Title: No Budget, No Recess Act
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
No Budget, No Recess Act
This bill prohibits a recess or adjournment of Congress for more than eight hours (1) on and after April 15 of each year, if Congress has not adopted a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year; and (2) on and after August 1 of each year, if Congress has not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. No amount may be obligated or expended for official travel by a Member of Congress while the prohibition applies, unless the Member is returning to the seat of government after being away when the prohibition began.
In addition, the bill sets forth procedures governing a daily quorum in each chamber while the prohibition applies.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 186 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 186

To ensure timely completion of the concurrent resolution on the budget 
       and regular appropriations bills, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 17, 2019

 Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Perdue) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
               Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure timely completion of the concurrent resolution on the budget 
       and regular appropriations bills, 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 ``No Budget, No Recess Act''.

SEC. 2. NO BUDGET, NO RECESS.

    Section 300 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The timetable'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) In General.--The timetable''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) No Budget, No Recess.--
            ``(1) Limits in the senate and house of representatives.--
        The procedures specified in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) shall 
        apply in the Senate and the procedures specified in paragraphs 
        (2), (3), and (5) shall apply in the House of Representatives--
                    ``(A) on and after April 15 of each year, if the 
                Senate and House of Representatives have not adopted a 
                concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal 
                year; and
                    ``(B) on and after August 1 of each year, if the 
                Senate and House of Representatives have not passed, 
                individually or collectively, all the regular 
                appropriations bills for the next fiscal year.
            ``(2) No recess or adjournment.--During a period described 
        in paragraph (1), it shall not be in order in the Senate or the 
        House of Representatives to move to recess or to adjourn for 
        more than 8 hours.
            ``(3) No official travel.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), during a period described in 
                paragraph (1), no amounts may be obligated or expended 
                for official travel by a Member of Congress.
                    ``(B) Return to dc.--If a Member of Congress is 
                away from the seat of Government when a period 
                described in paragraph (1) begins, funds may be 
                obligated and expended for official travel by the 
                Member of Congress to return to the seat of Government.
            ``(4) Additional limits in the senate.--
                    ``(A) Determination of presence of a quorum.--
                Notwithstanding any provision of the Standing Rules of 
                the Senate, in the Senate, during each day during a 
                period described in paragraph (1), the Presiding 
                Officer shall direct the Clerk to call the roll to 
                ascertain the presence of a quorum--
                            ``(i) at noon; and
                            ``(ii) at 6:00 p.m.
                    ``(B) Lack of quorum.--
                            ``(i) In general.--If, upon a calling of 
                        the roll under subparagraph (A), it shall be 
                        ascertained that a quorum is not present--
                                    ``(I) the Presiding Officer shall 
                                direct the Clerk to call the names of 
                                any absent Senators; and
                                    ``(II) following the calling of the 
                                names under subclause (I), the 
                                Presiding Officer shall, without 
                                intervening motion or debate, submit to 
                                the Senate by a yea-and-nay vote the 
                                question: `Shall the Sergeant-at-Arms 
                                be directed to request the attendance 
                                of absent Senators?'.
                            ``(ii) Direction to compel attendance.--If 
                        a quorum is not present 30 minutes after the 
                        time at which the vote on a question submitted 
                        under clause (i)(II) starts, the Presiding 
                        Officer shall, without intervening motion or 
                        debate, submit to the Senate by a yea-and-nay 
                        vote the question: `Shall the Sergeant-at-Arms 
                        be directed to compel the attendance of absent 
                        Senators?'.
                            ``(iii) Arrest of absent senators.--
                        Effective 30 minutes after the Sergeant-at-Arms 
                        is directed to compel the attendance of absent 
                        Senators under clause (ii), if any Senator not 
                        excused under rule XII of the Standing Rules of 
                        the Senate is not in attendance, the Senate 
                        shall be deemed to have agreed an order that 
                        reads as follows: `Ordered, That the Sergeant-
                        at-Arms be directed to arrest absent Senators, 
                        that warrants for the arrests of all Senators 
                        not sick nor excused be issued under the 
                        signature of the Presiding Officer and attested 
                        by the Secretary, and that such warrants be 
                        executed without delay.'.
                            ``(iv) Reports.--Not less frequently than 
                        once per hour during proceedings to compel the 
                        attendance of absent Senators, the Sergeant-at-
                        Arms shall submit to the Senate a report on 
                        absent Senators, which shall--
                                    ``(I) be laid before the Senate;
                                    ``(II) identify each Senator whose 
                                absence is excused;
                                    ``(III) identify each Senator who 
                                is absent without excuse; and
                                    ``(IV) for each Senator identified 
                                under subclause (III), provide 
                                information on the current location of 
                                the Senator.
                    ``(C) Regaining the floor.--If a Senator had been 
                recognized to speak at the time a call of the roll to 
                ascertain the presence of a quorum was initiated under 
                subparagraph (A), and if the presence of a quorum is 
                established, that Senator shall be entitled to be 
                recognized to speak.
                    ``(D) No suspension of requirements.--The Presiding 
                Officer may not entertain a request to suspend the 
                operation of this paragraph by unanimous consent or 
                motion.
                    ``(E) Consistency with senate emergency procedures 
                and practices.--Nothing in this paragraph shall be 
                construed in a manner that is inconsistent with S. Res. 
                296 (108th Congress) or any other emergency procedures 
                or practices of the Senate.
            ``(5) Additional limits in the house of representatives.--
        Notwithstanding any provision of the Rules of the House of 
        Representatives, in the House of Representatives, during each 
        day during a period described in paragraph (1), each Member of 
        the House of Representatives shall record his or her presence 
        for purposes of establishing a quorum at noon and 6:00 p.m.
            ``(6) No waiver.--Notwithstanding section 904(b), 
        paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) of this subsection may not be 
        waived or suspended in the Senate or the House of 
        Representatives.
            ``(7) Permanent law.--Notwithstanding section 904(a), 
        paragraph (3) of this subsection is not enacted as an exercise 
        of the rulemaking power of the Senate or the House of 
        Representatives.''.

SEC. 3. COMPLETION OF HOUSE ACTION ON REGULAR APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.

    Section 309 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 640) 
is amended by inserting ``or August'' after ``July''.
                                 <all>