I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1951 

To provide that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be 

held in escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution 

on the budget for fiscal year 2018 by April 15, 2017, to eliminate 

automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress, to prohibit the 

use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of Members of 

Congress and other officers and employees of the legislative branch 

for first-class airline accommodations, and to amend title 18, United 

States Code, to establish a uniform 5-year post-employment ban on 

lobbying by former Members of Congress. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2017 

Mr. O’HALLERAN (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, and Mr. KIHUEN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Oversight 

and Government Reform, 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 provide that the salaries of Members of a House of 

Congress will be held in escrow if that House has not 

agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 

year 2018 by April 15, 2017, to eliminate automatic 

pay adjustments for Members of Congress, to prohibit 

the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses 

of Members of Congress and other officers and employees 

of the legislative branch for first-class airline accommodations, and to amend title 18, United States Code, 


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to establish a uniform 5-year post-employment ban on 

lobbying by former Members of Congress. 

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 ‘‘No Ongoing Perks En5 richment Act’’ or the ‘‘NOPE Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 

7 ESCROW UPON FAILURE TO AGREE TO BUDG8 ET RESOLUTION. 

9 (a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—If by April 15, 2017, a 

11 House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent 

12 resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 pursu13 ant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act 

14 of 1974, during the period described in paragraph 

15 (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Con16 gress shall deposit in an escrow account all pay17 ments otherwise required to be made during such 

18 period for the compensation of Members of Congress 

19 who serve in that House of Congress, and shall re20 lease such payments to such Members only upon the 

21 expiration of such period. 

22 (2) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—With respect to a 

23 House of Congress, the period described in this 


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1 paragraph is the period which begins on April 16, 

2 2017 and ends on the earlier of— 

3 (A) the day on which the House of Con4 gress agrees to a concurrent resolution on the 

5 budget for fiscal year 2018 pursuant to section 

6 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; 

7 or 

8 (B) the last day of the One Hundred Fif9 teenth Congress. 

10 (3) WITHHOLDING AND REMITTANCE OF

11 AMOUNTS FROM PAYMENTS HELD IN ESCROW.—The 

12 payroll administrator shall provide for the same 

13 withholding and remittance with respect to a pay14 ment deposited in an escrow account under para15 graph (1) that would apply to the payment if the 

16 payment were not subject to paragraph (1). 

17 (4) RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF THE

18 CONGRESS.—In order to ensure that this section is 

19 carried out in a manner that shall not vary the com20 pensation of Senators or Representatives in violation 

21 of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the 

22 Constitution of the United States, the payroll ad23 ministrator of a House of Congress shall release for 

24 payments to Members of that House of Congress 

25 any amounts remaining in any escrow account under 


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1 this section on the last day of the One Hundred Fif2 teenth Congress. 

3 (5) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.— 

4 The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the pay5 roll administrators of the Houses of Congress with 

6 such assistance as may be necessary to enable the 

7 payroll administrators to carry out this section. 

8 (b) TREATMENT OF DELEGATES AS MEMBERS.—In 

9 this section, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ includes a 

10 Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress. 

11 (c) PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR DEFINED.—In this 

12 section, the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a House of Con13 gress means— 

14 (1) in the case of the House of Representatives, 

15 the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 

16 Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the 

17 Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by 

18 the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this 

19 section; and 

20 (2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of 

21 the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Sec22 retary of the Senate who is designated by the Sec23 retary to carry out this section. 


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1 SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC PAY ADJUSTMENTS 

2 FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 601(a) 

4 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 

5 4501) is repealed. 

6 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

7 Section 601(a)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 4501(1)) is 

8 amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)’’; 

10 (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), 

11 and (C) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively; 

12 and 

13 (3) by striking ‘‘as adjusted by paragraph (2)’’ 

14 and inserting ‘‘adjusted as provided by law’’. 

15 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend16 ments made by this section shall take effect December 31, 

17 2016. 

18 SEC. 4. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR OFFICIAL TRAV19 EL EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

20 AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES FOR 

21 AIRLINE ACCOMMODATIONS OTHER THAN 

22 COACH-CLASS. 

23 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsection 

24 (b), no funds appropriated or otherwise made available for 

25 the official travel expenses of a Member of Congress or 

26 other officer or employee of any office in the legislative 


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1 branch may be used for airline accommodations which are 

2 not coach-class accommodations. 

3 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—Funds described in subsection (a) 

4 may be used for airline accommodations which are not 

5 coach-class accommodations for an individual described in 

6 subsection (a) if the use of the funds for such accommoda7 tions would be permitted under sections 301–10.121 

8 through 301–10.125 of title 41 of the Code of Federal 

9 Regulations if the individual were an employee of an agen10 cy which is subject to chapter 301 of such title. 

11 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec12 tion may be construed to affect any officer or employee 

13 of an office of the legislative branch which, as of the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act, is subject to chapter 301 

15 of title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

16 (d) DEFINITIONS.— 

17 (1) COACH-CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS.—In this 

18 section, the term ‘‘coach-class accommodations’’ 

19 means the basic class of accommodation by airlines 

20 that is normally the lowest fare offered regardless of 

21 airline terminology used, and (as referred to by air22 lines) may include tourist class or economy class, as 

23 well as single class when the airline offers only one 

24 class of accommodations to all travelers. 


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1 (2) MEMBER OF CONGRESS.—In this section, 

2 the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator or 

3 a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Com4 missioner to, the Congress. 

5 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

6 respect to fiscal year 2018 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

7 SEC. 5. 5-YEAR POST-EMPLOYMENT BAN ON LOBBYING BY 

8 FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 

9 (a) FORMER SENATORS.—Subparagraph (A) of sec10 tion 207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

11 by striking ‘‘within 2 years after that person leaves office’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘within 5 years after that person leaves of13 fice’’. 

14 (b) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP15 RESENTATIVES.—Paragraph (1) of section 207(e) of such 

16 title is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and insert17 ing the following: 

18 ‘‘(B) MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP19 RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is a Member 

20 of the House of Representatives and who, with21 in 5 years after that person leaves office, know22 ingly makes, with the intent to influence, any 

23 communication to or appearance before any 

24 Member, officer, or employee of either House of 

25 Congress and any employee of any other legislaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Apr 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1951.IH H1951

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1 tive office of the Congress, on behalf of any 

2 other person (except the United States) in con3 nection with any matter on which such former 

4 Member seeks action by a Member, officer, or 

5 employee of either House of Congress, in his or 

6 her official capacity, shall be punished as pro7 vided in section 216 of this title. 

8 ‘‘(C) OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP9 RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is an elected 

10 officer of the House of Representatives and 

11 who, within 1 year after that person leaves of12 fice, knowingly makes, with the intent to influ13 ence, any communication to or appearance be14 fore any Member, officer, or employee of the 

15 House of Representatives, on behalf of any 

16 other person (except the United States) in con17 nection with any matter on which such former 

18 elected officer seeks action by a Member, offi19 cer, or employee of either House of Congress, in 

20 his or her official capacity, shall be punished as 

21 provided in section 216 of this title.’’. 

22 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

23 this section shall apply with respect to any individual who, 

24 on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves 


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1 an office to which section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United 

2 States Code, applies. 

Æ 


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