Spanberger introduces legislation to require Congress members to electronically file disclosures

The “Easy to READ Act” would make it easier for the public to search, review and download the disclosures of elected officials.

Last week, U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Dusty Johnson of South Dakota introduced the legislation last week.

House of Representatives and Senators have the option now of completing their public financial disclosures, according to a press release, either by hand or electronically. But recent reporting revealed that the current disclosure system leads to nearly or completely illegible paperwork filed by members of Congress.

The Easy to Read Electronic and Accessible Disclosures (READ) Act would modernize the system, increase transparency and allow the American people to hold elected officials accountable. The press release stated the legislation would amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 in requiring electronic filing of all public financial disclosure forms.

“Poor penmanship shouldn’t be the enemy of transparency,” Spanberger said in the press release. “As discussions about potential conflicts of interest in the halls of Congress continue, we need to take commonsense steps to make it easier for the general public to sort through the disclosures of their Representatives and Senators.”

The Easy to READ Act would “increase transparency and help rebuild a degree of trust in our democracy,” Spanberger said.

Johnson said the legislation is commonsense to require disclosures be electronic and increase transparency.

“Congress has a public trust problem, and we should do all we can to ensure our constituents have faith in their elected officials,” Johnson said in the press release.

The legislation would require compliance with the Rehabilitation Act and the most recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for Americans with disabilities to have access.