
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC6381]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                     CHAPTER 77--ENERGY CONSERVATION
 
                    SUBCHAPTER IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
             Part A--Energy Data Base and Energy Information
 
Sec. 6381. Verification examinations


(a) Authority of Comptroller General

    The Comptroller General may conduct verification examinations with 
respect to the books, records, papers, or other documents of--
        (1) any person who is required to submit energy information to 
    the Secretary, the Department of the Interior, or the Federal Energy 
    Regulatory Commission pursuant to any rule, regulation, order, or 
    other legal process of such Secretary, Department or Commission;
        (2) any person who is engaged in the production, processing, 
    refining, transportation by pipeline, or distribution (at other than 
    the retail level) of energy resources--
            (A) if such person has furnished, directly or indirectly, 
        energy information (without regard to whether such information 
        was furnished pursuant to legal requirements) to any Federal 
        agency (other than the Internal Revenue Service), and
            (B) if the Comptroller General of the United States 
        determines that such information has been or is being used or 
        taken into consideration, in whole or in part, by a Federal 
        agency in carrying out responsibilities committed to such 
        agency; or

        (3) any vertically integrated petroleum company with respect to 
    financial information of such company related to energy resource 
    exploration, development, and production and the transportation, 
    refining and marketing of energy resources and energy products.

(b) Request for examination

    The Comptroller General shall conduct verification examinations of 
any person or company described in subsection (a) of this section, if 
requested to do so by any duly established committee of the Congress 
having legislative or oversight responsibilities under the rules of the 
House of Representatives or of the Senate, with respect to energy 
matters or any of the laws administered by the Department of the 
Interior (or the Secretary thereof), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, or the Secretary.

(c) Definitions

    For the purposes of this subchapter--
        (1) The term ``verification examination'' means an examination 
    of such books, records, papers, or other documents of a person or 
    company as the Comptroller General determines necessary and 
    appropriate to assess the accuracy, reliability, and adequacy of the 
    energy information, or financial information, referred to in 
    subsection (a) of this section.
        (2) The term ``energy information'' has the same meaning as such 
    term has in section 796(e)(1) of title 15.
        (3) The term ``person'' has the same meaning as such term has in 
    section 796(e)(2) of title 15.
        (4) The term ``vertically integrated petroleum company'' means 
    any person which itself, or through a person which is controlled by, 
    controls, or is under common control with such person, is engaged in 
    the production, refining, and marketing of petroleum products.

(Pub. L. 94-163, title V, Sec. 501, Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 956; Pub. L. 
95-91, title III, Sec. 301, title IV, Sec. 402, title VII, Secs. 703, 
707, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 577, 583, 606, 607; Pub. L. 95-619, title 
VI, Sec. 691(b)(2), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3288.)


                               Amendments

    1978--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95-619 purported to substitute 
``Secretary'' for ``Administrator'', meaning Administrator of the 
Federal Energy Administration. See Transfer of Functions note below.

                          Transfer of Functions

    ``Secretary, the Department of the Interior, or the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission'' and ``Secretary'' substituted for ``Federal 
Energy Administration, the Department of the Interior, or the Federal 
Power Commission'' and ``Administration'', respectively, in subsec. 
(a)(1), and ``Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or the Secretary'' 
substituted for ``Federal Power Commission, or the Federal Energy 
Administration (or the Administrator)'' in subsec. (b) pursuant to 
sections 301, 402, 703, and 707 of Pub. L. 95-91, which are classified 
to sections 7151, 7172, 7293, and 7297 of this title and which 
terminated Federal Energy Administration and transferred its functions 
and functions of Administrator thereof (with certain exceptions) to 
Secretary of Energy and terminated Federal Power Commission and 
transferred its functions to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and 
Secretary of Energy.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 6299, 6382 of this title.
