[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6301 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6301
To establish a direct spending safeguard limitation on any direct
spending program without a specific level of authorized spending, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2021
Ms. Foxx (for herself, Mr. Norman, and Mr. Good of Virginia) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a direct spending safeguard limitation on any direct
spending program without a specific level of authorized spending, 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 ``Spending Safeguard Act''.
SEC. 2. SPENDING LIMITATION ON DIRECT SPENDING PROGRAMS.
(a) Establishment of Spending Safeguard Limitation.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the Office of Management
and Budget shall establish a spending limitation (in this Act
referred to as a ``spending safeguard limitation'') with
respect to any direct spending program not later than 90 days
after any such program is enacted or reauthorized (as the case
may be).
(2) Determination of spending safeguard limitation.--The
spending safeguard limitation established under paragraph (1)
for a direct spending program shall be equal to--
(A) with respect to any such program within budget
function 050 (Defense), 550 (Health), 570 (Medicare),
600 (Income Security), 650 (Social Security), or 700
(Veterans Benefits and Services), 120 percent of the
cost of the program; and
(B) with respect to any such program within any
other budget function, 110 percent of the cost of the
program.
(3) Determination of cost of program.--For purposes of
paragraphs (2) (A) and (B), the cost of the program shall be
the estimated six-year cost of the program, as determined by
the Director using the scorecards or estimate (as the case may
be) applicable to the program under section 4 of the Statutory
Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933).
(b) Spending Safeguard Limitation Scorecards.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall maintain and make
publicly available a spending safeguard limitation scorecard
displaying the spending level for any direct spending program
that is subject to a spending safeguard limitation pursuant to
this Act.
(2) Monthly costs.--Not later than 7 days after the end of
each month beginning after the first full month in which such a
direct spending program is operational, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall transmit to the Director a report listing the
total amount of spending for any direct spending program listed
on the scorecard.
(3) OMB biannual report.--After the end of any six-month
period, the Director shall submit a report to the Committees on
the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate
containing the total level of spending for any such direct
spending program and the relation between such level and the
spending safeguard limitation applicable to such program.
(c) President Budget Submissions.--
(1) Annual.--Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(40) a report on the total level of spending for any
direct spending program subject to a spending safeguard
limitation pursuant to the Spending Safeguard Act, and the
relation between such level and the spending safeguard
limitation applicable to such program.''.
(2) Mid-session.--Section 1106(a)(1)(C) of such title is
amended by striking ``section 1105(a)(8) and (9)(B) and (C)''
and inserting ``section 1105(a) (8), (9) (B) and (C), and
(40)''.
(d) Procedures in Case of Breach.--
(1) Spending limitation breach report.--If, during any of
the six years used to determine the cost of a direct spending
program pursuant to subsection (a)(3), the Director determines,
using the reports submitted under subsection (b)(2), that a
direct spending program listed on the scorecard established
under subsection (b) will reach the applicable spending
safeguard limitation within six months, the Director shall
transmit, not later than 15 days after the date of such
determination, a report to the Committees on the Budget of the
House of Representatives and the Senate and the committees that
have jurisdiction over the program.
(2) Obligation limitation.--If, during any of such six
years, the Director determines using the reports submitted
under subsection (b)(2) that such a direct spending program has
reached the applicable spending safeguard limitation--
(A) effective 30 days after such determination, no
funds may be obligated to carry out such program; and
(B) on the date of such determination, the Director
shall submit a report to the Committees on the Budget
of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the
committees that have jurisdiction over the program that
such an obligation limitation has been imposed.
(e) Agency Procedures.--Any Federal agency implementing a direct
spending program listed on the scorecard established under subsection
(b) shall ensure that any contract, offer of benefits, or other
material provided to the program participants includes information
specifying that the program is subject to a spending safeguard
limitation that may impact future availability of funds to pay
benefits.
(f) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget;
(2) the term ``direct spending'' has the meaning given such
term in section 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900(c)(8)); and
(3) the term ``direct spending program'' means any Federal
program funded by direct spending that--
(A) is enacted or reauthorized after the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(B) does not have, in statute, a specific level
(expressed as a dollar amount) of authorization of
appropriations.
(g) Prohibition on New Authorization of Funding.--No additional
funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
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