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105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 113
To amend chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, to require that each
President’s budget submission to Congress include a detailed plan to
achieve a balanced Federal budget, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mr. CONDIT (for himself and Ms. GRANGER) 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 amend chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, to
require that each President’s budget submission to Con-
gress include a detailed plan to achieve a balanced Fed-
eral budget, 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 ‘‘Balanced Budget Re-
quirement Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. PRESIDENT’S BUDGET.
Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph:
‘‘(32) Beginning with the budget submission for
fiscal year 1998, a detailed plan to achieve a bal-
anced budget by fiscal year 2002, and, for any budg-
et submission for any fiscal year after 2002, a de-
tailed plan for maintaining a balanced budget in
that fiscal year and in each of the 4 fiscal years fol-
lowing that year unless a joint resolution has been
enacted declaring war or a national economic or na-
tional security emergency, in which case the applica-
tion of this requirement shall be suspended for any
fiscal year during which such declaration is in ef-
fect.’’.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL TREATMENT OF BUDGET SUBMIS-
SIONS.
Upon the submission by the President of a budget
for the United States Government to the Congress pursu-
ant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code,
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall de-
termine and certify whether the balanced budget plan sub-
mitted pursuant to section 1105(a)(32) of that title does
achieve a balanced budget. The Director shall inform the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Presi-
dent Pro Tempore of the Senate of the results of the cer-
tification. If the budget is certified as not being in balance
pursuant to such plan, the Speaker of the House and
President Pro Tempore shall so notify the President by
written, joint communication not later than 7 calendar
days thereafter. The President may, not later than 15 cal-
endar days after receipt of such communication, submit
to the Congress a revised detailed plan to achieve a bal-
anced budget.
SEC. 4. POINT OF ORDER.
(a) Section 305 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
‘‘(e) POINT OF ORDER.—
‘‘(1) Beginning with fiscal year 1998, it shall
not be in order in the House of Representatives or
the Senate to consider any concurrent resolution on
the budget that does not achieve a balanced budget
by fiscal year 2002; and beginning with fiscal year
2002 it shall not be in order to consider any concur-
rent resolution on the budget that does not maintain
a balanced budget for that fiscal year and for each
of the 4 fiscal years after that fiscal year.
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) may not be waived by rule
or order of either House of Congress unless a joint
resolution has been enacted declaring war or a na-
tional economic or national security emergency, in
which case the application of that paragraph shall be
suspended for any fiscal year during which such dec-
laration is in effect.’’.
SEC. 5. CONSIDERATION OF PRESIDENTS’ BUDGETS IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE.
(a) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.—Section 305(a)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(8) It shall be in order in the House of Rep-
resentatives to consider any amendment to a concur-
rent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year re-
flecting, without substantive change, the budget sub-
mitted by the President for that fiscal year and, if
different, a separate amendment reflecting the de-
tailed plan to achieve a balanced budget submitted
by the President pursuant to section 1105(a)(32) of
title 31, United States Code.’’.
(b) SENATE.—Section 305(b) of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(7) It shall be in order in the Senate to con-
sider any amendment to a concurrent resolution on
the budget for a fiscal year reflecting, without sub-
stantive change, the budget submitted by the Presi-
dent for that fiscal year and, if different, a separate
amendment reflecting the detailed plan to achieve a
balanced budget submitted by the President pursu-
ant to section 1105(a)(32) of title 31, United States
Code.’’.
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