Baseline Reform Act of 2015

Summary: Baseline Reform Act of 2015  This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to change the assumptions used in calculating the baseline for discretionary spending and to require budget estimates to be compared with the levels from the prior year.  The baseline is a projection of federal spending and receipts during the fiscal year under current law. This bill changes the assumptions used for the discretionary spending baseline to eliminate adjustments required under current law for inflation, expiring housing contracts, social insurance administrative expenses, pay adjustments, and changes to other personnel benefits. The bill prohibits adjustments for inflation or any other factor.  The President's budget must include: (1) comparisons of the proposed budgetary levels with the prior year's levels, (2) the sources of growth in direct spending under current law and as proposed in the budget, and (3) estimates of discretionary spending for current programs that assume compliance with discretionary spending limits under current law.  The congressional budget committees must use budgetary levels from the prior fiscal year as the basis for deliberations in developing the congressional budget resolution and include comparisons with the prior fiscal year in the report accompanying the resolution.  The Congressional Budget Office  must include additional details in required reports to Congress, including comparisons to the prior year and the sources of growth in spending.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Baseline Reform Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. CHANGES IN THE BASELINE.

    Section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907(c)) is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by striking 
        all that follows ``current year,'' and inserting ``excluding 
        resources designated as an emergency requirement and any 
        resources provided in supplemental appropriation laws.'';
            (2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5);
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (2); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
        the following:
            ``(3) No adjustment for inflation.--No adjustment shall be 
        made for inflation or for any other factor.''.

SEC. 3. THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.

    (a) Expenditures and Appropriations.--Section 1105(a)(5) of title 
31, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(5) except as provided in subsection (b), estimated 
        expenditures and appropriations for the current year and 
        estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations the 
        President decides are necessary to support the Government in 
        the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and at least 
        the 4 fiscal years following that year, and, except for 
        detailed budget estimates, the percentage change from the 
        current year to the fiscal year for which the budget is 
        submitted for estimated expenditures and for appropriations.''.
    (b) Receipts.--Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
            ``(6)(A) estimated receipts of the Government in the 
        current year and the fiscal year for which the budget is 
        submitted and at least the 4 fiscal years after that year 
        under--
                    ``(i) laws in effect when the budget is submitted; 
                and
                    ``(ii) proposals in the budget to increase 
                revenues; and
            ``(B) the percentage change (in the case of each category 
        referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A)) 
        between the current year and the fiscal year for which the 
        budget is submitted and between the current year and each of 
        the 9 fiscal years after the fiscal year for which the budget 
        is submitted.''.
    (c) Legislative Proposals.--Section 1105(a)(12) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(12) for each proposal in the budget for legislation that 
        establishes or expands a Government activity or function a 
        table showing--
                    ``(A)(i) the amount proposed in the budget for 
                appropriation and for expenditure because of the 
                proposal in the fiscal year for which the budget is 
                submitted;
                    ``(ii) the estimated appropriation required because 
                of the proposal for each of at least the 4 fiscal years 
                after that year that the proposal will be in effect; 
                and
                    ``(iii) the estimated amount for the same activity 
                or function, if any, in the current fiscal year; and
                    ``(B) except for detailed budget estimates, the 
                percentage change (in the case of each category 
                referred to in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of 
                subparagraph (A)) between the current year and the 
                fiscal year for which the budget is submitted.''.
    (d) Comparisons.--Section 1105(a)(18) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``new budget authority and'' before 
``budget outlays''.
    (e) Expenditures and Tables.--Section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second paragraph (37) (relating to 
        a list of plans and reports) as paragraph (39); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(40) a comparison of levels of estimated expenditures and 
        proposed appropriations for each function and subfunction in 
        the current fiscal year and the fiscal year for which the 
        budget is submitted, along with the proposed increase or 
        decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function and 
        subfunction.
            ``(41) a table on sources of growth in total direct 
        spending under current law and as proposed in the budget 
        submission for the budget year and at least the ensuing 9 
        fiscal years, which shall include changes in outlays 
        attributable to--
                    ``(A) cost-of-living adjustments;
                    ``(B) changes in the number of program recipients;
                    ``(C) increases in medical care prices, utilization 
                and intensity of medical care; and
                    ``(D) residual factors.''.
    (f) Current Programs.--Section 1109(a) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the first sentence the following: 
``For discretionary spending, these estimates shall assume the levels 
no higher than those set forth in the discretionary spending limits 
under section 251(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(c)), as adjusted, for the appropriate 
fiscal years (and if no such limits are in effect, these estimates 
shall assume adjusted levels no higher than those for the most recent 
fiscal year for which such levels were in effect).''.

SEC. 4. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.

    Section 301(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
632(e)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``The basis of deliberations in developing such joint 
        resolution shall be the estimated budgetary levels for the 
        preceding fiscal year. Any budgetary levels pending before the 
        committee and the text of the joint resolution shall be 
        accompanied by a document comparing such levels or such text to 
        the estimated levels of the prior fiscal year.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) a comparison of levels for the current fiscal 
                year with proposed spending and revenue levels for the 
                subsequent fiscal years and the proposed increase or 
                decrease of spending in percentage terms for each 
                function.''.

SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE REPORTS TO COMMITTEES.

    (a) Comparable Levels.--Section 202(e)(1) of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 602(e)(1)) is amended in the first 
sentence by inserting ``compared to comparable levels for the current 
year'' before the comma at the end of subparagraph (A) and before the 
comma at the end of subparagraph (B).
    (b) Sources of Spending Growth.--Section 202(e)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 602(e)(1)) is amended by 
inserting after the first sentence the following: ``Such report shall 
also include a table on sources of spending growth in total direct 
spending, revenue, deficit, and debt for the budget year and the 
ensuing 4 fiscal years, which shall include changes in outlays 
attributable to (A) cost-of-living adjustments, (B) changes in the 
number of program recipients, (C) increases in medical care prices, 
utilization and intensity of medical care, and (D) residual factors.''.
    (c) Comparison of Levels.--Section 308(a)(1)(B) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 639(a)(1)(B)) is amended by 
inserting ``and shall include a comparison of those levels to 
comparable levels for the current fiscal year'' before ``, if timely 
submitted''.