I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7191 
To implement reforms to the budget and appropriations process in the House 
of Representatives. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 
Mr. WOMACK (for himself and Mr. YARMUTH) 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 provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To implement reforms to the budget and appropriations 
process in the House of Representatives. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Bipartisan Budget and Appropriations Reform Act of 
2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
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TITLE I—BIENNIAL BUDGET RESOLUTIONS 
Sec. 101. Purposes. 
Sec. 102. Definitions. 
Sec. 103. Revision of timetable. 
Sec. 104. Biennial concurrent resolutions on the budget. 
Sec. 105. Committee allocations. 
Sec. 106. Revision of biennial budget. 
Sec. 107. Additional amendments to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to 
effectuate biennial budgeting. 
Sec. 108. Reconciliation process. 
Sec. 109. Amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives to effec-
tuate biennial budgeting. 
Sec. 110. Membership of the Committee on the Budget. 
Sec. 111. Rulemaking authority. 
Sec. 112. Effective date. 
TITLE II—OTHER MATTERS 
Sec. 201. Views and estimates of committees. 
Sec. 202. Annual supplemental budget submission by the President. 
Sec. 203. Hearing on the fiscal state of the Nation. 
TITLE I—BIENNIAL BUDGET 
RESOLUTIONS 
SEC. 101. PURPOSES. 
Paragraph (2) of section 2 of the Congressional 
Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) to facilitate the determination biennially of 
the appropriate level of Federal revenues and ex-
penditures by the Congress;’’. 
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impound-
ment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘for a fiscal 
year’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘for a bi-
ennium’’; and 
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(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(12) The term ‘direct spending’ has the mean-
ing given to such term in section 250(c)(8) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985. 
‘‘(13) The term ‘biennium’ means any period of 
2 consecutive fiscal years beginning with an even- 
numbered fiscal year. 
‘‘(14) The term ‘budget year’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 250(c)(12) of the Bal-
anced Budget and Emergency Control Act of 
1985.’’. 
SEC. 103. 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 congres-
sional budget process for any Congress is as follows: 
‘‘First Session 
On or before: 
Action to be completed: 
First Monday in February ........
President submits budget. 
February 15 ...............................
Congressional Budget Office submits report 
to Budget Committees. 
March 1 ....................................
Committees submit views and estimates to 
Budget Committees. 
April 1 .......................................
Senate Budget Committee reports biennial 
budget. 
May 1 .........................................
Congress completes action on the biennial 
budget. 
May 15 .......................................
Appropriation bills may be considered in the 
House of Representatives. 
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‘‘First Session—Continued 
June 10 ......................................
House Appropriations Committee reports last 
annual appropriation bill. 
October 1 ...................................
First fiscal year of the biennium begins. 
‘‘Second Session 
On or before: 
Action to be completed: 
First Monday in February ........
President submits budget. 
February 15 ...............................
Congressional Budget Office submits report 
to Budget Committees. 
June 10 ......................................
House Appropriations Committee reports last 
annual appropriation bill. 
October 1 ...................................
Second fiscal year of the biennium begins.’’. 
SEC. 104. BIENNIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS ON THE 
BUDGET. 
(a) CONTENTS OF RESOLUTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 301(a) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(a)) is 
amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘On or before April 15’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘the following:’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘On or before May 
1 of each odd-numbered calendar year, the Con-
gress shall complete action on a concurrent res-
olution on the budget for the biennium begin-
ning on October 1 of that calendar year. The 
concurrent resolution shall set forth appropriate 
levels for each fiscal year in the biennium and 
for at least each fiscal year in the next 2 
bienniums for the following—’’; 
(B) in paragraph (6)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘for the fiscal year’’ 
and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year in the 
biennium’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘for the fiscal year’’ 
and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year in the 
biennium’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(D) by adding after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) subtotals of new budget authority and out-
lays for nondefense discretionary spending; defense 
discretionary spending; direct spending; and net in-
terest.’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end of the matter fol-
lowing paragraph (8) (as added by subpara-
graph (D)) the following: ‘‘The concurrent reso-
lution on the budget for a biennium shall in-
clude procedures for adjusting spending and 
revenue levels, committee allocations, and other 
amounts in the resolution during the second 
session of a Congress to reflect an updated 
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baseline that will be used for scoring pur-
poses.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL MATTERS IN CONCURRENT RESO-
LUTION.—Section 301(b) of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘for such fis-
cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either fiscal year in 
such biennium’’; 
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) include total combined outlays and reve-
nues for tax expenditures.’’. 
(c) HEARINGS AND REPORT.—Section 301(e)(1) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(e)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘bien-
nium’’. 
(d) GOALS FOR REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT.—Sec-
tion 301(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 
U.S.C. 632(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’. 
(e) ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS.—Section 301(g)(1) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
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632(g)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’. 
(f) SECTION HEADING.—The section heading of sec-
tion 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 
U.S.C. 632) is amended by striking ‘‘ANNUAL ADOPTION 
OF’’ and inserting ‘‘ADOPTION OF BIENNIAL’’. 
SEC. 105. COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS. 
Section 302 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
(2 U.S.C. 633) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘for that period of fiscal 
years’’ and inserting ‘‘for all fiscal years cov-
ered by the resolution’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘only for the fiscal year of 
that resolution’’ and inserting ‘‘only for each 
fiscal year of the biennium’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for a budget year’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘for that fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for that budget year’’; 
(3) in subsection (f)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’; and 
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(B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘either fiscal year of the biennium of 
that resolution’’; and 
(4) in subsection (f)(2)(A), by— 
(A) striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘either fiscal year of the biennium of 
that resolution’’; and 
(B) striking ‘‘the total of fiscal years’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the total of all fiscal years covered by 
the resolution’’. 
SEC. 106. REVISION OF BIENNIAL BUDGET. 
Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
(2 U.S.C. 635) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘PERMISSIBLE REVISIONS OF CONCURRENT 
RESOLUTIONS ON THE BUDGET 
‘‘SEC. 304. At any time after the concurrent resolu-
tion on the budget has been agreed to pursuant to section 
301 and before the end of the biennium, the two Houses 
may adopt a concurrent resolution that revises or reaf-
firms the most recently agreed to concurrent resolution 
on the budget. Any concurrent resolution that revises or 
reaffirms the most recently agreed to concurrent resolu-
tion on the budget shall be considered under the proce-
dures set forth in section 305.’’. 
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SEC. 107. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRES-
SIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974 TO EFFEC-
TUATE BIENNIAL BUDGETING. 
(a) ENFORCEMENT OF SECTION 303.—Section 303 
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 634) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for a biennium’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year cov-
ered by that resolution’’ and inserting ‘‘either 
fiscal year of that biennium’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘the fis-
cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘the biennium’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘for that year’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘for each 
year of that biennium’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘after 
the year the allocation referred to in that para-
graph is made’’ and inserting ‘‘after the years 
the allocations referred to in that paragraph are 
made’’. 
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(b) SECTION 305.—Subsections (a)(3) and (b)(3) of 
section 305 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 
U.S.C. 636) are amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’. 
(c) SECTION 311 POINT OF ORDER.— 
(1) IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.— 
Section 311(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 642(a)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘either of the 
first two fiscal years covered by such resolu-
tion’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘either of the first two fiscal years’’. 
(2) IN THE SENATE.—Section 311(a)(2) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
642(a)(2)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘for 
the first fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either 
of the first two fiscal years’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ 
the first place it appears and inserting ‘‘ei-
ther of the first two fiscal years’’; and 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year 
and the ensuing fiscal years’’ and inserting 
‘‘all fiscal years’’. 
(3) 
SOCIAL
SECURITY
LEVELS.—Section 
311(a)(3) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
(2 U.S.C. 642(a)(2)) is amended by— 
(A) striking ‘‘for the first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for either of the first two fiscal 
years’’; and 
(B) striking ‘‘that fiscal year and the ensu-
ing fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘all fiscal 
years’’. 
SEC. 108. RECONCILIATION PROCESS. 
Section 310(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 (2 U.S.C. 641(a)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘A concurrent’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘shall’’ and inserting ‘‘A concurrent resolution on 
the budget for a biennium shall, for each fiscal year 
of the biennium’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘for such 
fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year of the 
biennium’’; 
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(1) by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ the first place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘that fiscal year’’ and inserting 
‘‘each fiscal year in such ensuing biennium’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (1) by striking ‘‘six weeks 
after the submission of the budget by the President’’ 
and inserting ‘‘March 1’’. 
(e) Clause 3(d)(1)(A) of rule XIII is amended by 
striking ‘‘five’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘six’’. 
SEC. 110. MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDG-
ET. 
(a) Clause 5(a)(2) of rule X of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives is amended— 
(1) by striking subdivisions (B) and (C); and 
(2) in subdivision (A), by striking ‘‘(A)’’ and by 
redesignating items (i), (ii), and (iii) as subdivisions 
(A), (B), and (C), respectively. 
(b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take 
effect immediately before noon, January 3, 2019. 
SEC. 111. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. 
Sections 109 and 110 are enacted by the Congress— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the House of Representatives, and as such they shall 
be considered as part of the rules of the House and 
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such rules shall supersede other rules only to the ex-
tent that they are inconsistent therewith; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of the House to change such rules at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
the case of any other rule of the House. 
SEC. 112. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This title and the amendments made by this title 
shall take effect immediately before noon January 3, 
2019. 
TITLE II—OTHER MATTERS 
SEC. 201. VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF COMMITTEES. 
Section 301(d) of the Congressional Budget and Im-
poundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(d)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF OTHER COMMIT-
TEES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than March 1 of 
the first session of a Congress, or upon the request 
of the Committee on the Budget of the House of 
Representatives or the Senate, each committee of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate having 
legislative jurisdiction shall submit to its respective 
Committee on the Budget its views and estimates 
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(as determined by the committee making such sub-
mission) with respect to the following: 
‘‘(A) Any legislation to be considered dur-
ing that Congress that is a priority for the com-
mittee. 
‘‘(B) Any legislation within the jurisdiction 
of the committee that would establish, amend, 
or reauthorize any Federal program and likely 
have a significant budgetary impact. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL MATTERS.—Any committee of 
the House of Representatives or the Senate and any 
joint committee of the Congress may submit to the 
appropriate Committees on the Budget its views and 
estimates with respect to all matters set forth in 
subsections (a) and (b) which relate to matters with-
in its jurisdiction. 
‘‘(3) JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE.—The Joint 
Economic Committee shall submit to the Committees 
on the Budget of both Houses its recommendations 
as to the fiscal policy appropriate to the goals of the 
Employment Act of 1946.’’. 
SEC. 202. ANNUAL SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET SUBMISSION 
BY THE PRESIDENT. 
Section 1106 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(d) On or before December 1 of each calendar year, 
the President shall submit to Congress an administrative 
budget for the fiscal year beginning in the ensuing cal-
endar year, which shall include up-to-date estimates for 
current year and prior year data and credit reestimates 
for the current year (as included in the Federal credit sup-
plement of such budget).’’. 
SEC. 203. HEARING ON THE FISCAL STATE OF THE NATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days (excluding 
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the date on which 
the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress the au-
dited financial statement required under paragraph (1) of 
section 331(e) of title 31, United States Code, on a date 
agreed upon by the chairs of the Committees on the Budg-
et of the House of Representatives and the Senate and 
the Comptroller General of the United States, the chairs 
shall conduct a hearing to receive a presentation from the 
Comptroller General reviewing the findings of the audit 
required under paragraph (2) of such section and pro-
viding, with respect to the information included by the 
Secretary in the report accompanying such audited finan-
cial statement, an analysis of the financial position and 
condition of the Federal Government, including financial 
measures (such as the net operating cost, income, budget 
deficits, or budget surpluses) and sustainability measures 
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(such as the long-term fiscal projection or social insurance 
projection) described in such report. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirement under sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to any audited finan-
cial statement submitted on or after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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