[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 397 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 397

     To require that the President transmit to Congress, that the 
congressional Budget Committees report, and that the Congress consider 
                a balanced budget for each fiscal year.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 1997

 Mr. Bentsen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require that the President transmit to Congress, that the 
congressional Budget Committees report, and that the Congress consider 
                a balanced budget for each fiscal year.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

           TITLE I--AMENDMENT TO TITLE 31, UNITED STATES CODE

SEC. 101. SUBMISSION OF BALANCED BUDGET BY THE PRESIDENT.

    Section 1105 of title 31, United States code, is amended by 
inserting at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), any budget submitted 
to Congress pursuant to subsection (a) for the ensuing fiscal year 
shall not be in deficit.
    ``(2) For any fiscal year with respect to which the President 
determines that it is infeasible to submit a budget in compliance with 
paragraph (1), the President shall submit on the same day two budgets, 
one of which shall be in compliance with paragraph (1), together with 
written reasons in support of that determination.''.

        TITLE II--AMENDMENT TO CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974

SEC. 201. REPORTING OF BALANCED BUDGETS BY COMMITTEES ON THE BUDGET OF 
              THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE.

    Section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 
inserting at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) Reporting of Balanced Budgets.--
            ``(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), the concurrent 
        resolution on the budget for a fiscal year referred to in 
        subsection (a) as reported by the Committee on the Budget of 
        each House shall not be in deficit.
            ``(2) For any fiscal year with respect to which the 
        Committee on the Budget of either House determines that it is 
        infeasible to report a concurrent resolution on the budget in 
        compliance with paragraph (1) and includes written reasons in 
        support of that determination in its report accompanying a 
        concurrent resolution on the budget, the committee shall report 
        two concurrent resolutions on the budget, one of which shall be 
        in compliance with paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Each concurrent resolution on the budget reported by 
        the Committee on the Budget of either House shall contain 
        reconciliation directives described in section 310 necessary to 
        effectuate the provisions and requirements of such 
        resolution.''.

SEC. 202. PROCEDURE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    Section 305(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended 
by inserting at the end the following:
            ``(8)(A) If the Committee on Rules of the House of 
        Representatives reports any rule or order providing for the 
        consideration of any concurrent resolution on the budget for a 
        fiscal year, then it shall also, within the same rule or order, 
        provide for--
                    ``(i) the consideration of the text of any 
                concurrent resolution on the budget for that fiscal 
                year reported by the Committee on the Budget of the 
                House of Representatives pursuant to section 301(j); 
                and
                    ``(ii) the consideration of the text of each 
                concurrent resolution on the budget as introduced by 
                the Majority Leader pursuant to subparagraph (B);
        and such rule or order shall assure that a separate vote occurs 
        on each such budget.
            ``(B) The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives 
        shall introduce a concurrent resolution on the budget 
        reflecting, without substantive revision, each budget submitted 
        by the President pursuant to section 1105(g) of title 31, 
        United States Code, as soon as practicable after its 
        submission.''.

SEC. 203. PROCEDURE IN THE SENATE.

    Section 305(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended 
by inserting at the end the following:
            ``(7) Notwithstanding any other rule, it shall always be in 
        order in the Senate to consider an amendment to a concurrent 
        resolution on the budget for a fiscal year comprising the text 
        of any budget submitted by the President for that fiscal year 
        as described in section 1105(g)(1) of title 31, United States 
        Code, and, whenever applicable, an amendment comprising the 
        text of any other budget submitted by the President for that 
        fiscal year as described in section 1105(g)(2) of title 31, 
        United States Code.''.

                       TITLE III--EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 301. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by it shall become effective for 
fiscal year 1999 and shall be fully reflected in the fiscal year 1999 
budget submitted by the President as required by section 1105(a) of 
title 31, United States Code.
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