I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1454 
To require the salaries of Members of Congress to be held in escrow if 
all regular appropriation bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted 
by the beginning of the fiscal year, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2011 
Mr. HULTGREN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the salaries of Members of Congress to be held 
in escrow if all regular appropriation bills for a fiscal 
year have not been enacted by the beginning of the 
fiscal year, 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 ‘‘Congressional Pay Ac-
countability Act of 2011’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1454.IH
H1454
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 
ESCROW UPON FAILURE TO ENACT REGULAR 
APPROPRIATION BILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR. 
(a) ESCROW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If all of the regular appro-
priation bills for a fiscal year do not become law be-
fore the beginning of such fiscal year, the Secretary 
of the Treasury shall deposit all payments otherwise 
required to be made for the compensation of Mem-
bers of Congress in an escrow account, and shall re-
lease such payments to the Members only upon the 
enactment of all such bills. 
(2) 
WITHHOLDING
AND
REMITTANCE
OF 
AMOUNTS FROM PAYMENTS HELD IN ESCROW.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide for the same 
withholding and remittance with respect to a pay-
ment deposited in an escrow account under para-
graph (1) that would apply to the payment if the 
payment were not subject to paragraph (1). 
(3) COORDINATION
WITH
HOUSE
AND
SEN-
ATE.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall enter 
into such agreements with the Chief Administrative 
Officer of the House of Representatives and the Sec-
retary of the Senate as may be necessary to carry 
out this subsection. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1454.IH
H1454
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding fiscal year. 
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN SALARY UPON FAILURE TO ENACT 
REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILLS PRIOR TO 
BEGINNING OF CONGRESS. 
(a) REDUCTION IN SALARY.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, if all of the regular appropriation 
bills for the fiscal year in which a Congress begins do not 
become law before the first day of the Congress, the an-
nual rate of pay for each Member of Congress for pay 
periods occurring during the Congress shall be the applica-
ble rate in effect for the most recent pay period prior to 
the Congress reduced by 25 percent, rounded to the near-
est multiple of $100 (or, if midway between multiples of 
$100, to the next higher multiple of $100). 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress and each 
succeeding Congress. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) MEMBER OF CONGRESS.—In this Act, the term 
‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an individual serving in a 
position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 
601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
U.S.C. 31). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1454.IH
H1454
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
(b) REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILL.—In this Act, 
the term ‘‘regular appropriation bill’’ means any annual 
appropriation bill making appropriations, otherwise mak-
ing funds available, or granting authority, for any of the 
following categories of projects and activities: 
(1) Agriculture, rural development, Food and 
Drug Administration, and related agencies pro-
grams. 
(2) The Departments of Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and related agencies. 
(3) The Department of Defense. 
(4) Energy and water development, and related 
agencies. 
(5) Financial services and general Government. 
(6) The Department of Homeland Security. 
(7) The Department of the Interior, environ-
ment, and related agencies. 
(8) The Departments of Labor, Health and 
Human Services, and Education, and related agen-
cies. 
(9) The legislative branch. 
(10) Military construction and veterans affairs. 
(11) The Department of State, foreign oper-
ations, and related programs. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1454.IH
H1454
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
(12) The Departments of Transportation, 
Housing and Urban Development, and related agen-
cies. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1454.IH
H1454
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS