Baseline Reform Act of 2012

Bill: 112-hr-3578
Sponsor: Rep. Woodall, Rob [R-GA-7]
Introduced: 2011-12-07 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Appropriations
Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
General taxation matters
Government trust funds
Medicaid
Medicare
Sales and excise taxes
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: 
Baseline Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.
 
Revises the annual baseline, for any fiscal year, to mean a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority (as under current law), outlays (as under current law), or receipts (instead of revenues) and the surplus or deficit (as under current law) for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date.
 
Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.
 
Revises the formula for calculating the baseline for discretionary spending for the budget year and each outyear to eliminate adjustments for: (1) expiring multiyear subsidized housing contracts; (2) administrative expenses of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund, and the Railroad Retirement account; (3) offsets to federal employees' annual pay; and (4) certain inflators used to adjust budgetary resources in the Act.
 
Amends the Act to define: (1) Medicare as programs within budget function 570; (2) Medicaid and other health-related spending as programs within budget function 550; and (2) other direct spending as programs other than those within budget functions 550 and 570, excluding Social Security and net interest.
 
Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), after the President's budget submission and in addition to the baseline projections, to report a supplemental projection to the congressional budget committees, assuming extension of current tax policy for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with an alternative projection for that fiscal year, again assuming the extension of current tax policy, excluding emergency provisions, in the previous fiscal year.
 
Requires CBO to report to such committees, on or before July 1 of each year, the Long-Term Budget Outlook for: (1) the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, and (2) at least the ensuing 30 fiscal years. 

action_date: 2012-01-30
text: 
Baseline Reform Act of 2012 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.
 
Revises the annual baseline, for any fiscal year, to mean a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority (as under current law), outlays (as under current law), or receipts (instead of revenues) and the surplus or deficit (as under current law) for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date.
 
Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.
 
Revises the formula for calculating the baseline for discretionary spending for the budget year and each outyear to eliminate adjustments for: (1) expiring multiyear subsidized housing contracts; (2) administrative expenses of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund, and the Railroad Retirement account; (3) offsets to federal employees' annual pay; and (4) certain inflators used to adjust budgetary resources in the Act.
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), after the President's budget submission and in addition to the baseline projections, to report a supplemental projection to the congressional budget committees, assuming extension of current tax policy for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with a supplemental projection for the 10-fiscal year period beginning with that fiscal year, again assuming the extension of current tax policy.
 
 Defines &quot;current tax policy&quot; as the tax policy in statute as of December 31 of the current year, assuming: (1) the budgetary effects of measures extending the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (2) the continued application of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) as in effect for taxable years beginning in 2011, with a specified assumption for taxable years beginning after 2011; and (3) the budgetary effects of extending the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax provisions of title III of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.
 
Requires CBO to report to such committees, on or before July 1 of each year, the Long-Term Budget Outlook for: (1) the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, and (2) at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years.

action_date: 2012-02-03
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on January 30, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Baseline Reform Act of 2012 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.
 
Revises the annual baseline, for any fiscal year, to mean a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority (as under current law), outlays (as under current law), or receipts (instead of revenues) and the surplus or deficit (as under current law) for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date.
 
Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.
 
Revises the formula for calculating the baseline for discretionary spending for the budget year and each outyear to eliminate adjustments for: (1) expiring multiyear subsidized housing contracts; (2) administrative expenses of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund, and the Railroad Retirement account; (3) offsets to federal employees' annual pay; and (4) certain inflators used to adjust budgetary resources in the Act.
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), after the President's budget submission and in addition to the baseline projections, to report a supplemental projection to the congressional budget committees, assuming extension of current tax policy for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with a supplemental projection for the 10-fiscal year period beginning with that fiscal year, again assuming the extension of current tax policy.
 
 Defines &quot;current tax policy&quot; as the tax policy in statute as of December 31 of the current year, assuming: (1) the budgetary effects of measures extending the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (2) the continued application of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) as in effect for taxable years beginning in 2011, with a specified assumption for taxable years beginning after 2011; and (3) the budgetary effects of extending the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax provisions of title III of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.
 
Requires CBO to report to such committees, on or before July 1 of each year, the Long-Term Budget Outlook for: (1) the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, and (2) at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-02-06
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 235 - 177 (Roll no. 32). (text: CR 2/02/2012 H419-420)
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 235 - 177 (Roll no. 32).(text: CR 2/02/2012 H419-420)
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 177 - 238 (Roll no. 31).
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H457)
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tierney motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a new provision entitled "Maintaining Current Funding Levels in Real (Inflation-Adjusted) Terms for: Pell Grants and Education Programs for Students; Health and All Discretionary Spending that Provide Benefits for Seniors; Job, Health, and all Discretionary Spending that Provide Benefits for Veterans; and Health Research, Including NIH and Research to Cure Cancer."
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: Mr. Tierney moved to recommit with instructions to The Budget. (consideration: CR H456-458; text: CR H456)
action_date: 2012-02-03
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H456-459)
action_date: 2012-02-02
text: POSTPONING FURTHER PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 3578, the Chair announced that it understood that the Part A amendment made in order by the provisions of H.Res. 534 would not be offered and pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 534, the previous question was ordered and pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule XIX, further proceedings on the bill would be postponed.
action_date: 2012-02-02
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 3578.
action_date: 2012-02-02
text: Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. The resolution provides for one hour of debate, each, on H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582. All points of order against consideration of both H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582 are waived. For H.R. 3578, the resolution makes in order the amendment printed in Part A of the report accompanying this resolution and for H.R.3582, the resolution makes in order the amendments printed in part B of the report accompanying this resolution.
action_date: 2012-02-02
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 534. (consideration: CR H419-426)
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 534 Reported to House. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. The resolution provides for one hour of debate, each, on H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582. All points of order against consideration of both H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582 are waived. For H.R. 3578, the resolution makes in order the amendment printed in Part A of the report accompanying this resolution and for H.R.3582, the resolution makes in order the amendments printed in part B of the report accompanying this resolution.
action_date: 2012-01-30
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 259.
action_date: 2012-01-30
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Budget. H. Rept. 112-378. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
action_date: 2012-01-30
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Budget. H. Rept. 112-378. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
action_date: 2012-01-25
text: Mr. McHenry asked unanimous consent that the Committee on The Budget have until 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 30 to file a report on H.R. 3578. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2012-01-24
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in House