I 

119TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 143 

To establish a budgetary level reduction schedule, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2025 

Mrs. CAMMACK (for herself and Mr. SCHMIDT) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and 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 budgetary level reduction schedule, 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 ‘‘Unauthorized Spend5 ing Accountability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUC7 TION SCHEDULE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established a re9 occurring three-year budgetary level reduction cycle with 


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1 respect to any unauthorized program, to begin in fiscal 

2 year 2026, consistent with the requirements of this Act. 

3 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

4 (1) BUDGETARY LEVEL.—The term ‘‘budgetary 

5 level’’ means the allocation made under section 

6 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 

7 U.S.C. 633(a)) to the Committee on Appropriations 

8 of the House of Representatives or the Senate in a 

9 concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year, 

10 and includes any such allocation made pursuant to 

11 a deeming resolution. 

12 (2) EXPIRING FISCAL YEAR.—The term ‘‘expir13 ing fiscal year’’ means, with respect to an unauthor14 ized program, the fiscal year during which author15 izations of appropriations will expire for such pro16 gram. 

17 (3) UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘un18 authorized program’’ means any program or activity 

19 listed in the annual report published by the Congres20 sional Budget Office, entitled ‘‘Expired and Expiring 

21 Authorizations of Appropriations’’, or any successor 

22 report, with respect to which authorizations of ap23 propriations will expire during the fiscal year in 

24 which such report is published. 


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1 (c) APPLICATION TO PROGRAMS THAT EXPIRED BE2 FORE FISCAL YEAR 2026.—For purposes of applying this 

3 Act to any unauthorized program funded during fiscal 

4 year 2026 and for which authorizations of appropriations 

5 expired before such fiscal year, such program shall be 

6 deemed to be a program or activity listed in the report 

7 referred to in subsection (b)(3) with respect to which au8 thorizations of appropriations will expire during fiscal year 

9 2026. 

10 SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR UNAU11 THORIZED PROGRAMS. 

12 (a) BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR FISCAL YEAR FOL13 LOWING EXPIRATION OF AUTHORIZATION.—With respect 

14 to any unauthorized program, on the date that a budg15 etary level is established for the fiscal year immediately 

16 following the expiring fiscal year, such level shall imme17 diately be reduced by an amount equal to 10 percent of 

18 the funds appropriated for such program in the expiring 

19 fiscal year. 

20 (b) BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR SECOND AND THIRD

21 FISCAL YEARS FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF AUTHORIZA22 TION.—With respect to any unauthorized program that re23 sults in a budgetary level reduction under subsection (a) 

24 that remains an unauthorized program in the second or 

25 third fiscal year following the expiring fiscal year, on the 


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1 date that a budgetary level is established for either such 

2 second or third fiscal year, the budgetary level for either 

3 such fiscal year shall be reduced by an amount equal to 

4 15 percent of the funds appropriated for such program 

5 in the expiring fiscal year. 

6 (c) TRANSMITTAL OF NEW BUDGETARY LEVEL.— 

7 Upon the reduction of a budgetary level (if any) under 

8 subsection (a) or (b), the chair of the Committee on the 

9 Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate 

10 shall submit the revised budgetary level to the chair of 

11 the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep12 resentatives and the Senate, respectively. 

13 SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAMS 

14 AFTER THIRD UNAUTHORIZED YEAR. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Any unauthorized program that 

16 causes a budgetary level reduction under section 3(b) ap17 plicable to the third fiscal year following the expiring fiscal 

18 year shall, effective immediately on October 1 of the fiscal 

19 year immediately following such third fiscal year, be termi20 nated, except that any unobligated amounts available for 

21 such program after the date of termination shall remain 

22 available for recording, adjusting, and liquidating valid ob23 ligations of such program issued before such termination 

24 date. 


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1 (b) OBLIGATION OF FUNDS PROHIBITED WITHOUT

2 REAUTHORIZATION.—No funds may be obligated for any 

3 program terminated pursuant to subsection (a) in any fis4 cal year without an express reauthorization of the program 

5 by Congress containing an authorization of appropriations 

6 period not to exceed three years. 

7 SEC. 5. EXEMPTION FROM BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUCTION. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with subsection (b)— 

9 (1) any unauthorized program that causes a 

10 budgetary level reduction applicable to a fiscal year 

11 under section 3 that is expressly reauthorized during 

12 the fiscal year in which such level is established shall 

13 not be subject to the requirements of this Act; and 

14 (2) upon the date of such reauthorization, any 

15 such reduction shall be restored. 

16 (b) LIMITATION.—Subsection (a) shall only apply if 

17 the reauthorization contains a sunset provision applicable 

18 to such program providing for an authorization of appro19 priations period of not more than three years. 

Æ 


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