Title: Government Shutdown Accountability and Economic Report Act of 2017
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
Government Shutdown Accountability and Economic Report Act of 2017
This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid salaries during a pay period in which a government shutdown is in effect after the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2018.
For the purpose of this bill, a government shutdown is considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
If a government shutdown occurs during the 115th Congress, congressional salaries must be withheld during the shutdown and released to Members of Congress at the end of the Congress, subject to an exception for any day during the 115th Congress which occurs after the date of the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2018.
During a government shutdown, the Congressional Budget Office must submit specified reports to Congress regarding the costs and economic effects of the shutdown.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2214 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2214

 To prohibit the payment of salary to Members of Congress in the event 
of a Government shutdown, to direct the Congressional Budget Office to 
 submit daily reports during the period in which a Government shutdown 
  is in effect on the effects of the shutdown on the economy and the 
      costs of the shutdown to taxpayers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2017

Mr. O'Halleran 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 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the payment of salary to Members of Congress in the event 
of a Government shutdown, to direct the Congressional Budget Office to 
 submit daily reports during the period in which a Government shutdown 
  is in effect on the effects of the shutdown on the economy and the 
      costs of the shutdown to taxpayers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Government Shutdown Accountability 
and Economic Report Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN EVENT OF GOVERNMENT 
              SHUTDOWN.

    (a) Prohibition of Pay.--
            (1) In general.--If on any day during a pay period a 
        Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of 
        each House of Congress shall exclude from the payments 
        otherwise required to be made with respect to that pay period 
        for the compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in 
        that House of Congress an amount equal to the product of--
                    (A) an amount equal to one day's worth of pay under 
                the annual rate of pay applicable to the Member under 
                section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 
                1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and
                    (B) the number of 24-hour periods during which the 
                Government shutdown is in effect which occur during the 
                pay period.
            (2) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
        respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly 
        scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 
        2018.
    (b) Special Rule for One Hundred Fifteenth Congress.--
            (1) Holding salaries in escrow.--If on any day during the 
        One Hundred Fifteenth Congress a Government shutdown is in 
        effect, the payroll administrator of that House of Congress 
        shall--
                    (A) withhold from the payments otherwise required 
                to be made with respect to a pay period for the 
                compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in 
                that House of Congress an amount equal to the product 
                of--
                            (i) an amount equal to one day's worth of 
                        pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 
                        the Member under section 601(a) of the 
                        Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
                        U.S.C. 4501); and
                            (ii) the number of 24-hour periods during 
                        which the Government shutdown is in effect 
                        which occur during the pay period; and
                    (B) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
                withheld under subparagraph (A).
            (2) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to 
        ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that 
        shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives 
        in violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the 
        Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of 
        a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of 
        that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow 
        account under this subsection on the last day of the One 
        Hundred Fifteenth Congress.
            (3) Exception for days occurring after general election.--
        This subsection does not apply with respect to any day during 
        the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress which occurs after the date 
        of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
        held in November 2018.
    (c) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of 
Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll 
administrators to carry out this section.
    (d) Payroll Administrator Defined.--In this section, the ``payroll 
administrator'' of a House of Congress means--
            (1) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief 
        Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an 
        employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who 
        is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out 
        this section; and
            (2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, 
        or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who 
        is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.
    (e) Member of Congress Defined.--In this section, 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. 4501).

SEC. 3. REPORTS BY CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ON ECONOMIC COSTS AND 
              COSTS TO TAXPAYERS OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

    Not later than 24 hours after each day on which a Government 
shutdown is in effect, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
shall submit a report to Congress containing information on each of the 
following, based on the most recent information available to the 
Director:
            (1) An estimate of the economic output lost on that day as 
        the result of the Government shutdown.
            (2) An estimate of any decrease in gross domestic product 
        for the quarter that will occur as the result of the Government 
        shutdown.
            (3) The value of any assistance, including loans, grants, 
        and contracts, that the Small Business Administration was 
        unable to provide as the result of the Government shutdown.
            (4) The amount of any revenue for the National Park Service 
        that was lost on that day as the result of the closure of 
        National Park Service lands and historic sites.
            (5) An estimate of revenue lost on that day because of the 
        effects of the Government shutdown on tourism and travel to and 
        within the United States, including travel by foreign tourists.

SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

    For purposes of this Act, a Government shutdown shall be considered 
to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal 
agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular 
appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
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