I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 308 
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 
JANUARY 18, 2013 
Mr. HULTGREN (for himself and Mr. RIBBLE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in 
addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee 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 ‘‘Constitutional Con-
gressional Pay Accountability Act of 2013’’. 
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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. 
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to fiscal year 2014 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 Fourteenth 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). 
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(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. 
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(12) The Departments of Transportation, 
Housing and Urban Development, and related agen-
cies. 
Æ 
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