Baseline Reform Act of 1994

Summary: Baseline Reform Act of 1994 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the definition of baseline to provide for certain inflation adjustments only for the purpose of adjusting discretionary spending limits. 
Requires the President's budget to include:  (1) estimated expenditures and appropriations for the current year; (2) new budget authority in budget outlay comparisons; and (3) a certain comparison of levels of estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations that includes the proposed increase or decrease in spending in percentage terms. 
Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make conforming changes to the development of the concurrent resolution on the budget. 
Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to include in reports to budget committees certain current year comparisons and a table on sources of spending growth under current law in total mandatory spending for the budget year and the ensuing four fiscal years. 
Requires the CBO to include in cost estimates of pending legislation a comparison of prior year spending levels to current year levels. 
Requires the CBO to report to the Congress annually on all programs, projects, and activities that fall within the definition of direct spending.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Baseline Reform Act of 1994''.

SEC. 2. THE BASELINE.

    (a) The second sentence of section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget 
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``but only for the purpose of adjusting 
        the discretionary spending limits set forth in section 
        601(a)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974'' after ``for 
        inflation as specified in paragraph (5); and
            (2) by inserting ``but only for the purpose of adjusting 
        the discretionary spending limits set forth in section 
        601(a)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974'' after ``to 
        offset pay absorption and for pay annualization as specified in 
        paragraph (4)''.
    (b) Section 1109(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding after the first sentence the following new sentence: ``These 
estimates shall not include an adjustment for inflation for programs 
and activities subject to discretionary appropriations.''.

SEC. 3. THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.

    (a) Paragraph (5) of section 1105(a) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(5) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, 
        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 the 4 
        fiscal years following that year;''.
    (b) Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting ``current fiscal year and the'' before ``fiscal year''.
    (c) Section 1105(a)(12) of title 31, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the 
period and inserting ``; and'' at the end of subparagraph (B), and by 
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(C) the estimated amount for the same activity (if any) 
        in the current fiscal year.''.
    (d) Section 1105(a)(18) of title 31, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting ``new budget authority and'' before ``budget outlays''.
    (e) Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(30) 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.''.

SEC. 4. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.

    Section 301(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended 
by--
            (1) inserting after the second sentence the following: 
        ``The starting point for any deliberations in the Committee on 
        the Budget of each House on the concurrent resolution on the 
        budget for the next fiscal year shall be the estimated level of 
        outlays for the current year in each function and subfunction. 
        Any increases or decreases in the Congressional budget for the 
        next fiscal year shall be from such estimated levels.''; and
            (2) striking paragraph (8) and redesignating paragraphs (9) 
        and (10) as paragraphs (10) and (11), respectively, and by 
        inserting after paragraph (7) the following new paragraphs:
            ``(8) a comparison of levels for the current fiscal year 
        with proposed spending and revenue levels for the subsequent 
        fiscal years along with the proposed increase or decrease of 
        spending in percentage terms for each function and subfunction; 
        and
            ``(9) information, data, and comparisons indicating the 
        manner in which and the basis on which, the committee 
        determined each of the matters set forth in the concurrent 
        resolution;''.

SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE REPORTS TO COMMITTEES.

    (a) The first sentence of section 202(f)(1) of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 is amended to read as follows: ``On or before 
February 15 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Committees 
on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report 
for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year with respect 
to fiscal policy, including (A) alternative levels of total revenues, 
total new budget authority, and total outlays (including related 
surpluses and deficits) compared to comparable levels for the current 
year and (B) the levels of tax expenditures under existing law, taking 
into account projected economic factors and any changes in such levels 
based on proposals in the budget submitted by the President for such 
fiscal year.''.
    (b) Section 202(f)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
amended by inserting after the first sentence the following new 
sentence: ``That report shall also include a table on sources of 
spending growth in total mandatory spending for the budget year and the 
ensuing 4 fiscal years, which shall include changes in outlays 
attributable to the following: cost-of-living adjustments; changes in 
the number of program recipients; increases in medical care prices, 
utilization and intensity of medical care; and residual factors.''.
    (c) Section 308(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``, and shall include 
        a comparison of those levels to comparable levels for the 
        current fiscal year'' before ``if timely submitted''; and
            (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C), by 
        striking the period and inserting ``; and'' at the end of 
        subparagraph (D), and by adding at the end the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(E) comparing the levels in existing programs in 
                such measure to the estimated levels for the current 
                fiscal year.''
    (d) Title IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

                   ``gao reports to budget committees

    ``Sec. 408. On or before January 15 of each year, the Comptroller 
General, after consultation with appropriate committees of the House of 
Representatives and Senate, shall submit to the Congress a report 
listing all programs, projects, and activities that fall within the 
definition of direct spending under section 250(c)(8) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.''.
    (e) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents set forth in 
section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 407 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 408. GAO reports to budget committees.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives August 12, 1994.

            Attest:






                                                                 Clerk.






103d CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 4907

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

              To reform the concept of baseline budgeting.