Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
Latest Action
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
Official Summary
Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate. Specifically, the bill requires OMB to issue guidance directing federal agencies to annually submit specified information to OMB regarding certain federally funded projects that (1) are more than five years behind schedule, or (2) have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project. Among other information, the agencies must submit to OMB a description of each project;an explanation of any change to the original scope of the project;the original and current expected dates for the completion of the project;the original and current cost estimates adjusted for inflation; an explanation for any delays in completing the project or increases in the cost; andthe amount of and rationale for any award, incentive fee, or other type of bonus awarded for the project.The bill also requires OMB to submit an annual report to Congress containing the information submitted by the agencies and post the report on the OMB website.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 mandates the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect detailed information from federal agencies about federally funded projects that are significantly delayed or have cost overruns exceeding $1 billion. Agencies must annually report project descriptions, scope changes, original and updated timelines and costs, reasons for delays or cost increases, and details on any bonuses or incentives awarded. OMB is then required to compile this data into an annual report to Congress and make it publicly available on its website. The bill aims to increase transparency and oversight of large federal projects with substantial delays or cost overruns.
This bill establishes a formal process for tracking and publicly reporting on major federal projects that are behind schedule or over budget by large margins, enhancing congressional oversight and public transparency.
- Requires federal agencies to annually report on projects delayed by more than five years or exceeding original cost estimates by at least $1 billion.
- Reports must include project descriptions, scope changes, timeline and cost updates, explanations for delays or cost increases, and details on any awards or bonuses.
- OMB must compile agency submissions into an annual report for Congress and post it on its website.
['Congress, by receiving detailed information to support oversight of large federal projects.', 'Federal agencies, through standardized reporting guidance from OMB.', 'The general public, via increased transparency on costly or delayed federal projects.']
['Implementation challenges related to consistent and accurate data collection across diverse federal agencies.', 'Potential administrative burden on agencies to compile detailed annual reports.', 'Costs associated with OMB’s processing, analysis, and publication of the annual report.', 'The bill text does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for noncompliance.']
The bill is currently in process and has had hearings in the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. It addresses ongoing concerns about federal project management, cost overruns, and delays by formalizing reporting requirements to improve transparency and congressional oversight.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Improved transparency may lead to increased congressional scrutiny of federal project management.', 'Public availability of project data could influence contractor and agency behavior regarding project timelines and budgets.', 'Standardized reporting may facilitate identification of systemic issues in federal project execution.']
The bill enhances transparency by mandating detailed annual reporting on large federal projects with significant delays or cost overruns. However, the absence of enforcement provisions for agency compliance and the potential administrative burden on agencies and OMB are important oversight considerations. Monitoring how agencies implement these reporting requirements and how OMB manages and disseminates the information will be critical to the bill’s effectiveness.
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