Spending Safeguard Act

Bill: 115-hr-3719
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5]
Introduced: 2017-09-08
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget process

Congressional oversight

Executive agency funding and structure

Government information and archives
Latest action: action_date: 2017-09-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-09-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Spending Safeguard Act </b></p> <p>This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish spending limits for direct spending programs that: (1) are enacted or reauthorized after enactment of this bill, and (2) do not have a specific level of authorized spending expressed as a dollar amount. </p> <p>The spending limits must be equal to: (1) 120% of the cost of the program for defense, health, Medicare, income security, Social Security, and veterans benefits and services programs; and (2) 110% of the cost for any other program. </p> <p>The OMB must maintain a publicly available scorecard that displays the spending level for any program that is subject to the limits. The OMB and the President must submit specified reports to Congress comparing current spending to the limits. </p> <p>The bill prohibits obligations for programs that have reached the applicable spending limit. Agencies implementing programs listed on the OMB's scorecard must ensure that any contract, offer of benefits, or other material provided to program participants specifies that the program is subject to a spending limit that may impact future availability of funds to pay benefits. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3719 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 8, 2017 Ms. Foxx (for herself and Mr. Woodall ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget A BILL To establish a direct spending safeguard limitation on any direct spending program without a specific level of authorized spending, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Spending Safeguard Act . 2. Spending limitation on direct spending programs (a) Establishment of spending safeguard limitation (1) In general The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish a spending limitation (in this Act referred to as a spending safeguard limitation ) with respect to any direct spending program not later than 90 days after any such program is enacted or reauthorized (as the case may be). (2) Determination of spending safeguard limitation The spending safeguard limitation established under paragraph (1) for a direct spending program shall be equal to— (A) with respect to any such program within budget function 050 (Defense), 550 (Health), 570 (Medicare), 600 (Income Security), 650 (Social Security), or 700 (Veterans Benefits and Services), 120 percent of the cost of the program; and (B) with respect to any such program within any other budget function, 110 percent of the cost of the program. (3) Determination of cost of program For purposes of paragraphs (2)(A) and (B), the cost of the program shall be the estimated six-year cost of the program, as determined by the Director using the scorecards or estimate (as the case may be) applicable to the program under section 4 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 ( 2 U.S.C. 933 ). (b) Spending safeguard limitation scorecards (1) In general The Director shall maintain and make publicly available a spending safeguard limitation scorecard displaying the spending level for any direct spending program that is subject to a spending safeguard limitation pursuant to this Act. (2) Monthly costs Not later than 7 days after the end of each month beginning after the first full month in which such a direct spending program is operational, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transmit to the Director a report listing the total amount of spending for any direct spending program listed on the scorecard. (3) OMB biannual report After the end of any six-month period, the Director shall submit a report to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate containing the total level of spending for any such direct spending program and the relation between such level and the spending safeguard limitation applicable to such program. (c) President budget submissions (1) Annual Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (40) a report on the total level of spending for any direct spending program subject to a spending safeguard limitation pursuant to the Spending Safeguard Act, and the relation between such level and the spending safeguard limitation applicable to such program. . (2) Mid-session Section 1106(a)(1)(C) of such title is amended by striking section 1105(a)(8) and (9)(B) and (C) and inserting section 1105(a)(8), (9) (B) and (C), and (40) . (d) Procedures in case of breach (1) Spending limitation breach report If the Director determines, using the reports submitted under subsection (b)(2), that a direct spending program listed on the scorecard established under subsection (b) will reach the applicable spending safeguard limitation within six months, the Director shall transmit, not later than 15 days after the date of such determination, a report to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the committees that have jurisdiction over the program. (2) Obligation limitation If the Director determines, using the reports submitted under subsection (b)(2), that such a direct spending program has reached the applicable spending safeguard limitation— (A) effective 30 days after such determination, no funds may be obligated to carry out such program; and (B) on the date of such determination, the Director shall submit a report to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the committees that have jurisdiction over the program that such an obligation limitation has been imposed. (e) Agency procedures Any Federal agency implementing a direct spending program listed on the scorecard established under subsection (b) shall ensure that any contract, offer of benefits, or other material provided to the program participants includes information specifying that the program is subject to a spending safeguard limitation that may impact future availability of funds to pay benefits. (f) Definitions In this Act— (1) the term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; (2) the term direct spending has the meaning given such term in section 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 ( 2 U.S.C. 900(c)(8) ); and (3) the term direct spending program means any Federal program funded by direct spending that— (A) is enacted or reauthorized after the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) does not have, in statute, a specific level (expressed as a dollar amount) of authorization of appropriations. (g) Prohibition on new authorization of funding No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.