I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4713 
To increase the long-term fiscal accountability of direct spending legislation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 21, 2017 
Mr. KINZINGER (for himself, Mr. COOPER, Ms. JENKINS of Kansas, Mr. 
YOHO, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. PITTENGER, and Ms. SINEMA) 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 provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To increase the long-term fiscal accountability of direct 
spending legislation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; PURPOSE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Truth in Spending Act of 2017’’. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to— 
(1) improve congressional control over the Fed-
eral budget process; 
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(2) to facilitate the determination each year of 
the appropriate level of Federal revenues and ex-
penditures by the Congress and the President; and 
(3) to provide for the furnishing of information 
that will assist the Congress in controlling growth of 
direct spending programs. 
SEC. 2. PRESIDENTS’ BUDGET SUBMISSIONS. 
(a) OMB REPORT REGARDING DIFFERENCE BE-
TWEEN ACTUAL
AND ESTIMATED COSTS
OF DIRECT 
SPENDING LEGISLATION.—Section 1105(a) of title 31, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(40) the most recent reports of the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget under sub-
sections (a) and (b) of section 3 of the Truth in 
Spending Act of 2017 regarding the difference be-
tween the actual costs and the estimated costs of di-
rect spending legislation, including proposed legisla-
tive language, if any, in such reports.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to budget submissions made by 
the President beginning with the submission for fiscal year 
2019. 
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SEC. 3. LONG-TERM FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY OF DIRECT 
SPENDING LEGISLATION. 
(a) INITIAL FIVE-YEAR REPORT.—Not later than 
January 15, 2018, and each subsequent year, the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to 
the President for inclusion in his annual budget submis-
sion under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, 
a report setting forth the following: 
(1) For all Acts affecting direct spending rel-
ative to the baseline enacted during the sixth cal-
endar year before the calendar year in which this re-
port is submitted, the total cost as estimated by the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office for the 
then budget year and four outyears. 
(2) For all Acts affecting direct spending rel-
ative to the baseline enacted during the sixth cal-
endar year before the calendar year in which this re-
port is submitted, the actual total cost as computed 
by the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget for the then budget year and four outyears. 
(3) For such 5-fiscal-year period, the net 
amount by which the actual cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated cost of all such Acts, or the net 
amount by which the estimated cost of all such Acts 
exceeds the actual cost of all such Acts, as the case 
may be. 
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(4) If the actual total cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated total cost, then proposed legisla-
tive language to eliminate such excess cost. 
(5) If the actual total cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated total cost, then a detailed state-
ment of the most likely reasons why that occurred. 
(6) A list of each Act for which the actual total 
cost exceeded the estimated total cost for the appli-
cable five-year period described in paragraph (3) and 
the dollar amount of such excess. 
(b) FOLLOW-UP FIVE-YEAR REPORT.—Not later 
than January 15, 2018, and each subsequent year, the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
submit to the President for inclusion in his annual budget 
submission under section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, a report setting forth the following: 
(1) For all Acts affecting direct spending rel-
ative to the baseline enacted during the eleventh cal-
endar year before the calendar year in which this re-
port is submitted, the total cost as estimated by the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office for the 
5-fiscal-year period, the first fiscal year of which be-
gins immediately after the last fiscal year covered by 
the corresponding initial five-year report under sub-
section (a). 
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(2) For all Acts affecting direct spending rel-
ative to the baseline enacted during the eleventh cal-
endar year before the calendar year in which this re-
port is submitted, the actual total cost as computed 
by the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget for the 5-fiscal-year period, the first fiscal 
year of which begins immediately after the last fiscal 
year covered by the corresponding initial five-year 
report under subsection (a). 
(3) For such 5-fiscal-year period, the net 
amount by which the actual cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated cost of all such Acts, or the net 
amount by which the estimated cost of all such Acts 
exceeds the actual cost of all such Acts, as the case 
may be. 
(4) If the actual total cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated total cost, then propose legisla-
tive language to eliminate such excess cost. 
(5) If the actual total cost of all such Acts ex-
ceeds the estimated total cost, then a detailed state-
ment of the most likely reasons why that occurred. 
(6) A list of each Act for which the actual total 
cost exceeded the estimated total cost for the appli-
cable five-year period described in paragraph (3) and 
the dollar amount of such excess. 
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(c) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 
‘‘direct spending’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985. 
SEC. 4. FAST TRACK PROCEDURE. 
(a) PRESIDENTIAL SUBMISSION
TO CONGRESS.— 
Upon receiving any report from the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget pursuant to subsection (a) or 
(b) of section 3, the President shall, within 7 days, submit 
any proposed legislative language set forth in such report 
to the House of Representatives and to the Senate. 
(b) CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION.— 
(1) INTRODUCTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—On the day on which 
the proposed legislative language is submitted 
by the President to the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate under subsection (a), it 
shall be introduced (by request) in the Senate 
by the majority leader of the Senate or by 
Members of the Senate designated by the ma-
jority leader of the Senate and shall be intro-
duced (by request) in the House by the major-
ity leader of the House or by Members of the 
House designated by the majority leader of the 
House. 
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(B) NOT IN SESSION.—If either House is 
not in session on the day on which such legisla-
tive proposal is submitted, the legislative pro-
posal shall be introduced in that House, as pro-
vided in subparagraph (A), on the first day 
thereafter on which that House is in session. 
(C) ANY MEMBER.—If the legislative pro-
posal is not introduced in either House within 
5 days on which that House is in session after 
the day on which the legislative proposal is sub-
mitted, then any Member of that House may 
introduce the legislative proposal. 
(D) REFERRAL.—The legislation intro-
duced under this paragraph shall be referred by 
the Presiding Officers of the respective Houses 
to the appropriate committees. 
(2) COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION
OF
PRO-
POSAL.— 
(A) REPORTING
BILL.—Not later than 
April 1 of any year in which a proposal is sub-
mitted by the President to Congress under this 
section, the applicable committees of the House 
of Representatives and of the Senate may re-
port the bill referred to them under paragraph 
(1)(D) with committee amendments, such that 
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the bill, as amended, achieves the cost savings 
in the original submission. 
(B) DISCHARGE.—If, with respect to the 
House involved, the committee has not reported 
the bill by the date required by subparagraph 
(A), the committee shall be discharged from 
further consideration of the proposal. 
(3) 
LIMITATION
ON
CHANGES
TO
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be in order 
in the Senate or the House of Representatives 
to consider any bill, resolution, or amendment 
pursuant to this subsection or conference report 
thereon that fails to achieve the cost savings set 
forth in the original submission by the Presi-
dent from among the Acts set forth on the list 
compiled under section 3(a)(6). 
(B) WAIVER.—This paragraph may be 
waived or suspended in the Senate only by the 
affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members, 
duly chosen and sworn. 
(C) APPEALS.—An affirmative vote of 
three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly 
chosen and sworn, shall be required in the Sen-
ate to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the 
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Chair on a point of order raised under this 
paragraph. 
(4) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE.— 
(A) CONSIDERATION.—A motion to pro-
ceed to the consideration of the bill in the Sen-
ate is not debatable. 
(B) AMENDMENT.— 
(i) TIME LIMITATION.—Debate in the 
Senate on any amendment to a bill under 
this section shall be limited to 1 hour, to 
be equally divided between, and controlled 
by, the mover and the manager of the bill, 
and debate on any amendment to an 
amendment, debatable motion, or appeal 
shall be limited to 30 minutes, to be equal-
ly divided between, and controlled by, the 
mover and the manager of the bill, except 
that in the event the manager of the bill 
is in favor of any such amendment, mo-
tion, or appeal, the time in opposition 
thereto shall be controlled by the minority 
leader or such leader’s designee. 
(ii) GERMANE.—No amendment that 
is not germane to the provisions of such 
bill shall be received. 
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