I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2153 
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the 
House of Congress does not agree to a budget resolution or pass regular 
appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2017 
Mr. ROTHFUS (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. COOPER, and Mr. LOEBSACK) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
House Administration 
A BILL 
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress 
in escrow if the House of Congress does not agree to 
a budget resolution or pass regular appropriation bills 
on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 for 
Performance Act of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Apr 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2153.IH
H2153
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 
ESCROW UPON FAILURE TO AGREE TO BUDG-
ET RESOLUTION. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If by May 15 
of any calendar year (beginning with 2017), a House of 
Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the 
budget pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 for the fiscal year which begins on 
October 1 of that calendar year, during the period de-
scribed in subsection (b) the payroll administrator of that 
House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all 
payments otherwise required to be made during such pe-
riod for the compensation of Members of Congress who 
serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such 
payments to such Members only upon the expiration of 
such period. 
(b) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—With respect to a House 
of Congress and a calendar year, the period described in 
this paragraph is the period which begins on May 16 of 
the calendar year and ends on the earlier of— 
(1) the day on which the House of Congress 
agrees to a concurrent resolution on the budget for 
the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that 
calendar year; or 
(2) the last day of the Congress during which 
that calendar year occurs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Apr 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2153.IH
H2153
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 
ESCROW UPON FAILURE TO PASS REGULAR 
APPROPRIATION BILLS. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If by July 31 
of any calendar year (beginning with 2017), a House of 
Congress has not passed each of the regular appropriation 
bills for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that 
calendar year, during the period described in subsection 
(b) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress 
shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise 
required to be made during such period for the compensa-
tion of Members of Congress who serve in that House of 
Congress, and shall release such payments to such Mem-
bers only upon the expiration of such period. 
(b) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—With respect to a House 
of Congress and a calendar year, the period described in 
this paragraph is the period which begins on August 1 
of the calendar year and ends on the earlier of— 
(1) the first day by which the House of Con-
gress has passed each of the regular appropriation 
bills for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 
of that calendar year; or 
(2) the last day of the Congress during which 
that calendar year occurs. 
(c) REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILL DEFINED.—The 
term ‘‘regular appropriation bill’’ means any annual ap-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Apr 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2153.IH
H2153
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
propriation bill which, with respect to the Congress in-
volved, is under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee 
of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives for that Congress) and a single subcommittee 
of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursu-
ant to the Standing Rules of the Senate). 
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF ESCROW. 
(a) WITHHOLDING AND REMITTANCE OF AMOUNTS 
FROM PAYMENTS HELD IN ESCROW.—The payroll admin-
istrator shall provide for the same withholding and remit-
tance with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow 
account under section 2 or section 3 that would apply to 
the payment if the payment were not subject to such sec-
tion. 
(b) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin-
istrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance 
as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators 
to carry out this Act. 
SEC. 5. RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF A CONGRESS. 
In order to ensure that this Act is carried out in a 
manner consistent with the twenty-seventh article of 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the 
payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Apr 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2153.IH
H2153
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS