H.R. 2885 is a bill intended to provide uniform safeguards for the confidentiality of information acquired for exclusively statistical purposes, and to improve the efficiency and quality of Federal statistics and Federal statistical programs by permitting limited sharing of records among designated agencies for statistical purposes under strong safeguards.

Representative Stephen Horn (R CA) introduced H.R. 2885 on September 21, 1999. The bill was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and was subsequently referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology. On September 22, 1999, the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology reported the bill as amended by voice vote to the Committee on Government Reform. The full committee met on September 30, 1999 and favorably reported the bill, as amended, by voice vote to the House of Representatives.

The amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Government Management subcommittee Chairman Stephen Horn amended section 5(b) of the bill to prohibit disclosure of any data or information acquired for statistical purposes in an identifiable form for any purpose other than a statistical purpose without the informed consent of the respondent.

The amendment offered by Representative Horn at the full committee markup also reflected the changed name of the Energy Consumption Division of the Department of Energy. The bill was passed the House by voice vote on October 26, 1999 and referred to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on October 27, 1999. The Committee is currently reviewing the bill.