[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1954 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1954

  To amend chapter 7 of title 31, United States Code, to require the 
Comptroller General to assist Congress and the President in eliminating 
 agencies and programs in Executive departments that no longer serve a 
                  public need, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 13, 2013

  Mr. Hudson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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 amend chapter 7 of title 31, United States Code, to require the 
Comptroller General to assist Congress and the President in eliminating 
 agencies and programs in Executive departments that no longer serve a 
                  public need, 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 ``Sunset Wasteful Executive 
Expenditures and Programs Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL TO REVIEW EXECUTIVE 
              DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THEY CONTINUE TO SERVE A PUBLIC 
              NEED.

    (a) Amendment.--Chapter 7 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end of subchapter II the following new 
section:
``Sec. 721. Review of Executive departments to ensure they continue to 
              serve a public need
    ``(a) Review Required.--Each year, beginning with 2014, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall review three Executive 
departments, in the order of their creation, to identify agencies and 
programs within the jurisdiction of the departments that perform 
similar or related functions and that no longer serve a public need. 
The Comptroller General shall review every department at least once 
every five years.
    ``(b) Criteria.--The Comptroller General shall evaluate the 
efficiency and public need for each Executive department pursuant to 
subsection (a) using the following criteria:
            ``(1) The effectiveness and the efficiency of the operation 
        of the programs carried out by each such Executive department.
            ``(2) Whether the programs carried out by the Executive 
        department are cost-effective.
            ``(3) Whether the Executive department has acted outside 
        the scope of its original authority, and whether the original 
        objectives of the department have been achieved.
            ``(4) Whether less restrictive or alternative methods exist 
        to carry out the functions of the Executive department.
            ``(5) The extent to which the jurisdiction of, and the 
        programs administered by, the Executive department duplicate or 
        conflict with the jurisdiction and programs of other Executive 
        departments.
            ``(6) The potential benefits of consolidating programs 
        administered by the Executive department with similar or 
        duplicative programs of other Executive departments, and the 
        potential for consolidating such programs.
            ``(7) The number and types of beneficiaries or persons 
        served by programs carried out by the Executive department.
            ``(8) The extent to which any trends, developments, and 
        emerging conditions that are likely to affect the future nature 
        and extent of the problems or needs that the programs carried 
        out by the Executive department are intended to address.
            ``(9) The extent to which the Executive department has 
        complied with the provisions contained in sections 1115 through 
        1119 of this title (relating to Government performance planning 
        and reporting).
            ``(10) Whether the Executive department has worked to enact 
        changes in the law that are intended to benefit the public as a 
        whole rather than the specific business, institution, or 
        individuals that the department regulates.
            ``(11) The extent to which the Executive department has 
        encouraged participation by the public as a whole in making its 
        rules and decisions rather than encouraging participation 
        solely by those it regulates.
            ``(12) The extent to which the public participation in 
        rulemaking and decisionmaking of the Executive department has 
        resulted in rules and decisions compatible with the objectives 
        of the department.
            ``(13) The extent to which the Executive department 
        complies with section 552 of title 5, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the `Freedom of Information Act').
            ``(14) The extent of the regulatory, privacy, and paperwork 
        impacts of the programs carried out by the Executive 
        department.
            ``(15) The extent to which changes are necessary in the 
        authorizing statutes of the Executive department in order that 
        the function of the department can be performed in the most 
        efficient and effective manner.
    ``(c) Annual Report and Recommended Legislation.--By February 1 of 
each year, beginning with February 1, 2015, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the review of the 
Executive departments carried out during the preceding year. The report 
shall include--
            ``(1) such recommendations as the Comptroller General 
        considers necessary to facilitate the abolishment of agencies 
        and programs within the Executive departments that perform 
        similar or related functions that were identified pursuant to 
        subsection (a) as no longer serving a public need; and
            ``(2) legislative language to implement those 
        recommendations in a form appropriate for introduction in 
        Congress as a bill.
    ``(d) Executive Department Defined.--In this section, the term 
`Executive department' means each department listed in section 101 of 
title 5, United States Code.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 7 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end of subchapter II the following new item:

``721. Review of Executive departments to ensure they continue to serve 
                            a public need.''.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO ENSURE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS CONTINUE 
              TO SERVE A PUBLIC NEED.

    (a) Abolishment of Departments.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than December 31 of each year, 
        beginning with December 31, 2015, the three Executive 
        departments that were reviewed by the Comptroller General of 
        the United States during the preceding year pursuant to section 
        721 of title 31, United States Code, shall be abolished.
            (2) Winding down.--The President, in coordination with the 
        Secretary of each Executive department concerned, shall direct 
        the procedures for the winding down of the operations of 
        departments abolished under subsection (a).
            (3) Extension.--The date of abolishment for an Executive 
        department may be extended for an additional two years if 
        Congress enacts legislation extending such date by a vote of 
        three-fifths of the House of Representatives and of the Senate.
    (b) Continuation of Departments.--
            (1) Approval of existence.--Congress may authorize the 
        continued existence of an Executive department scheduled for 
        abolishment by approving or rejecting the legislation 
        containing the recommendations of the Comptroller General with 
        respect to that department, as submitted under section 
        721(c)(2) of title 31, United States Code, and introduced as a 
        bill under subsection (c).
            (2) Future recommendations.--Action of Congress approving 
        of an Executive department scheduled for abolishment does not 
        prevent the department from being abolished in the next cycle 
        for consideration.
    (c) Process for Consideration of Comptroller General's Report.--
            (1) Introduction.--After February 1 of each year, beginning 
        with 2015, the legislation containing the recommendations of 
        the Comptroller General with respect to the Executive 
        departments reviewed during the preceding year, as submitted in 
        the report of the Comptroller General under section 721(c)(2) 
        of title 31, United States Code, shall be introduced in the 
        Senate by the Majority Leader or the Majority Leader's 
        designee, and in the House of Representatives by the Speaker or 
        the Speaker's designee. Upon such introduction, the bill, to be 
        known as a ``wasteful expenditures bill'' shall be referred to 
        appropriate committees of Congress under paragraph (2). If the 
        wasteful expenditures bill is not introduced in accordance with 
        the preceding sentence, then any member of Congress may 
        introduce such bill in the member's respective House of 
        Congress beginning on the date that is the fifth calendar day 
        that such House is in session following the date of the 
        submission of such aggregate legislative provisions.
            (2) Committee consideration.--
                    (A) Referral.--A wasteful expenditures bill 
                introduced under paragraph (1) shall be referred to any 
                appropriate committee of jurisdiction in the Senate and 
                the House of Representatives. A committee to which a 
                wasteful expenditures bill is referred under this 
                paragraph and may review and comment on such bill, may 
                report such bill to the respective House, and may not 
                amend such bill.
                    (B) Reporting.--Not later than 60 legislative days 
                after the introduction of the wasteful expenditures 
                bill, each Committee of Congress to which the wasteful 
                expenditures bill was referred shall report the bill.
                    (C) Discharge of committee.--If a committee to 
                which is referred a wasteful expenditures bill has not 
                reported such bill at the end of 60 legislative days 
                after its introduction or at the end of the first day 
                after there has been reported to the House involved a 
                wasteful expenditures bill, whichever is earlier, such 
                committee shall be deemed to have been discharged from 
                further consideration of such bill, and such bill shall 
                be placed on the appropriate calendar of the House 
                involved.
            (3) Expedited procedure.--
                    (A) Consideration.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 5 
                        legislative days after the date on which a 
                        committee has reported a wasteful expenditures 
                        bill or been discharged from consideration of a 
                        wasteful expenditures bill, the Majority Leader 
                        of the Senate, or the Majority Leader's 
                        designee, or the Speaker of the House of 
                        Representatives, or the Speaker's designee, 
                        shall move to proceed to the consideration of 
                        the wasteful expenditures bill. It shall also 
                        be in order for any member of the Senate or the 
                        House of Representatives, respectively, to move 
                        to proceed to the consideration of the wasteful 
                        expenditures bill at any time after the 
                        conclusion of such 5-day period.
                            (ii) Motion to proceed.--A motion to 
                        proceed to the consideration of a wasteful 
                        expenditures bill is highly privileged in the 
                        House of Representatives and is privileged in 
                        the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is 
                        not subject to amendment or to a motion to 
                        postpone consideration of the wasteful 
                        expenditures bill. If the motion to proceed is 
                        agreed to, the Senate or the House of 
                        Representatives, as the case may be, shall 
                        immediately proceed to consideration of the 
                        wasteful expenditures bill without intervening 
                        motion, order, or other business, and the 
                        wasteful expenditures bill shall remain the 
                        unfinished business of the Senate or the House 
                        of Representatives, as the case may be, until 
                        disposed of.
                            (iii) Limited debate.--Debate on the 
                        wasteful expenditures bill and on all debatable 
                        motions and appeals in connection therewith 
                        shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, 
                        which shall be divided equally between those 
                        favoring and those opposing the wasteful 
                        expenditures bill. A motion further to limit 
                        debate on the wasteful expenditures bill is in 
                        order and is not debatable. All time used for 
                        consideration of the wasteful expenditures 
                        bill, including time used for quorum calls 
                        (except quorum calls immediately preceding a 
                        vote) and voting, shall come from the 10 hours 
                        of debate.
                            (iv) Amendments.--No amendment to the 
                        wasteful expenditures bill shall be in order in 
                        the Senate and the House of Representatives.
                            (v) Vote on final passage.--Immediately 
                        following the conclusion of the debate on the 
                        wasteful expenditures bill, the vote on final 
                        passage of the wasteful expenditures bill shall 
                        occur.
                            (vi) Other motions not in order.--A motion 
                        to postpone consideration of the wasteful 
                        expenditures bill, a motion to proceed to the 
                        consideration of other business, or a motion to 
                        recommit the wasteful expenditures bill is not 
                        in order. A motion to reconsider the vote by 
                        which the wasteful expenditures bill is agreed 
                        to or not agreed to is not in order.
                    (B) Consideration by the other house.--If, before 
                the passage by one House of the wasteful expenditures 
                bill that was introduced in such House, such House 
                receives from the other House a wasteful expenditures 
                bill as passed by such other House--
                            (i) the wasteful expenditures bill of the 
                        other House shall not be referred to a 
                        committee and may only be considered for final 
                        passage in the House that receives it under 
                        subparagraph (C);
                            (ii) the procedure in the House in receipt 
                        of the wasteful expenditures bill of the other 
                        House, shall be the same as if no wasteful 
                        expenditures bill had been received from the 
                        other House; and
                            (iii) notwithstanding subparagraph (B), the 
                        vote on final passage shall be on the wasteful 
                        expenditures bill of the other House.
                    (C) Disposition.--Upon disposition of a wasteful 
                expenditures bill that is received by one House from 
                the other House, it shall no longer be in order to 
                consider the wasteful expenditures bill that was 
                introduced in the receiving House.
            (4) Legislative day.--In this section, the term 
        ``legislative day'' means a day on which either House of 
        Congress is in session.
            (5) Rules of the senate and the house of representatives.--
        This section is enacted--
                    (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, 
                and is deemed to be part of the rules of each House, 
                respectively, but applicable only with respect to the 
                procedure to be followed in that House in the case of a 
                wasteful expenditures bill, and it supersedes other 
                rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with 
                such rules; and
                    (B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
                they relate to the procedure of that House) at any 
                time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
                the case of any other rule of that House.
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