I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4959 

To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 

to provide for cost estimates of major legislation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 31, 2019 

Mr. KEVIN HERN of Oklahoma (for himself, Mr. BANKS, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. 

MURPHY of North Carolina, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. ROY, Mr. 

MEUSER, Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana, Mr. GOODEN, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. 

WOMACK, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. UPTON, Mr. DAVIDSON of Ohio, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, and Mr. GREEN of Tennessee) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in 

addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide for cost estimates of major 

legislation. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pro-Growth Budgeting 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTIMATES OF MAJOR LEGISLATION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part A of the Congressional 

3 Budget and Impoundment Control Act 1974 is amended 

4 by adding at the end the following new section: 

5 ‘‘ESTIMATES OF MAJOR LEGISLATION

6 ‘‘SEC. 407. (a) CBO COST ESTIMATES.—An estimate 

7 provided by the Congressional Budget Office under section 

8 402 for any major legislation shall, to the extent prac9 ticable, incorporate the budgetary effects of changes in 

10 economic output, employment, capital stock, and other 

11 macroeconomic variables resulting from such legislation. 

12 ‘‘(b) JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION COST ESTI13 MATES.—An estimate provided by the Joint Committee on 

14 Taxation to the Director of the Congressional Budget Of15 fice under section 201(f) for any major legislation shall, 

16 to the extent practicable, incorporate the budgetary effects 

17 of changes in economic output, employment, capital stock, 

18 and other macroeconomic variables resulting from such 

19 legislation. 

20 ‘‘(c) CONTENT OF ESTIMATES.—An estimate re21 ferred to in this section shall, to the extent practicable, 

22 include— 

23 ‘‘(1) a qualitative assessment of the budgetary 

24 effects (including macroeconomic variables described 

25 in subsections (a) and (b)) of such legislation in the 

26 20-fiscal year period beginning after the last fiscal 


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1 year of the most recently agreed to concurrent reso2 lution on the budget that set forth appropriate levels 

3 required by section 301; and 

4 ‘‘(2) an identification of the critical assump5 tions and the source of data underlying that esti6 mate. 

7 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section— 

8 ‘‘(1) the term ‘major legislation’ means any bill 

9 or joint resolution— 

10 ‘‘(A) for which an estimate is required to 

11 be prepared pursuant to section 402 and that 

12 causes a gross budgetary effect (before incor13 porating macroeconomic effects) in any fiscal 

14 year over the years of the most recently agreed 

15 to concurrent resolution on the budget equal to 

16 or greater than 0.25 percent of the current pro17 jected gross domestic product of the United 

18 States for that fiscal year; or 

19 ‘‘(B) designated as such by the chair or 

20 ranking member of the Committee on the 

21 Budget for all direct spending legislation other 

22 than revenue legislation or the Member who is 

23 chair or vice chair, as applicable, of the Joint 

24 Committee on Taxation for revenue legislation; 

25 and 


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1 ‘‘(2) the term ‘budgetary effects’ means 

2 changes in revenues, outlays, and deficits.’’. 

3 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

4 set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and 

5 Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 note) 

6 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

7 406 the following new item: 

‘‘407. Estimates of major legislation.’’. 

Æ 


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