119-s3026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3026 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 3026

 To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to require 
 cooperation with Inspector General requests, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 October 21, 2025

Mr. Blumenthal introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to require 
 cooperation with Inspector General requests, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Fast Action for Lawful Compliance 
with Oversight Needs Act of 2025'' or the ``FALCON Act''.

SEC. 2. COOPERATION WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL REQUESTS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``

Sec. 425. Cooperation with Inspector General requests
 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
 `appropriate congressional committees' means--
 ``
        (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
 Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
 ``
        (B) the Committee on Oversight and Government 
 Reform of the House of Representatives; and
 ``
            (C) any other relevant congressional committee or 
 subcommittee of jurisdiction.
 ``

    (2) Covered agency.--The term `covered agency' means the 
 following:
 ``
        (A) An establishment.
 ``
        (B) A designated Federal entity, as defined in 
 

section 415.
 ``

    (3) Covered request.--The term `covered request'--
 ``
        (A) means a request for information, access, or 
 assistance under 

section 406, including an interview or 
 access for documents; and
 ``
        (B) does not include a request for--
 ``
            (i) access to any information with 
 respect to which Congress has, in accordance 
 with 

section 406

    (a)

    (1)
        (B) , limited the right of 
 access of the Inspector General;
 ``
            (ii) information or assistance under 
 paragraph

    (1) or

    (3) of 

section 406

    (a) that is, 
 in the judgment of an Inspector General, 
 reasonably refused or not provided;
 ``
            (iii) access to any information or 
 assistance prohibited by--
 ``
            (I) the Secretary of Defense 
 pursuant to 

section 408

    (b)

    (2) ;
 ``
            (II) the Secretary of Treasury 
 pursuant to 

section 412;
 ``
            (III) the Attorney General 
 pursuant to 

section 413;
 ``
            (IV) the Secretary of Homeland 
 Security pursuant to 

section 417; or
 ``
            (V) the Secretary of Energy 
 pursuant to 

section 421; or
 ``
            (iv) grand jury materials--
 ``
            (I) that are protected from 
 disclosure pursuant to rule 6

    (e) of the 
 Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure; 
 and
 ``
            (II) with respect to which the 
 Attorney General has not granted the 
 Inspector General access.
 ``

    (4) Inspector general.--The term `Inspector General' 
 means an Inspector General of a covered agency.
 ``

    (b) Requirement To Comply With IG Requests.--Any officer or 
employee of a covered agency (including the head of such agency and any 
political appointee of such agency), grant recipient of a covered 
agency (or any subgrantee thereof at any tier), or contractor of a 
covered agency (or any subcontractor thereof at any tier) that receives 
a covered request from an Inspector General shall comply with such 
request not later than 60 days after receiving such request.
 ``
            (c) Appropriate Administrative Discipline.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Any individual or entity described under 
 subsection

    (b) that receives a covered request from an 
 Inspector General and fails to comply with such request in 
 accordance with such subsection may be subject to appropriate 
 administrative discipline, including as applicable and when 
 circumstances so warrant--
 ``
        (A) removal or suspension without pay when the 
 circumstance warrants such discipline; or
 ``
        (B) an adverse contract action.
 ``

    (2) Limitation.--Any discipline under this subsection--
 ``
        (A) with respect to an officer, employee, grant 
 recipient, subgrantee, contractor, or subcontractor 
 shall be at the sole discretion of the head of the 
 covered agency concerned; and
 ``
        (B) with respect to the head of a covered agency, 
 shall be at the sole discretion of the President.
 ``
            (d) Notification.--
 ``

    (1) With respect to failure to comply.--If an individual 
 or entity described under subsection

    (b) receives a covered 
 request from an Inspector General, and the Inspector General 
 determines that the individual or entity failed to comply with 
 such request in accordance with such subsection, such Inspector 
 General shall, not later than 30 days after making such 
 determination, submit to the appropriate congressional 
 committees and the head of such agency a notification regarding 
 such noncompliance.
 ``

    (2) Contents.--Each notification required by paragraph

    (1) shall include the following:
 ``
        (A) With respect to the individual or entity that 
 failed to comply with the request--
 ``
            (i) the job title of such individual (in 
 the case that the individual is an officer or 
 employee of a covered agency), or the name of 
 the individual or entity (in the case that the 
 individual or entity is a contractor, 
 subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee); and
 ``
            (ii) the organizational unit of the 
 agency within which the individual or entity 
 works.
 ``
        (B) The date on which the request was initially 
 made.
 ``
            (C) The general subject matter of the information 
 requested.
 ``

    (3) Form.--The notification required by paragraph

    (1) shall be in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
 annex containing additional information relating to the general 
 subject matter of any information requested.''.

    (b) Directives.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the head of each covered agency (as such term is defined 
in 

section 425 of title 5, United States Code (as added by subsection

    (a) )) shall make explicit in writing to all personnel of the agency 
(and shall consider updating any agency personnel directives or 
policies) to specify, that if any such personnel does not comply within 
60 days with a request for an interview or access to documents from the 
Inspector General of the covered agency in accordance with 

section 425 
of title 5, United Sates Code, such personnel may be subject to 
appropriate administrative discipline (including, as applicable and 
when circumstances so warrant, suspension without pay or removal or an 
adverse contract action) under such section.
            (c) Technical Amendments.--The table of sections for chapter 4 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``425. Cooperation with Inspector General requests.''.
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