I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6628 
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to strengthen congressional control and review, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2020 
Mr. YARMUTH (for himself, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY 
of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Over-
sight and Reform, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Af-
fairs, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Con-
trol Act of 1974 to strengthen congressional control and 
review, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Congressional Power of the Purse Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—STRENGTHENING CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL AND 
REVIEW TO PREVENT IMPOUNDMENT 
Sec. 101. Strengthening congressional control. 
Sec. 102. Strengthening congressional review. 
Sec. 103. Updated authorities for and reporting by the Comptroller General. 
Sec. 104. Advance congressional notification and litigation. 
Sec. 105. Penalties for failure to comply with the Impoundment Control Act of 
1974. 
TITLE II—STRENGTHENING TRANSPARENCY AND REPORTING 
Subtitle A—Funds Management and Reporting to the Congress 
Sec. 201. Expired balance reporting in the President’s budget. 
Sec. 202. Cancelled balance reporting in the President’s budget. 
Sec. 203. Lapse in appropriations reporting in the President’s budget. 
Sec. 204. Transfer and other repurposing authority reporting in the President’s 
budget. 
Sec. 205. Authorizing cancellations in indefinite accounts by appropriation. 
Subtitle B—Empowering Congressional Review Through Nonpartisan 
Congressional Agencies and Transparency Initiatives 
Sec. 211. Requirement to respond to requests for information from the Govern-
ment Accountability Office for budget and appropriations law 
decisions. 
Sec. 212. Reporting requirements for Antideficiency Act violations. 
Sec. 213. Department of Justice reporting to Congress for Antideficiency Act 
violations. 
Sec. 214. Publication of budget or appropriations law opinions of the Depart-
ment of Justice Office of Legal Counsel. 
TITLE III—STRENGTHENING CONGRESSIONAL ROLE IN AND 
OVERSIGHT OF EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS AND DESIGNATIONS 
Sec. 301. Improving checks and balances on the use of the National Emer-
gencies Act. 
Sec. 302. National Emergencies Act declaration spending reporting in the 
President’s budget. 
Sec. 303. Emergency and overseas contingency operations designations by Con-
gress in statute. 
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TITLE I—STRENGTHENING CON-
GRESSIONAL CONTROL AND 
REVIEW 
TO 
PREVENT 
IM-
POUNDMENT 
SEC. 101. STRENGTHENING CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 (2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘PRUDENT
OBLIGATION
OF
BUDGET
AUTHORITY
AND 
SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
EXPIRING
BUDGET 
AUTHORITY 
‘‘SEC. 1018. (a) SPECIAL
MESSAGE
REQUIRE-
MENT.—With respect to budget authority proposed to be 
rescinded or that is set to be reserved or proposed to be 
deferred in a special message transmitted under section 
1012 or 1013, such budget authority— 
‘‘(1) shall be made available for obligation in 
sufficient time to be prudently obligated as required 
under section 1012(b) or 1013; and 
‘‘(2) may not be deferred or otherwise withheld 
from obligation during the 90-day period before the 
expiration of the period of availability of such budget 
authority, including, if applicable, the 90-day period 
before the expiration of an initial period of avail-
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