I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3217 
To require Congress to budget in advance for disasters and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2019 
Mr. WALKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To require Congress to budget in advance for disasters and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Budgeting for Disas-
ters Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF EXEMPTIONS FROM THE ANNUAL 
BUDGET CAPS. 
Subparagraphs (D) and (F) of section 251(b)(2) of 
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
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of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) shall not apply with respect 
to fiscal year 2020, or any fiscal year thereafter. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY SPENDING POINT OF ORDER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 314(e)(2) of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(e)(2)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘three-fifths’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘two-thirds’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall— 
(1) take effect on the date of enactment of this 
Act; and 
(2) apply with respect to fiscal year 2020, and 
each fiscal year thereafter. 
SEC. 4. GAO REVIEW OF EMERGENCY SPENDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 
that— 
(1) reviews amounts appropriated for each of 
fiscal years 2009 through 2018 that were— 
(A) designated as being for an emergency 
requirement; 
(B) designated as being for disaster relief; 
or 
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(C) made available to provide assistance 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
et seq.); 
(2) identifies and reviews amounts appropriated 
for any of fiscal years 2009 through 2018 that were 
designated as being for an emergency requirement 
and designated as being for disaster relief; and 
(3) provides recommendations to— 
(A) clarify the definition of emergency re-
quirements 
for 
purposes 
of 
appropriated 
amounts being designated as being for an emer-
gency requirement; 
(B) implement an appropriate time limit 
for recipients to spend appropriated amounts 
that are designated as being for an emergency 
requirement; 
(C) improve cost-sharing relating to major 
disasters and emergencies among Federal, 
State, and local governments; and 
(D) improve forecasting and budgeting for 
appropriations for emergency requirements and 
disaster relief. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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(1) the term ‘‘emergency’’ means an emergency 
declared by the President under section 501 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191); 
(2) the term ‘‘designated as being for an emer-
gency requirement’’, with respect to amounts appro-
priated, means that the amounts are designated as 
an emergency requirement pursuant to— 
(A) section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Bal-
anced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)); or 
(B) a provision of a concurrent resolution 
on the budget; 
(3) the term ‘‘designated as being for disaster 
relief’’, with respect to amounts appropriated, means 
that the amounts are designated as being for dis-
aster relief pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)); and 
(4) the term ‘‘major disaster’’ means a major 
disaster declared by the President under section 401 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170). 
Æ 
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