Legally Binding Budget Act of 2015

S.

    Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to 
read as follows:

             ``permissible revisions of budget resolutions

    ``Sec. 304. At any time after the joint resolution on the budget 
for a fiscal year has been enacted pursuant to section 301, and before 
the end of such fiscal year, the two Houses and the President may enact 
a joint resolution on the budget which revises or reaffirms the joint 
resolution on the budget for such fiscal year most recently enacted, 
and for purposes of the enforcement of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of 
Representatives or the Senate, as applicable, may adjust levels as 
needed for the enforcement of the budget resolution.''.

SEC. 6. LIMITATION ON THE CONTENT OF BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.

    Section 305 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Limitation on Contents.--(1) It shall not be in order in the 
House of Representatives or in the Senate to consider any joint 
resolution on the budget or any amendment thereto or conference report 
thereon that contains any matter referred to in paragraph (2).
    ``(2) Any joint resolution on the budget or any amendment thereto 
or conference report thereon that contains any matter not permitted in 
section 301 (a) or (b) shall not be treated in the House of 
Representatives or the Senate as a budget resolution under subsection 
(a) or (b) or as a conference report on a budget resolution under 
subsection (c) of this section.''.

SEC. 7. DEEMING OF BUDGETARY AGGREGATES, ALLOCATIONS, AND 
              RECONCILIATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE UPON 
              VETO OF JOINT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
is amended by adding after section 315 the following new section:

 ``automatic standing order upon veto of joint resolution on the budget

    ``Sec. 316. For purposes of congressional enforcement under titles 
III and IV of this Act and the rules of the House and the Senate, the 
joint resolution shall be considered as enforceable upon enactment or 
15 days following presentment to the President, whichever occurs 
earlier.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents set forth in 
section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 315 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 316. Automatic standing order upon veto of joint resolution on 
                            the budget.''.

SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974 
              TO EFFECTUATE JOINT RESOLUTIONS ON THE BUDGET.

    (a) Additional Amendments to the Congressional Budget and 
Impoundment Control Act of 1974.--(1)(A) Sections 301, 302, 303, 304, 
305, 308, 310, 311, 312, 314, 405, and 904 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) are amended by striking 
``concurrent'' each place it appears and inserting ``joint''.
    (B)(i) Sections 302(d), 302(g), 308(a)(1)(A), and 310(d)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 are amended by striking ``most 
recently agreed to concurrent resolution on the budget'' each place it 
occurs and inserting ``most recently enacted joint resolution on the 
budget''.
    (ii) The section heading of section 301 of such Act is amended by 
striking ``annual adoption of concurrent resolution'' and inserting 
``joint resolutions''.
    (C) Sections 302, 303, 304, 310, and 311 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 are amended by striking ``agreed to'' each place it 
appears and by inserting ``enacted''.
    (2) The table of contents set forth in section 1(b) of the 
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended--
            (A) in the item relating to section 301, by striking 
        ``Annual adoption of concurrent resolution'' and inserting 
        ``Joint resolutions''; and
            (B) by striking ``concurrent'' and inserting ``joint'' in 
        the item relating to section 305.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Any side heading within any section of 
title III of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 is amended by striking ``Concurrent'' and inserting ``Joint'' and 
any center heading in any section of that title is amended by striking 
``concurrent'' and inserting ``joint''.

SEC. 9. AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO 
              EFFECTUATE JOINT BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.

    Clauses 1(d)(1), 4(a)(4), 4(b)(2), 4(f)(1)(A), and 4(f)(2) of rule 
X, clause 10 of rule XVIII, clause 10 of rule XX, and clauses 7 and 10 
of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives are amended by 
striking ``concurrent'' each place it appears and inserting ``joint''.

SEC. 10. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY 
              DEFICIT CONTROL ACT OF 1985.

    Section 258C(b)(1) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907d(b)(1)) is amended by striking 
``concurrent'' and inserting ``joint''.

Summary: Legally Binding Budget Act of 2015  This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to replace the concurrent resolution on the budget required under current law with a legally binding joint resolution on the budget.  (Concurrent resolutions, which are currently used for congressional budget resolutions, address internal congressional matters, are not presented to the President for approval, and are not legally binding. A joint resolution is presented to the President after passing both chambers of Congress and has the force of law.)  At any time after the annual budget resolution has been enacted and before the end of the fiscal year, Congress and the President may enact a new budget resolution revising or reaffirming the most recently enacted budget resolution.  The contents of a budget resolution are limited to material that is permitted by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. For purposes of congressional budget enforcement and the rules of the House and the Senate, the budget resolution is enforceable upon the earlier of enactment or 15 days following presentment to the President.