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S. 252Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

GOOD Act

Sponsored by Ron JohnsonSen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Introduced January 24, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 17, 2026 at 4:41 AM UTC

The Guidance Out Of Darkness (GOOD) Act would make federal agency guidance documents publicly available online. It requires each agency to post new guidance on a single, OMB‑designated website and to upload all existing guidance within 180 days of the law’s enactment. The Act also sets rules for how rescinded guidance is kept online and exempts documents that are protected by FOIA exemptions.

Key Provisions

  • Within 90 days, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must choose a website where all agency guidance will be posted.
  • When an agency issues new guidance, it must publish the document on that website on the same day.
  • All guidance that is already in effect must be posted to the website within 180 days of the law’s start date.
  • Guidance documents must be organized, searchable, and provided as open government data assets.
  • If a guidance document is rescinded, the agency must keep it online and clearly label it as rescinded, including the rescission date and any related court case number.
  • Documents exempt from FOIA disclosure are not required to be posted under this Act.
  • The Comptroller General must report to Congress on agency compliance within five years of enactment.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 565.

September 14, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 24, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

January 24, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

August 6, 2026

SenateCommittee

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

September 14, 2026

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 565.

September 14, 2026

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued September 14, 2026

II

Calendar No. 565

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 252

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 24, 2025

Mr. Johnson (for himself, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Tillis, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Budd, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Lee, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Risch, and Mr. McCormick) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

September 14, 2026

Reported by Mr. Paul, with an amendment

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic

A BILL

To increase access to agency guidance documents.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Guidance Out Of Darkness Act or the GOOD Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Agency

The term agency has the meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

(2)

Director

The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(3)

Guidance document

(A)

Definition

The term guidance document—

(i)

means an agency statement of general applicability (other than a rule that has the force and effect of law promulgated in accordance with the notice and comment procedures under section 553 of title 5, United States Code) that—

(I)

does not have the force and effect of law; and

(II)

is designated by an agency official as setting forth—

(aa)

a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue; or

(bb)

an interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue; and

(ii)

may include—

(I)

a memorandum;

(II)

a notice;

(III)

a bulletin;

(IV)

a directive;

(V)

a news release;

(VI)

a letter;

(VII)

a blog post;

(VIII)

a no-action letter;

(IX)

a speech by an agency official; and

(X)

any combination of the items described in subclauses (I) through (IX).

(B)

Rule of construction

The term guidance document—

(i)

shall be construed broadly to effectuate the purpose and intent of this Act; and

(ii)

shall not be limited to the items described in subparagraph (A)(ii).

3.

Publication of guidance documents on the internet

(a)

In general

Subject to subsection (d), on the date on which an agency issues a guidance document, the agency shall publish the guidance document in accordance with the requirements under subsection (c).

(b)

Previously issued guidance documents

Subject to subsection (d), not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall publish, in accordance with the requirements under subsection (c), any guidance document issued by that agency that is in effect on that date.

(c)

Single location

(1)

In general

All guidance documents published under subsections (a) and (b) by an agency shall be published in a single location on an internet website designated by the Director under paragraph (4).

(2)

Agency internet websites

Each agency shall, for guidance documents published by the agency under subsections (a) and (b), publish a hyperlink on the internet website of the agency that provides access to the guidance documents at the location described in paragraph (1).

(3)

Organization

(A)

In general

The guidance documents described in paragraph (1) shall be—

(i)

categorized as guidance documents; and

(ii)

further divided into subcategories as appropriate.

(B)

Agency internet websites

The hyperlinks described in paragraph (2) shall be prominently displayed on the internet website of the agency.

(4)

Designation

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate an internet website on which guidance documents shall be published under subsections (a) and (b).

(d)

Documents and information exempt from disclosure under FOIA

If a guidance document issued by an agency is a document that is exempt from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act), or contains information that is exempt from disclosure under that section, that document or information, as the case may be, shall not be subject to the requirements under this Act.

(e)

Rescinded guidance documents

On the date on which a guidance document issued by an agency is rescinded, or, in the case of a guidance document that is rescinded pursuant to a court order, not later than the date on which the order is entered, the agency shall, at the location described in subsection (c)(1)—

(1)

maintain the rescinded guidance document; and

(2)

indicate—

(A)

that the guidance document is rescinded;

(B)

if the guidance document was rescinded pursuant to a court order, the case number of the case in which the order was entered; and

(C)

the date on which the guidance document was rescinded.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Guidance Out Of Darkness Act or the GOOD Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Agency

The term agency has the meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

(2)

Director

The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(3)

Guidance document

(A)

In general

The term guidance document—

(i)

means an agency statement of general applicability (other than a rule that has the force and effect of law that was promulgated in accordance with the notice and comment procedures under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, or a statutory exemption to such procedures) that—

(I)

does not have the force and effect of law; and

(II)

is designated by an agency official as setting forth—

(aa)

a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue; or

(bb)

an interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue; and

(ii)

may include—

(I)

a memorandum;

(II)

a notice;

(III)

a bulletin;

(IV)

a directive;

(V)

a news release;

(VI)

a letter;

(VII)

a blog post;

(VIII)

a no-action letter;

(IX)

a speech by an agency official; and

(X)

any combination of the items described in subclauses (I) through (IX).

(B)

Rule of construction

The term guidance document—

(i)

shall be construed broadly to effectuate the purpose and intent of this Act; and

(ii)

shall not be limited to the items described in subparagraph (A)(ii).

3.

Publication of guidance documents on the internet

(a)

In general

Subject to section 5, on the date on which an agency issues a guidance document, the agency shall publish the guidance document in accordance with the requirements under section 4.

(b)

Previously issued guidance documents

Subject to section 5, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall publish, in accordance with the requirements under section 4, any guidance document issued by that agency that is in effect on that date.

4.

Single location

(a)

In general

All guidance documents published under section 3 by an agency shall be published in a single location on an internet website designated by the Director under subsection (d) of this section.

(b)

Agency internet websites

Each agency shall, for guidance documents published by the agency under section 3, publish a hyperlink on the principal internet website of the agency that provides access to the guidance documents at the location described in subsection (a) of this section.

(c)

Organization

(1)

In general

The guidance documents described in subsection (a) shall be—

(A)

categorized as guidance documents; and

(B)

further divided into subcategories as appropriate.

(2)

Agency internet websites

The hyperlinks described in subsection (b) shall be prominently displayed on the principal internet website of the agency.

(d)

Format of guidance documents

Each guidance document published under section 3 shall be made available as an open Government data asset (as defined in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code) and, to the extent practicable, optimized for search engines.

(e)

Designation

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate an internet website on which guidance documents shall be published under section 3.

5.

Documents and information exempt from disclosure under FOIA

If a guidance document issued by an agency is a document that is exempt from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act), or contains information that is exempt from disclosure under such section 552(b), that document or information, as the case may be, shall not be subject to the requirements under this Act.

6.

Rescinded guidance documents

On the date on which a guidance document issued by an agency is rescinded, or, in the case of a guidance document that is rescinded pursuant to a court order, not later than the date on which the order is entered, the agency shall, at the location described in section 4(a)—

(1)

maintain the rescinded guidance document; and

(2)

indicate—

(A)

that the guidance document is rescinded;

(B)

if the guidance document was rescinded pursuant to a court order, the case number of the case in which the order was entered; and

(C)

the date on which the guidance document was rescinded.

7.

Rules of construction

(a)

Validity of guidance documents

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that noncompliance with any provision of this Act affects or otherwise impacts the validity of any guidance document.

(b)

Congressional review of guidance documents

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect or otherwise impact whether a guidance document is subject to congressional review under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code.

8.

Report on agency compliance

Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the compliance of agencies with this Act.

September 14, 2026

Reported with an amendment