A bill to require agencies submit zero-based budgets.

Bill: 119-s-181
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2025-01-22
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill requires federal agencies to submit zero-based budgets to the Office of Management and Budget and the congressional budget committees<em>.&nbsp;</em>Under the bill, a<em>&nbsp;zero-based budget</em> is a systematic budget analysis in which managers (1) examine current objectives, operations, and costs; (2) consider alternative ways of carrying out programs or activities; and (3) rank different programs or activities by order of importance.</p><p>The bill also requires federal agencies to submit recommendations to reduce spending by at least 2% from the previous year's levels. The Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration are exempt from this requirement.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 181 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 22, 2025 Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Crapo , Mr. Ricketts , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Sheehy , Mr. Scott of Florida , and Ms. Lummis ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To require agencies submit zero-based budgets.

1. Zero-based budgets (a) Definition In this Act: (1) Agency The term agency has the meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code. (2) Zero-based budget The term zero-based budget means a systematic budget analysis in support of decision making in which managers— (A) examine current objectives, operations, and costs; (B) consider alternative ways of carrying out a program or activity; and (C) rank different programs or activities by order of importance to the organization. (b) Zero-Based budgets Every sixth year, each agency shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Committee on the Budget of the Senate and the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives a zero-based budget for the next fiscal year and each of the 4 ensuing fiscal years. (c) Recommendations In addition to the zero-based budget required under subsection (b), each agency, except the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration shall submit recommendations for which programs Congress should cut or reduce appropriations in an amount that equals not less than a 2-percent reduction from the previous year appropriation in discretionary spending.