# 119-hr-4229: To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.

119-hr-4229, To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] (R-MD); status introduced (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4229
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4229
- Congress: 119
- Title: To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-27
- Sponsor: Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] (R-MD)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Requires Congressional approval before the Comptroller General can sue over impoundments.** The bill would condition any civil action under the Impoundment Control Act on a concurrent resolution from Congress, making GAO lawsuits subject to prior Congressional authorization. - Comptroller General and GAO: Would need a concurrent resolution before bringing civil actions under the Impoundment Control Act, limiting self-initiated enforcement. - Congress: Gains explicit control over whether civil enforcement suits proceed, effectively creating a legislative veto over these GAO actions. - Executive branch officials who make impoundment decisions: Could face fewer independent GAO legal challenges unless Congress approves them.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15] (R-IL), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9] (R-GA), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9] (R-AZ), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26] (R-TX), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (R-LA), 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Congress approval needed for watchdog lawsuits: cost, medium. This bill would require Congress to approve any lawsuit the Comptroller General brings under the Impoundment Control Act. The approval would have to be a concurrent resolution. Without that approval, the Comptroller General would not be able to sue over withheld funds. This would take effect upon e…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-2395: SHORT Act
- 119-hr-1181: Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act
- 119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act
- 119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026
- 119-hres-888: Censuring and condemning Delegate Stacey Plaskett and removing her from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for conduct that reflects discredi…
- 119-hr-3321: Ending Medicaid Discrimination Against the Most Vulnerable Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-4229 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4229)

## Related
- [119-hr-2395: SHORT Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2395)
- [119-hr-1181: Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1181)
- [119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-987)
- [119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7651)
- [119-hres-888: Censuring and condemning Delegate Stacey Plaskett and removing her from the Hou…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-888)
- [119-hr-3321: Ending Medicaid Discrimination Against the Most Vulnerable Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3321)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4229 (as of 2026-09-10).