# Royalty Transparency Act (S. 855) - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

The Royalty Transparency Act requires certain federal employees and advisors to publicly disclose royalties they receive from inventions, patents, or intellectual property. Currently, federal employees can earn royalties from their work, but these payments don't have to be fully disclosed. This bill closes that loophole by requiring detailed reporting of royalty sources and amounts as part of regular financial disclosure forms.

## Who Is Affected

The bill targets two main groups:

1. **Executive branch employees** - Federal workers across all agencies
2. **Advisory committee members** - People serving on government science and health committees, including those advising on vaccines, biosecurity, cancer research, and other public health matters

The bill specifically names committees like the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, among others.

## Key Changes

- **Expanded disclosure requirements**: Employees and advisors must report the original source and amount of any royalties received
- **Congressional notification**: When ethics offices grant waivers (exemptions) allowing employees to avoid conflicts of interest, Congress must be notified with detailed justification
- **GAO oversight**: The Government Accountability Office will maintain an annual list of advisory committees that make public health recommendations
- **5-year sunset**: The new requirements for advisory committees automatically expire after 5 years unless Congress renews them

The bill aims to increase transparency around potential conflicts of interest, particularly for those advising on public health policy.