I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5538 

To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to subject certain direct 

spending programs to annual appropriations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2020 

Mr. BYRNE 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 Act of 1974 to subject 

certain direct spending programs to annual appropriations, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Mandatory Spending 

5 Control and Accountability Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS REQUIRED FOR DIRECT 

2 SPENDING PROGRAMS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Congressional 

4 Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632 et seq.) is amended 

5 by adding after section 315 the following: 

6 ‘‘ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS REQUIRED FOR DIRECT

7 SPENDING PROGRAMS

8 ‘‘SEC. 316. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision 

9 of law, in fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year there10 after— 

11 ‘‘(1) each direct spending program shall be subject 

12 to annual discretionary appropriations; and 

13 ‘‘(2) no funds may be obligated for any such program 

14 using any amounts other than amounts provided in ad15 vance in appropriations Acts. 

16 ‘‘(b) In this section, the term ‘direct spending pro17 gram’— 

18 ‘‘(1) means— 

19 ‘‘(A) any program with respect to which 

20 budget authority is provided (before the date of 

21 enactment of this section) by law other than ap22 propriation Acts; 

23 ‘‘(B) any program that is funded (before 

24 the date of enactment of this section) through 

25 entitlement authority; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) the Supplemental Nutrition Assist2 ance Program; and 

3 ‘‘(2) does not include— 

4 ‘‘(A) the old-age and survivors insurance 

5 program established under title II of the Social 

6 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), but not 

7 including disability insurance benefits under 

8 section 223 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423); 

9 ‘‘(B) Medicare programs; 

10 ‘‘(C) all programs administered by the De11 partment of Veterans Affairs; and 

12 ‘‘(D) the TRICARE program (as defined 

13 in section 1072 of title 10, United States 

14 Code).’’. 

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

16 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 

17 to section 316 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 316. Annual appropriations required for direct spending programs.’’. 

18 (c) PRESIDENT’S BUDGET SUBMISSION.—Section 

19 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 

20 adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(40) such information as is necessary for the 

22 making of accurate appropriations for direct spend23 ing programs subject to the appropriations process, 

24 and recommendations on legislative changes to bring 


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1 spending on such programs to a sustainable basis, if 

2 applicable.’’. 

3 (d) RULES COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not 

4 later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

5 Act, the Committee on Rules of the House of Representa6 tives shall submit to the House conforming amendments 

7 to the Rules of the House of Representatives to effectuate 

8 this title, including the requirement that the authority to 

9 appropriate funds for direct spending programs subject to 

10 the appropriations process is with the Committee on Ap11 propriations. 

Æ 


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