Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

PASSED SENATE· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 872Internet, web applications, social mediaBudget deficits and national debt

Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025

INTRO MAR 5· LAST ACTION JUN 15

READING

8MIN

COSPONSORS

5BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Reported, not passed

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it aims to shine a light on billions of dollars in federal spending that are currently not easily trackable by the public. "Other transaction agreements" are a growing category of government deals, particularly in defense and research, that offer agencies more flexibility but less public oversight than traditional contracts.

If this bill becomes law, people will have a clearer picture of how their tax money is being used for these special agreements and will also get an annual summary of *all* federal spending that remains undisclosed. If it doesn't pass, a significant portion of government spending will continue to operate with less public scrutiny, potentially hindering efforts to ensure accountability and prevent waste, fraud, or abuse.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Requires all "other transaction agreements" (OTAs) entered into by federal agencies to be reported and made publicly available on USAspending.gov.

This provision increases transparency for a type of government spending that is currently not always fully disclosed, allowing the public to see more of how taxpayer money is spent.

PROVISION 02

Establishes a three-year deadline for the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure that data on OTAs is automatically transmitted and centrally viewable on USAspending.gov.

This sets a clear timeframe for agencies to implement the new reporting requirements, ensuring the data becomes accessible in a timely and user-friendly manner.

PROVISION 03

Mandates an annual report from the Secretary of the Treasury detailing the total amount of federal spending not posted to USAspending.gov and the reasons for its exclusion.

This provision provides an overarching view of all 'hidden' spending and the justification for its secrecy, further enhancing government transparency.

PROVISION 04

Requires federal agencies, if not yet compliant with OTA reporting within one or two years, to either publish an initial compilation of past OTAs or submit a plan to Congress for achieving compliance.

These interim steps create accountability mechanisms and keep Congress informed about agencies' progress in implementing the new transparency requirements.

PROVISION 05

Amends the frequency and scope of Inspector General reports on federal agency spending oversight, aligning them with existing financial reporting deadlines.

This provision updates the oversight process to ensure regular, consistent reporting on the effectiveness of spending transparency across federal agencies.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 5

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 80%

DEM 2 REP 3 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

17 EVENTS

JUN 15

Received in the House.

HOUSE · FLOOR

JUN 15

Held at the desk.

FLOOR

JUN 12

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

FLOOR

JUN 10

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.

SENATE · FLOOR

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 872

Congress119th

StatusPassed Senate

IntroducedMar 5, 2025

Last actionJun 15, 2026

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PASSED SENATE· 119TH CONGRESS · HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 5, 2025

Senate BillS 872Internet, web applications, social mediaBudget deficits and national debt

Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025

INTRODUCED MAR 5, 2025· LAST ACTION JUN 15, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

8 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Requires all "other transaction agreements" (OTAs) entered into by federal agencies to be reported and made publicly available on USAspending.gov.

This provision increases transparency for a type of government spending that is currently not always fully disclosed, allowing the public to see more of how taxpayer money is spent.

med

Establishes a three-year deadline for the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure that data on OTAs is automatically transmitted and centrally viewable on USAspending.gov.

This sets a clear timeframe for agencies to implement the new reporting requirements, ensuring the data becomes accessible in a timely and user-friendly manner.

high

Mandates an annual report from the Secretary of the Treasury detailing the total amount of federal spending not posted to USAspending.gov and the reasons for its exclusion.

This provision provides an overarching view of all 'hidden' spending and the justification for its secrecy, further enhancing government transparency.

med

These interim steps create accountability mechanisms and keep Congress informed about agencies' progress in implementing the new transparency requirements.

low

Amends the frequency and scope of Inspector General reports on federal agency spending oversight, aligning them with existing financial reporting deadlines.

This provision updates the oversight process to ensure regular, consistent reporting on the effectiveness of spending transparency across federal agencies.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment

Secretary of the Treasury must ensure data on 'other transaction agreements' is automatically transmitted and available on USAspending.gov.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment, and annually thereafter

Secretary of the Treasury must post an annual report on USAspending.gov detailing unreported federal spending and the reasons for it.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment

If the Secretary has not complied with OTA data requirements, an initial report listing and describing all OTAs from the prior fiscal year must be published.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment

If the Secretary has not complied with OTA data requirements, a plan to fully incorporate OTA data into USAspending.gov must be submitted to Congress.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment, and then aligned with existing financial audit report submission dates (e.g., 31 U.S.C. 3521(f) or 9105(a)(3))

Inspector General of each relevant agency must submit a report to Congress and make it publicly available on spending oversight.

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Other Transaction Agreement (OTA): Flexible agreements that federal agencies use for research, prototypes, or production projects, often to work with non-traditional defense contractors or to speed up development. They are not standard contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements and allow for more adaptable terms.
USAspending.gov: A public website managed by the U.S. Treasury Department that provides information on federal spending, including contracts, grants, loans, and other financial assistance awards.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA): A law that requires information about federal spending to be made publicly available via a searchable website, which is USAspending.gov. This bill amends that law.
Inspector General (IG): An official within each federal agency responsible for conducting independent audits, investigations, and inspections to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
Secretary of the Treasury: The head of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, responsible for managing the government's finances and financial infrastructure.
Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): The head of the White House office responsible for preparing the President's budget, overseeing federal agency performance, and coordinating regulations.

ACTION TIMELINE

17 EVENTS

JUN 15

Received in the House.

FLOOR

JUN 15

Held at the desk.

FLOOR

JUN 12

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

FLOOR

JUN 10

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.

FLOOR

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Committee Referrals

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs CommitteeReferred

Nov 7, 2025

senate

Related Hearings

Business meeting to consider S.854, to amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the Life Sciences Research Security Board, S.855, to require executive branch employees to report certain royalties, S.269, to improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do Not Pay working system, S.81, to require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency guidance, S.861, to streamline the sharing of information among Federal disaster assistance agencies, to expedite the delivery of life-saving assistance to disaster survivors, to speed the recovery of communities from disasters, to protect the security and privacy of information provided by disaster survivors, S.766, to require an annual report of taxpayer-funded projects that are over budget and behind schedule, S.872, to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, S.727, to correct the inequitable denial of enhanced retirement and annuity benefits to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers, S.874, to ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, S.594, to amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, S.865, to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require certain disclosures by registrants regarding exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, S.856, to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to clarify a provision relating to certain contents of registrations under that Act, S.850, to amend the Northern Border Security Review Act to require updates to the northern border threat analysis and the northern border strategy, S.848, to provide for joint reports by relevant Federal agencies to Congress regarding incidents of terrorism, and S.572, to enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program; to be immediately followed by a business meeting to consider S.1498, to amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to prohibit transactions involving certain financial instruments by Members of Congress, the nominations of Pedro Allende, of Florida, to be Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and Sean Plankey, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, both of the Department of Homeland Security, Christopher Fox, of Virginia, to be Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Edward Aloysius O'Connell, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (senate)Jul 30, 2025

Video

Hearings to examine sunshine week, focusing on bringing secret government spending to light, including S.766, to require an annual report of taxpayer-funded projects that are over budget and behind schedule, S.872, to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, S.4059, to provide requirements for Executive agency spending at the end of a fiscal year, S.4130, to pub a public price tag on all projects supported with taxpayer dollars, and S.1199, to extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain pandemic programs.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee (senate)Mar 18, 2026

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Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

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