Baseline Reform Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-1871
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Woodall, Rob [R-GA-7]
Introduced: 2013-05-08
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Accounting and auditing

Appropriations

Budget deficits and national debt

Budget process

Government trust funds

Medicare

Sales and excise taxes

Veterans' pensions and compensation
Latest action: action_date: 2014-04-09
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-05-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Baseline Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to report to the congressional budget 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.</p>

action_date: 2013-06-25
action_desc: Reported to House with amendment(s)
text: <p>Baseline Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to report to the congressional budget 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.</p>

action_date: 2014-04-08
action_desc: Passed House amended
text: <p>Baseline Reform Act of 2014 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to report to the congressional budget 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.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1871 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 8, 2013 Mr. Woodall (for himself, Mr. Gohmert , Mr. Ribble , and Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget A BILL To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to reform the budget baseline.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Baseline Reform Act of 2013 . 2. The baseline Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to read as follows: 257. The baseline (a) In general (1) For any fiscal year, the baseline refers to a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority, outlays, or receipts and the surplus or deficit for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date. (2) The baselines referred to in paragraph (1) shall be prepared annually. (b) Direct spending and receipts For the budget year and each outyear, estimates for direct spending in the baseline shall be calculated as follows: (1) In general Laws providing or creating direct spending and receipts are assumed to operate in the manner specified in those laws for each such year and funding for entitlement authority is assumed to be adequate to make all payments required by those laws. (2) Exceptions (A) (i) No program established by a law enacted on or before the date of enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 shall be assumed to expire in the budget year or the outyears. The scoring of new programs with estimated outlays greater than $50,000,000 a year shall be based on scoring by the Committees on the Budget or OMB, as applicable. OMB, CBO, and the Committees on the Budget shall consult on the scoring of such programs where there are differences between CBO and OMB. (ii) On the expiration of the suspension of a provision of law that is suspended under section 171 of Public Law 104–127 and that authorizes a program with estimated fiscal year outlays that are greater than $50,000,000, for purposes of clause (i), the program shall be assumed to continue to operate in the same manner as the program operated immediately before the expiration of the suspension. (B) The increase for veterans' compensation for a fiscal year is assumed to be the same as that required by law for veterans' pensions unless otherwise provided by law enacted in that session. (C) Excise taxes dedicated to a trust fund, if expiring, are assumed to be extended at current rates. (D) If any law expires before the budget year or any outyear, then any program with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 that operates under that law shall be assumed to continue to operate under that law as in effect immediately before its expiration. (3) Hospital insurance trust fund Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund shall be included in all calculations required by this Act. (c) Discretionary spending For the budget year and each of the nine ensuing outyears, the baseline shall be calculated using the following assumptions regarding all amounts other than those covered by subsection (b): (1) Estimated appropriations Budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level provided for the budget year in full-year appropriation Acts. If for any account a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted, budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level available in the current year. (2) Current-year appropriations If, for any account, a continuing appropriation is in effect for less than the entire current year, then the current-year amount shall be assumed to equal the amount that would be available if that continuing appropriation covered the entire fiscal year. If law permits the transfer of budget authority among budget accounts in the current year, the current-year level for an account shall reflect transfers accomplished by the submission of, or assumed for the current year in, the President’s original budget for the budget year. (d) Up-to-Date concepts In calculating the baseline for the budget year or each of the nine ensuing outyears, current-year amounts shall be calculated using the concepts and definitions that are required for that budget year. (e) Asset sales Amounts realized from the sale of an asset shall not be included in estimates under section 251, 251A, 252, or 253 of this part or section 5 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 if that sale would result in a financial cost to the Government as determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines. (f) Long-Term Budget Outlook On or before July 1 of each year, OMB shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate the Long-Term Budget Outlook for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year and at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years. .

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 94 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1871 [Report No. 113–129] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 8, 2013 Mr. Woodall (for himself, Mr. Gohmert , Mr. Ribble , and Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget June 25, 2013 Additional sponsors: Mr. Rokita , Mrs. Black , Mr. Amash , Mr. Duncan of South Carolina , Mr. Mulvaney , Mrs. Hartzler , Mr. McClintock , Mr. Messer , and Mr. Nugent June 25, 2013 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic A BILL To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to reform the budget baseline.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Baseline Reform Act of 2013 . 2. The baseline Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to read as follows: 257. The baseline (a) In general (1) For any fiscal year, the baseline refers to a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority, outlays, or receipts and the surplus or deficit for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date. (2) The baselines referred to in paragraph (1) shall be prepared annually. (b) Direct spending and receipts For the budget year and each outyear, estimates for direct spending in the baseline shall be calculated as follows: (1) In general Laws providing or creating direct spending and receipts are assumed to operate in the manner specified in those laws for each such year and funding for entitlement authority is assumed to be adequate to make all payments required by those laws. (2) Exceptions (A) (i) No program established by a law enacted on or before the date of enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 shall be assumed to expire in the budget year or the outyears. The scoring of new programs with estimated outlays greater than $50,000,000 a year shall be based on scoring by the Committees on the Budget or OMB, as applicable. OMB, CBO, and the Committees on the Budget shall consult on the scoring of such programs where there are differences between CBO and OMB. (ii) On the expiration of the suspension of a provision of law that is suspended under section 171 of Public Law 104–127 and that authorizes a program with estimated fiscal year outlays that are greater than $50,000,000, for purposes of clause (i), the program shall be assumed to continue to operate in the same manner as the program operated immediately before the expiration of the suspension. (B) The increase for veterans' compensation for a fiscal year is assumed to be the same as that required by law for veterans' pensions unless otherwise provided by law enacted in that session. (C) Excise taxes dedicated to a trust fund, if expiring, are assumed to be extended at current rates. (D) If any law expires before the budget year or any outyear, then any program with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 that operates under that law shall be assumed to continue to operate under that law as in effect immediately before its expiration. (3) Hospital insurance trust fund Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund shall be included in all calculations required by this Act. (c) Discretionary spending For the budget year and each of the nine ensuing outyears, the baseline shall be calculated using the following assumptions regarding all amounts other than those covered by subsection (b): (1) Estimated appropriations Budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level provided for the budget year in full-year appropriation Acts. If for any account a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted, budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level available in the current year. (2) Current-year appropriations If, for any account, a continuing appropriation is in effect for less than the entire current year, then the current-year amount shall be assumed to equal the amount that would be available if that continuing appropriation covered the entire fiscal year. If law permits the transfer of budget authority among budget accounts in the current year, the current-year level for an account shall reflect transfers accomplished by the submission of, or assumed for the current year in, the President’s original budget for the budget year. (d) Up-to-Date concepts In calculating the baseline for the budget year or each of the nine ensuing outyears, current-year amounts shall be calculated using the concepts and definitions that are required for that budget year. (e) Asset sales Amounts realized from the sale of an asset shall not be included in estimates under section 251, 251A, 252, or 253 of this part or section 5 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 if that sale would result in a financial cost to the Government as determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines. (f) Long-Term Budget Outlook On or before July 1 of each year, OMB CBO shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate the Long-Term Budget Outlook for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year and at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years. .

June 25, 2013 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: IIB 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1871 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 9, 2014 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget AN ACT To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to reform the budget baseline.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Baseline Reform Act of 2014 . 2. The baseline Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to read as follows: 257. The baseline (a) In general (1) For any fiscal year, the baseline refers to a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority, outlays, or receipts and the surplus or deficit for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date. (2) The baselines referred to in paragraph (1) shall be prepared annually. (b) Direct spending and receipts For the budget year and each outyear, estimates for direct spending in the baseline shall be calculated as follows: (1) In general Laws providing or creating direct spending and receipts are assumed to operate in the manner specified in those laws for each such year and funding for entitlement authority is assumed to be adequate to make all payments required by those laws. (2) Exceptions (A) (i) No program established by a law enacted on or before the date of enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 shall be assumed to expire in the budget year or the outyears. The scoring of new programs with estimated outlays greater than $50,000,000 a year shall be based on scoring by the Committees on the Budget or OMB, as applicable. OMB, CBO, and the Committees on the Budget shall consult on the scoring of such programs where there are differences between CBO and OMB. (ii) On the expiration of the suspension of a provision of law that is suspended under section 171 of Public Law 104–127 and that authorizes a program with estimated fiscal year outlays that are greater than $50,000,000, for purposes of clause (i), the program shall be assumed to continue to operate in the same manner as the program operated immediately before the expiration of the suspension. (B) The increase for veterans' compensation for a fiscal year is assumed to be the same as that required by law for veterans' pensions unless otherwise provided by law enacted in that session. (C) Excise taxes dedicated to a trust fund, if expiring, are assumed to be extended at current rates. (D) If any law expires before the budget year or any outyear, then any program with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 that operates under that law shall be assumed to continue to operate under that law as in effect immediately before its expiration. (3) Hospital insurance trust fund Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund shall be included in all calculations required by this Act. (c) Discretionary spending For the budget year and each of the nine ensuing outyears, the baseline shall be calculated using the following assumptions regarding all amounts other than those covered by subsection (b): (1) Estimated appropriations Budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level provided for the budget year in full-year appropriation Acts. If for any account a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted, budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level available in the current year. (2) Current-year appropriations If, for any account, a continuing appropriation is in effect for less than the entire current year, then the current-year amount shall be assumed to equal the amount that would be available if that continuing appropriation covered the entire fiscal year. If law permits the transfer of budget authority among budget accounts in the current year, the current-year level for an account shall reflect transfers accomplished by the submission of, or assumed for the current year in, the President’s original budget for the budget year. (d) Up-to-Date concepts In calculating the baseline for the budget year or each of the nine ensuing outyears, current-year amounts shall be calculated using the concepts and definitions that are required for that budget year. (e) Asset sales Amounts realized from the sale of an asset shall not be included in estimates under section 251, 251A, 252, or 253 of this part or section 5 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 if that sale would result in a financial cost to the Government as determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines. (f) Long-Term Budget Outlook On or before July 1 of each year, CBO shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate the Long-Term Budget Outlook for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year and at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years. .

Passed the House of Representatives April 8, 2014. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1871 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to reform the budget baseline.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Baseline Reform Act of 2014 . 2. The baseline Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to read as follows: 257. The baseline (a) In general (1) For any fiscal year, the baseline refers to a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority, outlays, or receipts and the surplus or deficit for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date. (2) The baselines referred to in paragraph (1) shall be prepared annually. (b) Direct spending and receipts For the budget year and each outyear, estimates for direct spending in the baseline shall be calculated as follows: (1) In general Laws providing or creating direct spending and receipts are assumed to operate in the manner specified in those laws for each such year and funding for entitlement authority is assumed to be adequate to make all payments required by those laws. (2) Exceptions (A) (i) No program established by a law enacted on or before the date of enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 shall be assumed to expire in the budget year or the outyears. The scoring of new programs with estimated outlays greater than $50,000,000 a year shall be based on scoring by the Committees on the Budget or OMB, as applicable. OMB, CBO, and the Committees on the Budget shall consult on the scoring of such programs where there are differences between CBO and OMB. (ii) On the expiration of the suspension of a provision of law that is suspended under section 171 of Public Law 104–127 and that authorizes a program with estimated fiscal year outlays that are greater than $50,000,000, for purposes of clause (i), the program shall be assumed to continue to operate in the same manner as the program operated immediately before the expiration of the suspension. (B) The increase for veterans' compensation for a fiscal year is assumed to be the same as that required by law for veterans' pensions unless otherwise provided by law enacted in that session. (C) Excise taxes dedicated to a trust fund, if expiring, are assumed to be extended at current rates. (D) If any law expires before the budget year or any outyear, then any program with estimated current year outlays greater than $50,000,000 that operates under that law shall be assumed to continue to operate under that law as in effect immediately before its expiration. (3) Hospital insurance trust fund Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund shall be included in all calculations required by this Act. (c) Discretionary spending For the budget year and each of the nine ensuing outyears, the baseline shall be calculated using the following assumptions regarding all amounts other than those covered by subsection (b): (1) Estimated appropriations Budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level provided for the budget year in full-year appropriation Acts. If for any account a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted, budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at the level available in the current year. (2) Current-year appropriations If, for any account, a continuing appropriation is in effect for less than the entire current year, then the current-year amount shall be assumed to equal the amount that would be available if that continuing appropriation covered the entire fiscal year. If law permits the transfer of budget authority among budget accounts in the current year, the current-year level for an account shall reflect transfers accomplished by the submission of, or assumed for the current year in, the President’s original budget for the budget year. (d) Up-to-Date concepts In calculating the baseline for the budget year or each of the nine ensuing outyears, current-year amounts shall be calculated using the concepts and definitions that are required for that budget year. (e) Asset sales Amounts realized from the sale of an asset shall not be included in estimates under section 251, 251A, 252, or 253 of this part or section 5 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 if that sale would result in a financial cost to the Government as determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines. (f) Long-Term Budget Outlook On or before July 1 of each year, CBO shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate the Long-Term Budget Outlook for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year and at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years. .

Passed the House of Representatives April 8, 2014. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.