[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 41 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 41

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 26, 2015

  Mr. Ratcliffe (for himself and Mr. Babin) introduced the following 
 joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United 
                                States.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled   (two-thirds of each House 
concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be 
valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 
ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States 
within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 
total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole 
number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific 
excess of outlays over receipts by a roll call vote.
    ``Section 2. The total outlays of the United States in any fiscal 
year shall not exceed the amount equal to 18 percent of the gross 
domestic product of the United States during the last calendar year 
ending before the beginning of such fiscal year, unless \2/3\ of the 
whole number of each House by a roll call vote approve a higher level 
of outlays.
    ``Section 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall 
transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States 
Government for the fiscal year beginning in that calendar year in which 
total estimated outlays of the operating funds of the United States for 
that fiscal year shall not exceed total estimated receipts to those 
funds for that fiscal year.
    ``Section 4. Each House of Congress shall approve a budget that is 
in compliance with section 1. If a House of Congress fails to approve 
such a budget, the Members who serve in that House may not receive any 
compensation for their service.
    ``Section 5. No bill to increase or suspend the statutory limit on 
the public debt shall become law unless approved by \3/5\ of the whole 
number of each House by a roll call vote.
    ``Section 6. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless 
approved by \3/5\ of the whole number of each House by a roll call 
vote.
    ``Section 7. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article 
for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The 
provisions of this article may be waived for any fiscal year in which 
the United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an 
imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so 
declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole 
number of each House, which becomes law. Any such waiver must identify 
and be limited to the specific excess or increase for that fiscal year 
made necessary by the identified military conflict.
    ``Section 8. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article 
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and 
receipts, and which shall provide such criteria as may be necessary to 
carry out the ban on the receipt of compensation by Members who serve 
in a House of Congress that does not approve a budget that is in 
compliance with section 1, as set forth under section 4.
    ``Section 9. This article shall take effect beginning with the 
second fiscal year beginning after its ratification.
    ``Section 10. A Senator or Representative may, in a civil action in 
a court established by or under article 3 of this Constitution, obtain 
appropriate relief to enforce this amendment.
    ``Section 11. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the 
United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total 
outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government 
except for those for repayment of debt principal.''.
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