I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2985
To provide for a biennial budget process and a biennial appropriations process
and to enhance oversight and the responsibility, efficiency, and perform-
ance of the Federal Government.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
Mr. BASS (for himself, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. CALLAHAN,
Mr. CASTLE, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GREEN of
Wisconsin, Mr. HERGER, Mrs. MORELLA, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. NEY, Mr.
SCHAFFER, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. UPTON, Mr. WAMP, and Mr.
WHITFIELD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned
A BILL
To provide for a biennial budget process and a biennial
appropriations process and to enhance oversight and the
responsibility, efficiency, and performance of the Federal
Government.
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 ‘‘Budget Responsibility
and Efficiency Act’’.
SEC. 2. 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. (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by
subsection (b), the timetable with respect to the congres-
sional budget process for any Congress (beginning with
the One Hundred Seventh 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.
May 15 .....................................
Congress completes action on concurrent reso-
lution on the biennial budget.
May 15 .....................................
Biennial appropriation bills may be consid-
ered in the House.
June 10 ....................................
House Appropriations Committee reports last
biennial appropriation bill.
June 30 ....................................
House completes action on biennial appropria-
tion bills.
August 1 ...................................
Congress completes action on reconciliation
legislation.
October 1 ..................................
Biennium begins.
‘‘Second Session
‘‘On or before:
Action to be completed:
February 15 .............................
President submits budget review.
Not later than 6 weeks after
President submits budget re-
view.
Congressional Budget Office submits report
to Budget Committees.
The last day of the session .......
Congress completes action on bills and resolu-
tions authorizing new budget authority for
the succeeding biennium.
‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE.—In the case of any first session
of Congress that begins in any year immediately following
a leap year and during which the term of a President (ex-
cept a President who succeeds himself) begins, the fol-
lowing dates shall supersede those set forth in subsection
(a):
‘‘First Session
‘‘On or before:
Action to be completed:
First Monday in April ..............
President submits budget recommendations.
April 20 ....................................
Committees submit views and estimates to
Budget Committees.
May 15 .....................................
Budget Committees report concurrent resolu-
tion on the biennial budget.
June 1 ......................................
Congress completes action on concurrent reso-
lution on the biennial budget.
July 1 .......................................
Biennial appropriation bills may be consid-
ered in the House.
July 20 .....................................
House completes action on biennial appropria-
tion bills.
August 1 ...................................
Congress completes action on reconciliation
legislation.
October 1 ..................................
Biennium begins.’’.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET
AND IMPOUNDMENT CONTROL ACT OF 1974.
(a) DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.—Section 2(2) of the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of
1974 (2 U.S.C. 621(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘each
year’’ and inserting ‘‘biennially’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—
(1) BUDGET
RESOLUTION.—Section 3(4) of
such Act (2 U.S.C. 622(4)) is amended by striking
‘‘fiscal year’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘bi-
ennium’’.
(2) BIENNIUM.—Section 3 of such Act (2
U.S.C. 622) is further amended by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(11) The term ‘biennium’ means the period of
2 consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of
any odd-numbered year.’’.
(c) BIENNIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE
BUDGET.—
(1) 
CONTENTS
OF
RESOLUTION.—Section
301(a) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 632(a)) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)
by—
(i) striking ‘‘April 15 of each year’’
and inserting ‘‘May 15 of each odd-num-
bered year’’;
(ii) striking ‘‘the fiscal year beginning
on October 1 of such year’’ the first place
it appears and inserting ‘‘the biennium be-
ginning on October 1 of such year’’; and
(iii) striking ‘‘the fiscal year beginning
on October 1 of such year’’ the second
place it appears and inserting ‘‘each fiscal
year in such period’’;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘for the
fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year
in the biennium’’; and
(C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘for the
first fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal
year in the biennium’’.
(2) ADDITIONAL MATTERS.—Section 301(b)(3)
of such Act (2 U.S.C. 632(b)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘for such fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either
fiscal year in such biennium’’.
(3) VIEWS
OF
OTHER
COMMITTEES.—Section
301(d) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 632(d)) is amended by
inserting ‘‘(or, if applicable, as provided by section
300(b))’’ after ‘‘United States Code’’.
(4) HEARINGS.—Section 301(e)(1) of such Act
(2 U.S.C. 632(e)) is amended by—
(A) striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting
‘‘biennium’’; and
(B) inserting after the second sentence the
following: ‘‘On or before April 1 of each odd-
numbered year (or, if applicable, as provided by
section 300(b)), the Committee on the Budget
of each House shall report to its House the con-
current resolution on the budget referred to in
subsection (a) for the biennium beginning on
October 1 of that year.’’.
(5) GOALS FOR REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT.—
Section 301(f) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 632(f)) is
amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’.
(6) 
ECONOMIC
ASSUMPTIONS.—Section
301(g)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 632(g)(1)) is
amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘for a biennium’’.
(7) SECTION HEADING.—The section heading of
section 301 of such Act is amended by striking ‘‘AN-
NUAL’’ and inserting ‘‘BIENNIAL’’.
(8) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The item relating
to section 301 in the table of contents set forth in
section 1(b) of such Act is amended by striking ‘‘An-
nual’’ and inserting ‘‘Biennial’’.
(d) COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS.—Section 302 of such
Act (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 subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘for a fiscal
year’’ and inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’;
(3) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘first fiscal
year’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year of the bien-
nium’’;
(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) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘April’’
and inserting ‘‘May’’.
(e) SECTION 303 POINT OF ORDER.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 303(a) of such Act
(2 U.S.C. 634(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘first fis-
cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year of the bien-
nium’’.
(2) EXCEPTIONS
IN
THE
HOUSE.—Section
303(b)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 634(b)) is
amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘the
budget year’’ and inserting ‘‘the biennium’’;
and