Budgetary Quid Pro Quo Act

To prohibit the consideration in the House of Representatives and Senate of legislation which includes a provision authorizing the appropriation of an amount of funds for a program which does not include a provision reducing by at least the same amount the amount otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the same program or for any other program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Budgetary Quid Pro Quo Act 2. Prohibition against consideration of legislation authorizing funding for programs not offset by reductions in other funding (a) Prohibition It shall not be in order in the House of Representatives or Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, conference report, or an amendment thereto, that authorizes the appropriation of an amount of funds for a program unless the measure includes a provision reducing by at least the same amount the amount otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the program or for any other program. (b) Special rules In carrying out subsection (a), the following rules shall apply: (1) Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the National Defense Authorization Act for a fiscal year only to the extent that the aggregate amount authorized to be appropriated under the Act for programs described within the same defense function under the budget resolution for that fiscal year exceeds the aggregate amount of budget authority for such function under the budget resolution. (2) A provision of a measure that directs, requires, or permits an agency to undertake a particular activity that can reasonably be carried out with funds available from the agency’s regular administrative budget, and for which the measure does not provide a specific authorization of appropriations for such activity, may be included in the measure without violating subsection (a). (3) A provision of a measure that expands the permissible use of an existing authorization of appropriation of funds, but does not itself require or authorize an increase in the amount authorized to be appropriated, may be included in the measure without violating subsection (a). (4) A provision of a measure that extends the period during which funds may be provided under an existing authorization of appropriations, but does not increase the amount authorized to be appropriated, may be included in the measure without violating subsection (a). (5) A provision of a measure that provides an authorization of appropriations for a program for a fiscal year in the same amount as the amount appropriated for the most recent fiscal year for which funds were appropriated for the program may be included in the measure without violating subsection (a). (c) Program defined In this section, the term program (d) Rules of the House and Senate This section is enacted by Congress— (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in the House in the case of joint resolutions described in this section, and supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such other rules; and (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House. 3. Online portal for laws enacted to authorize appropriations (a) Establishment and operation of online portal The Director of the Government Publishing Office (hereafter in this section referred to as the Director (1) each of the laws enacted during a Congress which authorize appropriations of funds, together with the information described in subsection (b); and (2) a statement of the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated during the Congress. (b) Additional information To be included The information described in this subsection is, with respect to a law which authorizes the appropriation of funds, the following: (1) A statement of the amount of funds authorized to be appropriated for each program or activity for which funds are authorized to be appropriated by the law. (2) A statement of the amount of funds, if any, subsequently appropriated or otherwise made available for each such program or activity. (3) A citation to the provision of law, rule, or regulation which provides the authority for appropriating funds for each such program or activity. (4) Such other information as the Director considers appropriate for inclusion in the online portal. (c) Consultation The Director shall carry out this section in consultation with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Librarian of Congress. (d) Effective date (1) Establishment of portal The Director shall establish and operate the online portal under this section not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Congresses covered The online portal shall include information on laws enacted during the most recent Congress which ends before the date of the enactment of this Act and each subsequent Congress.

Summary: Budgetary Quid Pro Quo Act This bill generally prohibits Congress from considering legislation that authorizes appropriations for a program unless the legislation also includes a provision that reduces an authorization of appropriations for the program or another program by at least the same amount. The bill also requires the Government Publishing Office to establish and maintain an online portal through which members of the public may access information about authorizations of appropriations, including (1) specified details about laws enacted during a Congress that authorize appropriations, and (2) a statement of the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated during a Congress.