I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1383
To provide for a two-year Federal budget cycle, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 17, 1993
Mr. REGULA introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on Government Operations and Rules
A BILL
To provide for a two-year Federal budget cycle, 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 ‘‘Biennial Budget Act
of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares
that the present annual Federal budgeting process—
(1) allows insufficient time for the fulfillment
by the Congress of its legislative and oversight re-
sponsibilities;
(2) allows insufficient time for the review and
consideration by the Congress of authorizing legisla-
tion, budget resolutions, and appropriation bills and
resolutions and other spending measures;
(3) allows insufficient time for the evaluation of
costly and complicated Federal programs, and there-
by contributes to the unrestrained growth of the
Federal budget; and
(4) allows insufficient time for agencies and
State and local governments to plan for the imple-
mentation of programs.
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act—
(1) to establish a process through which the
Federal budget will be adopted for a two-year
period;
(2) to improve congressional control over the
Federal budget process;
(3) to streamline the requirements of the budg-
et process in order to promote better accountability
to the public;
(4) to improve the legislative and budgetary
processes by providing additional time for congres-
sional oversight and other vital legislative activities;
(5) to provide stability and coherence for recipi-
ents of Federal funds; and
(6) to implement other improvements in the
Federal budget process.
SEC. 3. REVISION OF TIMETABLE.
Section 300 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
(2 U.S.C. 631) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘TIMETABLE
‘‘SEC. 300. The timetable with respect to the Con-
gressional budget process for any Congress (beginning
with the One Hundred Fourth Congress) is as follows:
‘‘First Session
‘‘On or before:
Action to be completed:
First Monday after January 3 .
President submits budget recommendations.
February 15 .............................
Congressional Budget Office submits report
to Budget Committees.
February 25 .............................
Committees submit views and estimates to
Budget Committees.
March 31 ..................................
Senate Budget Committee reports concurrent
resolution on the biennial budget.
April 15 ....................................
Congress completes action on concurrent reso-
lution on the biennial budget.
May 15 .....................................
Biennial appropriation bills may be considered
in the House.
June 10 ....................................
House Appropriations Committee reports last
biennial appropriation bill.
September 30 ...........................
Congress completes action on reconciliation
legislation.
September 30 ...........................
Congress completes action on biennial appro-
priation bills.
October 1 .................................
Biennium begins.
‘‘Second Session
‘‘On or before:
Action to be completed:
May 15 .....................................
Congressional Budget Office submits report
to Budget Committees.
The last day of the session ......
Congress completes action on bills and resolu-
tions authorizing a new budget authority
for the succeeding biennium.’’.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET
AND IMPOUNDMENT CONTROL ACT OF 1974.
(a) DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.—Section 2(2) of the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of
1974 (2 U.S.C. 621(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘each
year’’ and inserting ‘‘biennially’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—
(1) Section 3(4) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 622(4))
is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ each place it
appears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’.
(2) Section 3 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 622) is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
‘‘(11) The term ‘biennium’ means the period of
2 consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of
any odd-numbered year.’’.
(c) DUTIES OF CBO.—
(1) Section 202(f)(1) of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 602(f)(1)) is amend-
ed—
(A) by striking ‘‘February 15 of each
year’’ and inserting ‘‘February 15 of each odd-
numbered calendar year’’;
(B) by striking ‘‘the fiscal year commenc-
ing’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year in the bien-
nium commencing’’.
(C) by striking ‘‘such fiscal year’’ the first
place it appears and inserting ‘‘such biennium’’;
and
(D) by striking ‘‘such fiscal year’’ the sec-
ond place it appears and inserting ‘‘each fiscal
year in such biennium’’.
(2) Section 202(f) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
602(f)) is further amended—
(A) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘The Di-
rector shall from time to time’’ and inserting
‘‘On May 15 of each even numbered year and
at such other times as he or she deems appro-
priate, the Director shall’’.
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by striking ‘‘January 15’’ and in-
serting ‘‘February 15’’,
(ii) by striking ‘‘each year’’ and in-
serting 
‘‘each 
even-numbered 
calendar
year’’,
(iii) by striking ‘‘the fiscal year end-
ing September 30 of that calendar year’’ in
clause (A) and inserting ‘‘either fiscal year
in the biennium beginning October 1 of the
preceding calendar year’’,
(iv) by striking ‘‘the fiscal year ending
September 30 of that calendar year’’ in
clause (B) and inserting ‘‘either fiscal year
of such biennium’’, and
(v) by striking ‘‘fiscal year beginning
October 1 of that calendar year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘succeeding biennium’’.
(d) BIENNIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE
BUDGET.—
(1) Section 301(a) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
632(a)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘April 15 of each year’’
and inserting ‘‘April 15 of each odd-numbered
year’’;
(B) by striking ‘‘the fiscal year beginning
on October 1 of such year’’ the first place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘biennium beginning on Oc-
tober 1 of such year’’;
(C) by striking ‘‘the fiscal year beginning
on October 1 of such year’’ the second place it
appears and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year in such
period; and
(D) by striking ‘‘each of the two ensuing
fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year in
the succeeding biennium’’.
(2) Section 301(b) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
632(b)) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)
by inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’ after ‘‘concurrent
resolution on the budget’’; and
(B) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘for such
fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either fiscal year
in such biennium’’.
(3) Section 301(d) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
632(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘February 25 of
each year’’ and inserting ‘‘February 25 of each odd-
numbered year’’.
(4) Section 301(e) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
632(e)) is amended—
(A) in the first sentence by striking ‘‘fiscal
year’’ and inserting ‘‘biennium’’;
(B) by inserting between the second and
third sentences the following new sentence: ‘‘On
or before March 31 of each odd-numbered year
the Committee on the Budget of each House
shall report to its House the concurrent resolu-
tion on the budget referred to in subsection (a)
for the biennium beginning on October 1 of
that year.’’; and
(C) in paragraph (6)—
(i) by striking ‘‘five’’ and inserting
‘‘four’’,
(ii) by striking ‘‘such fiscal year’’ and
inserting ‘‘the first fiscal year of such bien-
nium,’’, and
(iii) by striking ‘‘such period’’ and in-
serting ‘‘such four-fiscal-year period’’.
(5) Section 301(f) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
632(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ each
place it appears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’.
(6) The section heading of section 301 of such
Act is amended by striking ‘‘ANNUAL’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘BIENNIAL’’.
(7) The table of contents set forth in section
1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act of 1974 is amended by striking ‘‘An-
nual’’ in the item relating to section 301 and insert-
ing ‘‘Biennial’’.
(e) COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS.—
(1) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 302(a) of
such Act (2 U.S.C. 633(a)) are amended—
(A) by inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’ after
‘‘budget’’ the first place it appears in each such
paragraph; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year in
such biennium’’ after ‘‘estimated allocation’’
each place it appears.
(2) Section 302(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
633(c)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ each
place it appears and inserting ‘‘for either fiscal
year in a biennium’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘for such fiscal year’’ each
place it appears and inserting ‘‘for such bien-
nium’’.
(3) Section 302(f)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
633(f)(1)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for a biennium’’, and
(B) by striking ‘‘such fiscal year’’ each
place it appears in the matter preceding sub-
paragraph (A) and inserting ‘‘a fiscal year in
such biennium’’.
(C) Section 302(f)(2) of such Act is
amended—
(i) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and
inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’, and
(ii) by striking ‘‘for such fiscal year’’
and inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’.