Improved Budget Presentation Act

Summary: Improved Budget Presentation Act - Establishes the Commission on the Presentation of the Budget of the United States to study and report to the President and the Congress on recommendations to provide improved governmental processes in the formulation, presentation, and implementation of the Federal budget with respect to:  (1) the ability of the budget to distinguish between capital and operating activities, and between operating and trust funds, to identify the resources needed to meet the Government's needs; (2) improved procedures among Federal departments, agencies, independent establishments, and instrumentalities to provide improved coordination and control with respect to the budget; and (3) more effective arrangements between the executive branch and the Congress which will better enable each to carry out its budgeting, revenue, and appropriation responsibilities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improved Budget Presentation Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission which will 
submit findings and recommendations to provide a more effective 
presentation of capital and operating expenses of the United States 
Government.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Federal Government does not take a comprehensive 
        look at capital investment programs across agency and program 
        lines to see how they fit into a national strategy for 
        maintaining and improving the Nation's public facilities.
            (2) Both the executive branch and the Congress tend to set 
        priorities for physical capital investment program-by-program. 
        There is no consistent basis for setting priorities among 
        projects and programs, and there is no framework in which to 
        identify those having similar objectives and those that are at 
        cross-purposes.
            (3) This program- and project-orientation makes planning 
        for public facilities vulnerable to short-term factors, thus 
        impairing the stability and predictability needed for an 
        efficient capital investment program.
            (4) A separate capital budget would establish a useful 
        planning process because it would focus on long-term projects, 
        costs, and benefits.

SEC. 4. COMMISSION ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET OF THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) Establishment.--To carry out the purpose of section 2, there is 
established the Commission on the Presentation of the Budget of the 
United States (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of the following 
9 members:
            (1) The Deputy Director of the Office of Management and 
        Budget, who shall act as Chairman of the Commission.
            (2) The Comptroller General of the United States, or his or 
        her delegate.
            (3) The Director of the Congressional Budget Office, or his 
        or her delegate.
            (4) Two members of the House of Representatives, one 
        appointed by the Speaker of the House and one appointed by the 
        minority leader of the House.
            (5) Two members of the Senate, one appointed by the 
        President pro tempore of the Senate and one appointed by the 
        minority leader of the Senate.
            (6) Two executive branch officials appointed by the 
        President, who--
                    (A) are not employed in the Executive Office of the 
                President;
                    (B) hold positions at or above level III of the 
                Executive Schedule; and
                    (C) have substantial responsibilities for 
                formulating, presenting, and implementing executive 
                budgets.
    (c) Completion of Appointments.--Appointment of the members of the 
Commission shall be completed within 30 days after the effective date 
of this Act.
    (d) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Commission 
shall not affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner in 
which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Compensation.--Members of the Commission shall not receive 
compensation for their service on the Commission, but shall be 
reimbursed by the Federal organization in which they are employed for 
travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the 
performance of their duties on the Commission.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            (1) study and investigate the manner in which all 
        departments, agencies, independent establishments, and 
        instrumentalities of the United States Government participate 
        in the formulation and presentation of the United States 
        Budget; and
            (2) make such recommendations as the members of the 
        Commission consider appropriate to provide improved 
        governmental processes in the formulation, presentation, and 
        implementation of the United States Budget with respect to--
                    (A) the ability of the United States Budget to 
                distinguish between capital activities and operating 
                activities, and between operating funds and trust 
                funds, to identify the resources needed to meet the 
                Government's needs;
                    (B) improved procedures among departments, 
                agencies, independent establishments, and 
                instrumentalities of the United States Government to 
                provide improved coordination and control with respect 
                to the formulation, presentation, and implementation of 
                the United States Budget; and
                    (C) more effective arrangements between the 
                executive branch and the Congress, which will better 
                enable each to carry out its budgeting, revenue, and 
                appropriation responsibilities.
    (c) Report.--The Commission shall submit a comprehensive report to 
the President and the Congress by not later than 7 months after the 
effective date of this Act, containing the findings and recommendations 
of the Commission. Such recommendations may include proposed 
legislation and administrative actions the Commission considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Meetings.--(1) The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying 
out the provisions of this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such 
times and places, administer such oaths, and require the attendance and 
testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books, records, 
correspondence, memorandums, papers, and documents, as the Commission 
may consider advisable.
    (2) Five members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, 
except that a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (b) Obtaining Information, Etc.--The Commission may request from 
any executive department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, 
independent establishment, or instrumentality information, suggestions, 
estimates, and statistics for the purposes of this Act. Each such 
department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, establishment, 
or instrumentality shall, to the extent not otherwise prohibited by 
law, furnish such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics 
directly to the Commission, upon request made by the Chairman.

SEC. 7. STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.

    The individual Commission members shall obtain staff support from 
their respective employing organizations.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist on the 30th day after the date 
on which it submits its report under section 5(c).