Federal bureau would publish searchable records of business enforcement cases

The Bureau of Justice Statistics would publish a searchable, downloadable public database of corporate enforcement actions. Coverage would include federal violations or alleged violations by businesses or workers acting in their jobs, plus other violations the director designates. Covered actions would include completed agency cases, settlements, agreements to delay or avoid prosecution, and decisions not to prosecute. The bureau would publish the database within one year after enactment and update it whenever information is collected.

Database entries would identify businesses and individuals and describe alleged offenses and enforcement outcomes. Entries would include names, unique identifiers, relevant laws, agencies involved, and documents explaining any outcome. Employers and parent companies would be included when the director finds them relevant. Historical coverage would depend on available information.

Selected federal agencies would send enforcement information to the bureau under the director's guidance. The Chief Data Officer Council would identify ways to improve and standardize how agencies collect, share, and publish these records. The director would decide which agencies report, what they submit, and how and when they submit it. The director would issue collection guidance within 180 days after enactment.

The bureau's director would send Congress yearly reports on corporate offenses and enforcement. Reports would examine repeat offenses, alleged offenses, and enforcement actions and recommend ways agencies could monitor, respond to, and deter offenses. The director would consult the Attorney General when developing recommendations. The first report would be due within one year after database publication, with reports every year afterward.