IA
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 62
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United
States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 23, 1995
Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CONDIT, and Mr. GILLMOR) in-
troduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution
of the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-
thirds of each House concurring therein), That the follow-
ing article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents
and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by
the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States with-
in seven years after the date of its submission for ratifica-
tion:
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‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. Prior to each fiscal year, Congress shall,
by law, adopt a statement of receipts and outlays for such
fiscal year in which total outlays are not greater than total
receipts. Congress may, by law, amend that statement pro-
vided revised outlays are not greater than revised receipts.
Congress may provide in that statement for a specific ex-
cess of outlays over receipts by a vote directed solely to
that subject in which three-fifths of the whole number of
each House agree to such excess. Congress and the Presi-
dent shall ensure that actual outlays do not exceed the
outlays set forth in such statement.
‘‘SECTION 2. Actual outlays shall include the cost to
a State of any requirement imposed by Federal law upon
a State that is not paid for by the Federal Government,
and the cost to a State of complying with any condition
imposed by Federal law on the receipt by a State of appro-
priated funds other than a condition directly and substan-
tially related to the purpose of the appropriation. For the
purposes of this section, Federal law does not include an
obligation imposed by this Constitution or a law intended
to enforce that obligation, nor does it include any law en-
acted before Congress submits this Article to the States.
‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President
shall transmit to Congress a proposed statement of re-
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ceipts and outlays for such fiscal year consistent with the
provisions of this Article.
‘‘SECTION 4. Congress may waive the provisions of
this Article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of
war is in effect. The provisions of this Article may be
waived for any fiscal year in which the United States faces
an imminent and serious military threat to national secu-
rity and is so declared by a joint resolution, adopted by
a majority of the whole number of each House, which be-
comes law.
‘‘SECTION 5. Total receipts shall include all receipts
of the United States except those derived from borrowing
and total outlays shall include all outlays of the United
States except those for the repayment of debt principal.
‘‘SECTION 6. The amount of the debt of the United
States held by the public as of the date this Article takes
effect shall become a permanent limit on such debt and
there shall be no increase in such amount unless three-
fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall
have passed a bill approving such increase and such bill
has become law.
‘‘SECTION 7. All votes taken by the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate under this Article shall be roll-
call votes.
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‘‘SECTION 8. Congress shall enforce and implement
this Article by appropriate legislation.
‘‘SECTION 9. This Article shall take effect for the fis-
cal year 2002 or for the second fiscal year beginning after
its ratification, whichever is later.’’.
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