[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3575 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3575

   To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish joint 
           resolutions on the budget, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 7, 2011

  Mrs. Black (for herself, Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin, Mr. Hensarling, Mr. 
  Young of Indiana, Mr. Chaffetz, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Mulvaney, and Mr. 
  Stutzman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish joint 
           resolutions on the budget, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Legally Binding Budget Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 3 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 
striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) The term `joint resolution on the budget' means--
                    ``(A) a joint resolution setting forth the budget 
                for the United States Government for a fiscal year as 
                provided in section 301; and
                    ``(B) any other joint resolution revising the 
                budget for the United States Government for a fiscal 
                year as described in section 304.''.

SEC. 3. REVISION OF TIMETABLE.

    Section 300 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631) 
is amended to read as follows:

                              ``timetable

    ``Sec. 300.  (a) In General.--Except as provided by subsection (b), 
the timetable with respect to the congressional budget process for any 
Congress (beginning with the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress or a 
subsequent Congress, as applicable) is as follows:


``On or before:                           Action to be completed:
First Monday in February................  President submits budget recommendations.
February 15.............................  Congressional Budget Office submits report to Budget Committees.
Not later than 6 weeks after budget       Committees submit views and estimates to Budget Committees.
 submission.
April 1.................................  Budget Committees report joint resolution on the budget.
April 15................................  Congress completes action on joint resolution on the budget.
May 15..................................  Appropriation bills may be considered in the House of Representatives.
June 10.................................  House Appropriations Committee reports last appropriation bill.
June 30.................................  House completes action on appropriation bills.
October 1...............................  Fiscal year begins.
 

    ``(b) Special Rule.--In the case of any first session of Congress 
that begins in any year during which the term of a President (except a 
President who succeeds himself) begins, the following dates shall 
supersede those set forth in subsection (a):


``On or before:                           Action to be completed:
First Monday in April...................  President submits budget recommendations.
April 20................................  Committees submit views and estimates to Budget Committees.
May 15..................................  Budget Committees report joint resolution on the budget.
June 1..................................  Congress completes action on joint resolution on the budget.
June 1..................................  Appropriation bills may be considered in the House of Representatives.
July 1..................................  House Appropriations Committee reports last appropriation bill.
July 20.................................  House completes action on appropriation bills.
October 1...............................  Fiscal year begins.''.
 

SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 303 AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 303 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(a) In General.--'', by striking ``has 
        been agreed to'' and inserting ``takes effect'', and by 
        striking subsections (b) and (c); and
            (2) by striking its section heading and inserting the 
        following new section heading: ``consideration of budget-
        related legislation before budget becomes law''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The item relating to section 303 in the 
table of contents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget 
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 303. Consideration of budget-related legislation before budget 
                            becomes law.''.

SEC. 5. PERMISSIBLE REVISIONS OF BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.

    Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to 
read as follows:

             ``permissible revisions of budget resolutions

    ``Sec. 304. At any time after the joint resolution on the budget 
for a fiscal year has been enacted pursuant to section 301, and before 
the end of such fiscal year, the two Houses and the President may enact 
a joint resolution on the budget which revises or reaffirms the joint 
resolution on the budget for such fiscal year most recently enacted, 
and for purposes of the enforcement of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of 
Representatives or the Senate, as applicable, may adjust levels as 
needed for the enforcement of the budget resolution.''.

SEC. 6. LIMITATION ON THE CONTENT OF BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.

    Section 305 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Limitation on Contents.--(1) It shall not be in order in the 
House of Representatives or in the Senate to consider any joint 
resolution on the budget or any amendment thereto or conference report 
thereon that contains any matter referred to in paragraph (2).
    ``(2) Any joint resolution on the budget or any amendment thereto 
or conference report thereon that contains any matter not permitted in 
section 301(a) or (b) shall not be treated in the House of 
Representatives or the Senate as a budget resolution under subsection 
(a) or (b) or as a conference report on a budget resolution under 
subsection (c) of this section.''.

SEC. 7. DEEMING OF BUDGETARY AGGREGATES, ALLOCATIONS, AND 
              RECONCILIATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE UPON 
              VETO OF JOINT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
is amended by adding after section 315 the following new section:

 ``automatic standing order upon veto of joint resolution on the budget

    ``Sec. 316. If the President vetoes a joint resolution on the 
budget, the aggregates, allocations, and any other matters that pertain 
solely to the Congress set forth in that joint resolution shall, for 
all purposes of titles III and IV, be deemed to operate and be 
enforceable in the House of Representatives and the Senate as if the 
joint resolution had been enacted.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents set forth in 
section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 315 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 316. Automatic standing order upon veto of joint resolution on 
                            the budget.''.

SEC. 8. PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT.

    Section 301(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended 
by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (8), by striking the period 
and inserting ``; and'' at the end of paragraph (9), and by inserting 
after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:
            ``(10) set forth the public debt limit.''.

SEC. 9. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974 
              TO EFFECTUATE JOINT RESOLUTIONS ON THE BUDGET.

    (a) Additional Amendments to the Congressional Budget and 
Impoundment Control Act of 1974.--(1)(A) Sections 301, 302, 303, 304, 
305, 308, 310, 311, 312, 314, 405, and 904 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) are amended by striking 
``concurrent'' each place it appears and inserting ``joint''.
    (B)(i) Sections 302(d), 302(g), 308(a)(1)(A), and 310(d)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 are amended by striking ``most 
recently agreed to concurrent resolution on the budget'' each place it 
occurs and inserting ``most recently enacted joint resolution on the 
budget''.
    (ii) The section heading of section 301 of such Act is amended by 
striking ``annual adoption of concurrent resolution'' and inserting 
``joint resolutions''; and
    (C) Sections 302, 303, 304, 310, and 311 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 are amended by striking ``agreed to'' each place it 
appears and by inserting ``enacted''.
    (2) The table of contents set forth in section 1(b) of the 
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended--
            (A) in the item relating to section 301, by striking 
        ``Annual adoption of concurrent resolution'' and inserting 
        ``Joint resolutions''; and
            (B) by striking ``concurrent'' and inserting ``joint'' in 
        the item relating to section 305.
    (b) Conforming Amendments to Section 310 Regarding Reconciliation 
Directives.--(1) The side heading of section 310(a) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by inserting ``Joint 
Explanatory Statement Accompanying Conference Report on'' before 
``Joint''.
    (2) Section 310(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
amended by striking ``A'' and inserting ``The joint explanatory 
statement accompanying the conference report on a''.
    (3) The first sentence of section 310(b) of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 is amended by striking ``If'' and inserting ``If the 
joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on''.
    (4) Section 310(c)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
amended by inserting ``the joint explanatory statement accompanying the 
conference report on'' after ``pursuant to''.

SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO 
              EFFECTUATE JOINT BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.

    Clauses 1(d)(1), 4(a)(4), 4(b)(2), 4(f)(1)(A), and 4(f)(2) of rule 
X, clause 10 of rule XVIII, clause 10 of rule XX, and clauses 7 and 10 
of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives are amended by 
striking ``concurrent'' each place it appears and inserting ``joint''.

SEC. 11. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY 
              DEFICIT CONTROL ACT OF 1985.

    Section 258C(b)(1) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907d(b)(1)) is amended by striking 
``concurrent'' and inserting ``joint''.
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