
- First annual report on unposted federal spending data
- Initial compilation report on other transaction agreements, if Treasury has not yet complied
- Implementation plan to Congress, if Treasury has not yet complied
- First inspector general report on agency spending data quality
- Inspector general reporting requirement duration
- First agency reporting determination and published list by Treasury
- GAO recommendations on updates to Federal Acquisition Regulation clause 52.204-10
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 would increase federal administrative costs by less than $500,000 over the 2026–2030 period, with a negligible effect on the deficit.
CBO estimates that S. 872 would increase federal administrative costs by less than $500,000 over the 2026–2030 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds (i.e., Congress would need to provide funding). The bill would require the Department of the Treasury to publish more information about federal spending, direct Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget to set data-quality standards, and require inspectors general to report to Congress every two years on data accuracy. Any changes to direct spending — the category of spending that flows automatically without annual congressional approval — would be negligible, as most affected agencies can adjust the fees they collect to offset any new operating costs. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
Treasury, working with the Office of Management and Budget, would build automated data feeds from agencies for other transaction agreement spending into USAspending.gov within three years, with interim compilation reports and an implementation plan to Congress if deadlines slip. Treasury would also periodically determine and publish which agencies must report, publish an annual report on unposted spending and why, and set data-accuracy and display standards. Agency inspectors general would independently assess and publicly report on their agency's spending-data quality every two years for a decade, and the Government Accountability Office would separately review a related federal contracting regulation.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Held at the desk.
Official CRS summary
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This bill expands a requirement for federal agencies to report expenditures on the USAspending.gov website to include other transaction agreement expenditures. (Other transaction agreements, or OTAs, are contractual instruments other than standard procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements; they are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations).
Under current law, federal agencies must report expenditures on federal awards to USAspending.gov with the term federal award defined as federal grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and certain other types of expenditures. This bill expands the definition of federal award to include expenditures under OTAs, and therefore such expenditures must be included on the USAspending.gov website.
The Department of the Treasury must ensure that data relating to OTAs are automatically transmitted to the website and a centralized view of this data is available on the website. Treasury must also annually post on the USAspending.gov website a report that includes (1) the total amount of federal spending on federal awards for which data has not been posted on the website, and (2) the reason why such spending data was not posted.
For 10 years after enactment, the Office of Inspector General of specified federal agencies must periodically submit to Congress and make publicly available a report assessing the agency's spending data and use of data standards.
Legislative subjects
Budget deficits and national debt; Congressional oversight; Government Operations and Politics; Government information and archives; Internet, web applications, social media