I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4911 

To establish a Joint Commission on Budget Process Reform. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 30, 2018 

Mr. SMUCKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 establish a Joint Commission on Budget Process Reform. 

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; PURPOSE. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Joint Commission on Budget Process Reform Act of 

6 2018’’. 

7 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab8 lish a Joint Commission on Budget Process Reform. 


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1 SEC. 2. THE JOINT COMMISSION ON BUDGET PROCESS RE2 FORM. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established is an 

4 independent commission to be known as the Joint Com5 mission on Budget Process Reform (hereafter referred to 

6 as the ‘‘joint commission’’). 

7 (b) DUTIES.—The joint commission shall carry out 

8 the following duties: 

9 (1) Studying procedures on the budget and 

10 Federal expenditures. 

11 (2) Conducting at least four public hearings to 

12 examine potential budget process reforms before dis13 solution of the joint commission. 

14 (3) Seeking recommendations from economists, 

15 experts, Members of Congress, Federal agencies, 

16 educational institutions, State legislatures, and pri17 vate organizations on ways to reform the congres18 sional budget process. 

19 (4) Drafting a bill that amends the Congres20 sional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 

21 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.). 

22 (5) Submitting a report to each House of Con23 gress containing the bill it recommends and such 

24 other matters it deems appropriate. 

25 (c) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The joint commission 

26 shall examine the following issues and include a summary 


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1 of its findings respecting those issues in the report re2 quired under subsection (b)(5): 

3 (1) Potential changes and enforcement tools to 

4 ensure an on-time completion of the congressional 

5 budget process. 

6 (2) Procedures to address mandatory spending 

7 levels. 

8 (3) The impact of instituting long-term debt 

9 limits. 

10 (4) Procedures to increase inclusiveness and 

11 transparency in the congressional budget process. 

12 (5) The feasibility of a balanced budget amend13 ment. 

14 (6) The impact of a binding congressional 

15 budget. 

16 (7) The need to reauthorize the Congressional 

17 Budget Office in an effort to provide greater assist18 ance to the House and Senate Budget Committees. 

19 (8) The feasibility of changing the fiscal year 

20 from October 1st to January 1st so it aligns with 

21 the calendar year. 

22 (9) The examination of whether or not there 

23 should be term limits for members to serve on the 

24 Budget Committees of the House of Representatives 

25 and the Senate. 


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1 (10) The efficiency of annual budgeting in com2 parison to biennial budgeting. 

3 (d) APPOINTMENT.— 

4 (1) The joint commission shall be composed of 

5 the following 23 members: 

6 (A) The chair of the Committee on the 

7 Budget of the House of Representatives. 

8 (B) The ranking member of the Committee 

9 on the Budget of the House of Representatives. 

10 (C) The chair of the Committee on the 

11 Budget of the Senate. 

12 (D) The ranking member of the Committee 

13 on the Budget of the Senate. 

14 (E) The chair of the Committee on Appro15 priations of the House of Representatives. 

16 (F) The ranking member of the Committee 

17 on Appropriations of the House of Representa18 tives. 

19 (G) The chair of the Committee on Appro20 priations of the Senate. 

21 (H) The ranking member of the Com22 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

23 (I) The chair of the Committee on Ways 

24 and Means of the House of Representatives. 


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1 (J) The ranking member of the Committee 

2 on Ways and Means of the House of Represent3 atives. 

4 (K) The chair of the Committee on Fi5 nance of the Senate. 

6 (L) The ranking member of the Committee 

7 on Finance of the Senate. 

8 (M) The Director of the Office of Manage9 ment and Budget. 

10 (N) The Secretary of the Treasury. 

11 (O) The Comptroller General. 

12 (P) Two Members of Congress nominated 

13 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

14 (Q) Two Senators nominated by the Ma15 jority Leader. 

16 (R) Two Members nominated by the Mi17 nority Leader of the House of Representatives. 

18 (S) Two Senators nominated by the Minor19 ity Leader of the Senate. 

20 (2) The nominees shall be appointed not later 

21 than 30 days after the date of enactment of this 

22 Act. 

23 (3) Each member shall be appointed for the du24 ration of the commission. A vacancy in the joint 

25 commission shall not affect the power of the remainVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Feb 01, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4911.IH H4911

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1 ing members to execute the functions of the joint 

2 commission. A vacancy shall be filled in the manner 

3 in which the original appointments were made. 

4 (e) CHAIR.—The joint commission at its first meeting 

5 shall elect a member of the commission who is a legislator 

6 to serve as chair of the joint commission. 

7 (f) DIRECTOR OF STAFF.—The chair of the Joint 

8 Commission on Budget Process Reform shall appoint a 

9 Director, who shall be paid at the rate of basic pay payable 

10 for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 

11 of title 5, United States Code. 

12 (g) STAFF.—(1) The Staff Director, with the ap13 proval of the commission, the Director may appoint and 

14 fix the pay of additional personnel. 

15 (2) Upon the request of the Director of Staff, the 

16 head of any Federal department or agency may detail any 

17 of the personnel of that department or agency to the Com18 mission to assist the commission in carrying out its duties 

19 under this Act. 

20 (3) The following restrictions relating to the per21 sonnel of the Commission shall apply to the staff of the 

22 commission: 

23 (A) There may not be more than 15 persons on 

24 the staff at one time. 


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1 (B) The Director may employ and fix the com2 pensation of such staff as the chair considers nec3 essary. 

4 (h) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The joint com5 mission may procure temporary and intermittent services 

6 under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at 

7 rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equiva8 lent of the annual rate of basic pay for a comparable posi9 tion paid under the General Schedule. 

10 (i) TIMELINE.—(1) The Commission shall hold its 

11 first meeting within 30 days after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act. 

13 (2) The Commission shall hold meetings at the call 

14 of the chair of the joint commission. 

15 (j) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro16 priated $800,000 to the joint commission to carry out its 

17 duties. 

18 (k) TRAVEL.—The travel expenses of members of the 

19 joint commission and staff shall be paid for from appro20 priated funds. Staff and members of the joint commission 

21 shall abide by the Government travel rules set forth by 

22 the Committee on House Administration of the House of 

23 Representatives. 


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1 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF REFORM 

2 PROPOSALS. 

3 (a) INTRODUCTION; REFERRAL; AND REPORT OR

4 DISCHARGE.— 

5 (1) INTRODUCTION.—On the first calendar day 

6 on which both Houses are in session, on or imme7 diately following the date on which the report con8 taining the bill it recommends is submitted to Con9 gress under section 2, a single bill shall be intro10 duced (by request)— 

11 (A) in the Senate by the majority leader of 

12 the Senate, for himself and the minority leader 

13 of the Senate, or by Members of the Senate 

14 designated by the majority leader and minority 

15 leader of the Senate; and 

16 (B) in the House of Representatives by the 

17 Speaker of the House of Representatives, for 

18 himself and the minority leader of the House of 

19 Representatives, or by Members of the House of 

20 Representatives designated by the Speaker and 

21 minority leader of the House of Representa22 tives. 

23 (2) REFERRAL.—The implementation bills in24 troduced under paragraph (1) shall be referred to 

25 any appropriate committee of jurisdiction in the 

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1 tion in the House of Representatives. A committee 

2 to which an implementation bill is referred under 

3 this paragraph may report such bill to the respective 

4 House without amendment. 

5 (3) REPORT OR DISCHARGE.—If a committee to 

6 which an implementation bill is referred has not re7 ported such bill by the end of the 15th calendar day 

8 after the date of the introduction of such bill, such 

9 committee shall be immediately discharged from fur10 ther consideration of such bill, and upon being re11 ported or discharged from the committee, such bill 

12 shall be placed on the appropriate calendar. 

13 (b) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—When the committee to 

15 which an implementation bill is referred has re16 ported, or has been discharged under subsection 

17 (a)(3), it is at any time thereafter in order (even 

18 though a previous motion to the same effect has 

19 been disagreed to) for any Member of the respective 

20 House to move to proceed to the consideration of the 

21 implementation bill, and all points of order against 

22 the implementation bill (and against consideration of 

23 the implementation bill) are waived. The motion is 

24 highly privileged in the House of Representatives 

25 and is privileged in the Senate and is not debatable. 


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1 The motion is not subject to amendment, or to a 

2 motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the 

3 consideration of other business. A motion to recon4 sider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or 

5 disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to 

6 proceed to the consideration of the implementation 

7 bill is agreed to, the implementation bill shall remain 

8 the unfinished business of the respective House until 

9 disposed of. 

10 (2) AMENDMENTS.—An implementation bill 

11 may not be amended in the Senate or the House of 

12 Representatives. 

13 (3) DEBATE.—Debate on the implementation 

14 bill, and on all debatable motions and appeals in 

15 connection therewith, shall be limited to not more 

16 than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally be17 tween those favoring and those opposing the resolu18 tion. A motion further to limit debate is in order and 

19 not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to 

20 postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consider21 ation of other business, or a motion to recommit the 

22 implementation bill is not in order. A motion to re23 consider the vote by which the implementation bill is 

24 agreed to or disagreed to is not in order. 


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1 (4) VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE.—Immediately 

2 following the conclusion of the debate on an imple3 mentation bill, and a single quorum call at the con4 clusion of the debate if requested in accordance with 

5 the rules of the appropriate House, the vote on final 

6 passage of the implementation bill shall occur. 

7 (5) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCEDURE.— 

8 Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to 

9 the application of the rules of the Senate or the 

10 House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the 

11 procedure relating to an implementation bill shall be 

12 decided without debate. 

13 (c) COORDINATION WITH ACTION BY OTHER

14 HOUSE.—If, before the passage by one House of an imple15 mentation bill of that House, that House receives from 

16 the other House an implementation bill, then the following 

17 procedures shall apply: 

18 (1) NONREFERRAL.—The implementation bill 

19 of the other House shall not be referred to a com20 mittee. 

21 (2) VOTE ON BILL OF OTHER HOUSE.—With 

22 respect to an implementation bill of the House re23 ceiving the implementation bill— 


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1 (A) the procedure in that House shall be 

2 the same as if no implementation bill had been 

3 received from the other House; but 

4 (B) the vote on final passage shall be on 

5 the implementation bill of the other House. 

6 (d) RULES OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF

7 REPRESENTATIVES.—This section is enacted by Con8 gress— 

9 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

10 the Senate and the House of Representatives, re11 spectively, and as such it is deemed a part of the 

12 rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only 

13 with respect to the procedure to be followed in that 

14 House in the case of an implementation bill de15 scribed in subsection (a), and it supersedes other 

16 rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with 

17 such rules; and 

18 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

19 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 

20 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

21 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 

22 the case of any other rule of that House. 

23 SEC. 4. TERMINATION AND DISPOSITION OF RECORDS. 

24 (a) TERMINATION.—The joint commission shall ter25 minate not later than the earlier of— 


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1 (1) 2 years after the date of enactment of this 

2 Act; or 

3 (2) the date upon which the bill referred to in 

4 section 2(b)(4) is signed into law by the President. 

5 (b) DISPOSITION OF RECORDS.—Upon termination 

6 of the joint commission, its records shall become the 

7 records of the Committees on the Budget of the House 

8 of Representatives and the Senate. 

Æ 


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