I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4914
To reform the concept of baseline budgeting.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 5, 1994
Mr. STENHOLM (for himself, Mr. PENNY, and Mr. KASICH) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Government
Operations and Rules
A BILL
To reform the concept of baseline budgeting.
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 ‘‘Baseline Reform Act
of 1994’’.
SEC. 2. THE BASELINE.
(a) Except for purposes of adjusting the discretionary
spending limits set forth in section 601(a)(2) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974, section 257(c) of the Bal-
anced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
is amended—
(1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by
striking ‘‘sequentially and cumulatively’’ and by
striking ‘‘for inflation as specified in paragraph
(5),’’; and
(2) and by redesignating paragraph (6) as
paragraph (5).
(b) Section 1109(a) of title 31, United States Code,
is amended by adding after the first sentence the following
new sentence: ‘‘These estimates shall not include an ad-
justment for inflation for programs and activities subject
to discretionary appropriations.’’.
SEC. 3. THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET.
(a) Paragraph (5) of section 1105(a) of title 31,
United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(5) except as provided in subsection (b) of this
section, estimated expenditures and appropriations
for the current year and estimated expenditures and
proposed appropriations the President decides are
necessary to support the Government in the fiscal
year for which the budget is submitted and the 4 fis-
cal years following that year;’’.
(b) Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘current fiscal year and
the’’ before ‘‘fiscal year’’.
(c) Section 1105(a)(12) of title 31, United States
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (A), by striking the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’
at the end of subparagraph (B), and by adding at the end
the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(C) the estimated amount for the same activ-
ity (if any) in the current fiscal year.’’.
(d) Section 1105(a)(18) of title 31, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘new budget authority
and’’ before ‘‘budget outlays’’.
(e) Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph:
‘‘(30) a comparison of levels of estimated ex-
penditures and proposed appropriations for each
function and subfunction in the current fiscal year
and the fiscal year for which the budget is submit-
ted, along with the proposed increase or decrease of
spending in percentage terms for each function and
subfunction.’’.
SEC. 4. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.
Section 301(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 is amended by—
(1) inserting after the second sentence the fol-
lowing: ‘‘The starting point for any deliberations in
the Committee on the Budget of each House on the
concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fis-
cal year shall be the estimated level of outlays for
the current year in each function and subfunction.
Any increases or decreases in the Congressional
budget for the next fiscal year shall be from such es-
timated levels.’’; and
(2) striking paragraph (8) and redesignating
paragraphs (9) and (10) as paragraphs (10) and
(11), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph
(7) the following new paragraphs:
‘‘(8) a comparison of levels for the current fis-
cal year with proposed spending and revenue levels
for the subsequent fiscal years along with the pro-
posed increase or decrease of spending in percentage
terms for each function and subfunction; and
‘‘(9) information, data, and comparisons indi-
cating the manner in which and the basis on which,
the committee determined each of the matters set
forth in the concurrent resolution, including infor-
mation on outlays for the current fiscal year and the
decisions reached to set funding for the subsequent
fiscal years;’’.
SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE REPORTS TO
COMMITTEES.
(a) The first sentence of section 202(f)(1) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to read as fol-
lows: ‘‘On or before February 15 of each year, the Direc-
tor shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a report for the
fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year with
respect to fiscal policy, including (A) alternative levels of
total revenues, total new budget authority, and total out-
lays (including related surpluses and deficits) compared
to comparable levels for the current year and (B) the levels
of tax expenditures under existing law, taking into account
projected economic factors and any changes in such levels
based on proposals in the budget submitted by the Presi-
dent for such fiscal year.’’.
(b) Section 202(f)(1) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974 is amended by inserting after the first sen-
tence the following new sentence: ‘‘That report shall also
include a table on sources of spending growth under cur-
rent law in total mandatory spending for the budget year
and the ensuing 4 fiscal years, which shall include changes
in outlays attributable to the following: cost-of-living ad-
justments; changes in the number of program recipients;
increases in medical care prices, utilization and intensity
of medical care; and residual factors.’’.
(c) Section 308(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974 is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘, and
shall include a comparison of those levels to com-
parable levels for the current fiscal year’’ before ‘‘if
timely submitted’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (C), by striking the period and inserting ‘‘;
and’’ at the end of subparagraph (D), and by adding
at the end the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(E) comparing the levels in existing pro-
grams in such measure to the estimated levels
for the current fiscal year.’’
(d) Title IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
‘‘GAO REPORTS TO BUDGET COMMITTEES
‘‘SEC. 408. On or before January 15 of each year,
the Comptroller General, after consultation with appro-
priate committees of the House of Representatives and
Senate, shall submit to the Congress a report listing all
programs and activities with permanent appropriations or
that fall within the definition of spending authority under
section 401(c)(2).’’.
(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by in-
serting after the item relating to section 407 the following
new item:
‘‘Sec. 408. GAO reports to budget committees.’’.
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