Congress·In Committee·S. 2219
BEACON Act
Sen. Schiff Introduces BEACON Act to Create First-Ever Inspector General for the White House
The BEACON Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
Passage Likelihood
Legislative Progress
Senate
Key Points
- This bill creates a brand-new Inspector General office specifically for the Executive Office of the President. Most federal agencies already have these watchdog offices, but the White House has never had one dedicated to monitoring its own operations for fraud, waste, and abuse.
From policy text
“To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish an Office of Inspector General in the Executive Office of the President, and for other purposes.”
View in full text - The president must appoint the new Inspector General within 120 days of the law being enacted. This person would have the authority to conduct audits, investigations, and issue subpoenas related to White House operations.
From policy text
“Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint an individual as the Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President in accordance with the requirements of section 403(a) of title 5, United States Code.”
View in full text - The president can block certain investigations if they involve confidential sources, intelligence matters, or undercover operations, but must explain the reason to the Inspector General within 30 days, and Congress must also be notified.
From policy text
“the President may prohibit the Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation, or from issuing any subpoena, after the Inspector General has decided to initiate, carry out, or complete such audit or investigation”
View in full text - The Inspector General must file semiannual reports covering corrective actions on recommendations, any instances where the president blocked access to information, and suggestions for eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in White House programs.
From policy text
“Such recommendations as the Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President considers appropriate with respect to efficiency in the administration of programs and operations undertaken by the President, and the detection and elimination of fraud, waste, and abuse in such programs and operations.”
View in full text - The bill also requires two evaluations of whether the White House is over-classifying documents that should be available to the public. The Inspector General would coordinate with the National Archives to check classification policies and recommend fixes.
From policy text
“to identify policies, procedures, rules, regulations, or management practices that may be contributing to persistent misclassification of material within the Executive Office of the President.”
View in full text - An independent body, the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, would audit the new watchdog office itself every year to make sure it is doing its job effectively and providing real oversight.
From policy text
“the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency shall conduct an audit of the Office of the Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President to ensure that the office is able to effectively provide oversight of the Executive Office of the President.”
View in full text
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Jul 9, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Jul 9, 2025
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
BEACON Act
Bill NumberS 2219
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(2)D: 2
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.