I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1065 
To establish biennial budgets for the United States Government. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 
Mr. MESSER
(for himself, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. 
DESJARLAIS, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. O’ROURKE, Mr. ROE of 
Tennessee, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DELANEY, 
Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. RUSSELL, Mr. MAR-
SHALL, Mrs. WALORSKI, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. WITTMAN, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. 
SOTO, Mr. WALZ, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. PETERS, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. SENSEN-
BRENNER, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BOST, Mr. COOPER, Mr. 
FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. COOK, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. 
PITTENGER, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. COS-
TELLO of Pennsylvania, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. HILL, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. 
MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. JONES, Mr. UPTON, Mr. KATKO, Mr. 
GOODLATTE, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mrs. 
BUSTOS, and Ms. JENKINS of Kansas) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to 
the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rules, 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 establish biennial budgets for the United States 
Government. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Biennial Budgeting 
and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2017’’. 
TITLE I—CONGRESSIONAL 
BUDGET PROCESS 
SEC. 101. PURPOSES. 
Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 2 of the Congres-
sional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 are 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) to assure effective control over the budg-
etary process; 
‘‘(2) to facilitate the determination biennially of 
the appropriate level of Federal revenues and ex-
penditures by the Congress and the President;’’. 
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impound-
ment Control Act of 1974 is amended 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 the period of 
2 consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of 
any odd-numbered year.’’. 
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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 (beginning with 
the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress) is as follows: 
‘‘First Session 
On or before: 
Action to be completed: 
First Monday in February ........
President submits budget recommendations. 
February 15 ...............................
Congressional Budget Office submits report 
to Budget Committees. 
Not later than 6 weeks after 
budget submission.
Committees submit views and estimates to 
Budget Committees. 
April 1 .......................................
Budget Committees report concurrent resolu-
tion on the biennial budget. 
April 15 .....................................
Congress completes action on concurrent res-
olution on the biennial budget. 
May 15 .......................................
Biennial appropriation bills may be consid-
ered in the House of Representatives. 
June 10 ......................................
House Appropriations Committee reports last 
biennial appropriation bill. 
June 15 ......................................
Congress completes action on reconciliation 
legislation. 
June 30 ......................................
House completes action on biennial appro-
priation bills. 
October 1 ...................................
Biennium begins. 
‘‘Second Session 
On or before: 
Action to be completed: 
First Monday in February ........
President submits budget review. 
Not later than 6 weeks after 
President submits budget re-
view.
Congressional Budget Office submits report 
to Budget Committees.’’. 
SEC. 104. BIENNIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS ON THE 
BUDGET. 
(a) CONTENTS OF RESOLUTION.—Section 301(a) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(a)) 
is amended— 
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(c) VIEWS OF OTHER COMMITTEES.—Section 301(d) 
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
632(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new sentences: ‘‘Each committee of the Senate or the 
House of Representatives shall review the strategic plans, 
performance plans, and performance reports required 
under section 306 of title 5, United States Code, and sec-
tions 1115 and 1116 of title 31, United States Code, of 
all agencies under the jurisdiction of the committee. Each 
committee may provide its views on such plans or reports 
to the Committee on the Budget of the applicable House.’’. 
(d) HEARINGS AND REPORT.—Section 301(e) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(e)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting 
‘‘biennium’’; and 
(B) by inserting after the second sentence 
the following: ‘‘On or before April 1 of each 
odd-numbered year, the Committee on the 
Budget of each House shall report to its House 
the concurrent resolution on the budget referred 
to in subsection (a) for the biennium beginning 
on October 1 of that year.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
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(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), 
(B), (C), (D), (E), and (F) as subparagraphs 
(B), (C), (E), (F), (H), and (I), respectively; 
(B) before subparagraph (B) (as redesig-
nated), by inserting the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(A) new budget authority and outlays for 
each major functional category, based on alloca-
tions of the total levels set forth pursuant to 
subsection (a)(1);’’; 
(C) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated), 
by striking ‘‘mandatory’’ and inserting ‘‘direct 
spending’’; 
(D) after subparagraph (C) (as redesig-
nated), by inserting the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(D) total outlays, total Federal revenues, 
the surplus or deficit, and new budget authority 
and outlays for nondefense discretionary spend-
ing, defense discretionary spending, Medicare, 
Medicaid and other health-related spending, 
other direct spending (excluding interest), social 
security and other major functional categories, 
as appropriate, and net interest as set forth in 
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such resolution as a percentage of the gross do-
mestic product of the United States;’’; and 
(E) after subparagraph (F) (as redesig-
nated), by inserting the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(G) if the concurrent resolution on the 
budget includes any allocation to a committee 
other than the Committee on Appropriations of 
levels in excess of current law levels, a justifica-
tion for not subjecting any program, project, or 
activity (for which the allocation is made) to 
annual discretionary appropriations;’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
(A)(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
and (B) as subparagraphs (B) and (C), respec-
tively; 
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (C) and (D); 
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as 
subparagraph (D); and 
(iv) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (D), as redesignated, and insert-
ing ‘‘; and’’; 
(B) before subparagraph (B), as redesig-
nated, by inserting the following new subpara-
graph: 
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‘‘(A) new budget authority and outlays for 
each major functional category, based on alloca-
tions of the total levels set forth pursuant to 
subsection (a)(1);’’; and 
(C) at the end, by adding the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) set forth, if required by subsection 
(f), the calendar year in which, in the opinion 
of the Congress, the goals for reducing unem-
ployment set forth in section 4(b) of the Em-
ployment Act of 1946 should be achieved.’’. 
(e) 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’’. 
(f) ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS.—Section 301(g)(1) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
632(g)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’. 
(g) SECTION HEADING.—The section heading of sec-
tion 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
amended by striking ‘‘ANNUAL’’ and inserting ‘‘BIEN-
NIAL’’. 
(h) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The item relating to sec-
tion 301 in the table of contents set forth in section 1(b) 
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of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control 
Act of 1974 is amended by striking ‘‘Annual’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘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) by— 
(A) striking ‘‘for the first fiscal year of the 
resolution,’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year 
in the biennium,’’; 
(B) striking ‘‘for that period of fiscal 
years’’ and inserting ‘‘for all fiscal years cov-
ered by the resolution’’; and 
(C) striking ‘‘for the fiscal year of that 
resolution’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year 
in the biennium’’; 
(2) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by 
striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(a)(1)’’; 
(3) in subsection (f)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for a biennium’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘either fiscal year of the biennium’’; 
and 
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(C) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘as 
reported’’; 
(4) in subsection (f)(2)(A), by— 
(A) striking ‘‘first fiscal year’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘each fiscal year of the biennium’’; and 
(B) striking ‘‘the total of fiscal years’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the total of all fiscal years covered by 
the resolution’’; and 
(5) by striking subsection (g). 
SEC. 106. MULTIYEAR AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 is amended by adding after section 
315 the following new section: 
‘‘MULTIYEAR AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS 
‘‘SEC. 316. (a) It shall not be in order in the House 
of Representatives or the Senate to consider any measure 
that contains an authorization of appropriations for any 
purpose unless the measure includes such an authorization 
of appropriations for that purpose for not less than each 
fiscal year in one or more bienniums. 
‘‘(b)(1) For purposes of this section, an authorization 
of appropriations is an authorization for the enactment 
of an amount of appropriations or amounts not to exceed 
an amount of appropriations (whether stated as a sum cer-
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tain, as a limit, or as such sums as may be necessary) 
for any purpose for a fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) Subsection (a) does not apply with respect to 
an authorization of appropriations for a single fiscal year 
for any program, project, or activity if the measure con-
taining that authorization includes a provision expressly 
stating the following: ‘Congress finds that no authoriza-
tion of appropriation will be required for [Insert name of 
applicable program, project, or activity] for any subse-
quent fiscal year.’. 
‘‘(c) For purposes of this section, the term ‘measure’ 
means a bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or con-
ference report.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget 
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by in-
serting after the item relating to section 315 the following 
new item: 
‘‘Sec. 316. Multiyear authorizations of appropriations.’’. 
SEC. 107. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRES-
SIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974 TO EFFEC-
TUATE BIENNIAL BUDGETING. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Congressional 
Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, as amend-
ed, is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraphs: 
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‘‘(14) The term ‘Medicare’ means programs 
within budget function 570. 
‘‘(15) The term ‘Medicaid and other health-re-
lated spending’ means programs within budget func-
tion 550. 
‘‘(16) The term ‘other direct spending’ means 
programs other than those within budget functions 
550 and 570, excluding Social Security and net in-
terest.’’. 
(b) COMPLETION OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ACTION ON 
APPROPRIATION BILLS.—Section 307 of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 638) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘each year’’ and inserting ‘‘each 
odd-numbered year’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘annual’’ and inserting ‘‘bien-
nial’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘bi-
ennium’’; and 
(4) by striking ‘‘that year’’ and inserting ‘‘each 
odd-numbered year’’. 
(c) COMPLETION OF HOUSE ACTION ON REGULAR 
APPROPRIATION BILLS.—Section 309 of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 640) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘of any odd-numbered calendar 
year’’ after ‘‘July’’; 
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(2) by striking ‘‘annual’’ and inserting ‘‘bien-
nial’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘bi-
ennium’’. 
(d) RECONCILIATION PROCESS.—Section 310 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 641) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘any fiscal year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘any biennium’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘such fiscal 
year’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘any fiscal 
year covered by such resolution’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (f) and redesignating 
subsection (g) as subsection (f). 
(e) 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’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for a biennium’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘either fiscal 
year of the biennium’’; and 
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(C) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘each fiscal year in the biennium’’. 
(2) IN THE SENATE.—Section 311(a)(2) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘for 
the first fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either 
fiscal year of the biennium’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ 
the first place it appears and inserting 
‘‘each fiscal year in the biennium’’; and 
(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 
is amended by— 
(A) striking ‘‘for the first fiscal year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘each fiscal year in the biennium’’; 
and 
(B) striking ‘‘that fiscal year and the ensu-
ing fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘all fiscal 
years’’. 
(4) EXCEPTION.—Section 311(c) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by insert-
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ing ‘‘with respect to new budget authority or out-
lays’’ after ‘‘shall not apply’’. 
(f) MAXIMUM DEFICIT AMOUNT POINT OF ORDER.— 
Section 312(c) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
(2 U.S.C. 643) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and inserting 
‘‘for a biennium’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘first fiscal 
year’’ and inserting ‘‘either fiscal year in the bien-
nium’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘that fiscal 
year’’ and inserting ‘‘either fiscal year in the bien-
nium’’; and 
(4) in the matter following paragraph (2), by 
striking ‘‘that fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘the appli-
cable fiscal year’’. 
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