(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on January 30, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Baseline Reform Act of 2012 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline.
Revises the annual baseline, for any fiscal year, to mean a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority (as under current law), outlays (as under current law), or receipts (instead of revenues) and the surplus or deficit (as under current law) for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date.
Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear.
Revises the formula for calculating the baseline for discretionary spending for the budget year and each outyear to eliminate adjustments for: (1) expiring multiyear subsidized housing contracts; (2) administrative expenses of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund, and the Railroad Retirement account; (3) offsets to federal employees' annual pay; and (4) certain inflators used to adjust budgetary resources in the Act.
(Sec. 3) Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), after the President's budget submission and in addition to the baseline projections, to report a supplemental projection to the congressional budget committees, assuming extension of current tax policy for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with a supplemental projection for the 10-fiscal year period beginning with that fiscal year, again assuming the extension of current tax policy.
Defines "current tax policy" as the tax policy in statute as of December 31 of the current year, assuming: (1) the budgetary effects of measures extending the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (2) the continued application of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) as in effect for taxable years beginning in 2011, with a specified assumption for taxable years beginning after 2011; and (3) the budgetary effects of extending the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax provisions of title III of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.
Requires CBO to report to such committees, on or before July 1 of each year, the Long-Term Budget Outlook for: (1) the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, and (2) at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3578 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3578
To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
to reform the budget baseline.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 7, 2011
Mr. Woodall (for himself, Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin, Mr. Hensarling, Mr.
Young of Indiana, Mrs. Black, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Chaffetz, and Mr.
Stutzman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Budget
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
to reform the budget baseline.
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 ``Baseline Reform Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. THE BASELINE.
(a) In General.--Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 257. THE BASELINE.
``(a) In General.--(1) For any fiscal year, the baseline refers to
a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority, outlays,
or receipts and the surplus or deficit for the current year, the budget
year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the
applicable date.
``(2) The baselines referred to in paragraph (1) shall be prepared
annually.
``(b) Direct Spending and Receipts.--For the budget year and each
outyear, estimates for direct spending in the baseline shall be
calculated as follows:
``(1) In general.--Laws providing or creating direct
spending and receipts are assumed to operate in the manner
specified in those laws for each such year and funding for
entitlement authority is assumed to be adequate to make all
payments required by those laws.
``(2) Exceptions.--(A)(i) No program established by a law
enacted on or before the date of enactment of the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997 with estimated current year outlays greater
than $50,000,000 shall be assumed to expire in the budget year
or the outyears. The scoring of new programs with estimated
outlays greater than $50,000,000 a year shall be based on
scoring by the Committees on the Budget or OMB, as applicable.
OMB, CBO, and the Committees on the Budget shall consult on the
scoring of such programs where there are differences between
CBO and OMB.
``(ii) On the expiration of the suspension of a provision
of law that is suspended under section 171 of Public Law 104-
127 and that authorizes a program with estimated fiscal year
outlays that are greater than $50,000,000, for purposes of
clause (i), the program shall be assumed to continue to operate
in the same manner as the program operated immediately before
the expiration of the suspension.
``(B) The increase for veterans' compensation for a fiscal
year is assumed to be the same as that required by law for
veterans' pensions unless otherwise provided by law enacted in
that session.
``(C) Excise taxes dedicated to a trust fund, if expiring,
are assumed to be extended at current rates.
``(D) If any law expires before the budget year or any
outyear, then any program with estimated current year outlays
greater than $50,000,000 that operates under that law shall be
assumed to continue to operate under that law as in effect
immediately before its expiration.
``(3) Hospital insurance trust fund.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the
Hospital Insurance Trust Fund shall be included in all
calculations required by this Act.
``(c) Discretionary Spending.--For the budget year and each of the
nine ensuing outyears, the baseline shall be calculated using the
following assumptions regarding all amounts other than those covered by
subsection (b):
``(1) Estimated appropriations.--Budgetary resources other
than unobligated balances shall be at the level provided for
the budget year in full-year appropriation Acts. If for any
account a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted,
budgetary resources other than unobligated balances shall be at
the level available in the current year.
``(2) Current-year appropriations.--If, for any account, a
continuing appropriation is in effect for less than the entire
current year, then the current-year amount shall be assumed to
equal the amount that would be available if that continuing
appropriation covered the entire fiscal year. If law permits
the transfer of budget authority among budget accounts in the
current year, the current-year level for an account shall
reflect transfers accomplished by the submission of, or assumed
for the current year in, the President's original budget for
the budget year.
``(d) Up-To-Date Concepts.--In calculating the baseline for the
budget year or each of the nine ensuing outyears, current-year amounts
shall be calculated using the concepts and definitions that are
required for that budget year.
``(e) Asset Sales.--Amounts realized from the sale of an asset
shall not be included in estimates under section 251, 251A, 252, or 253
of this part or section 5 of the Statutory-Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 if
that sale would result in a financial cost to the Government as
determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines.''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 250(c) of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraphs:
``(22) The term `Medicare' means programs within budget
function 570.
``(23) The term `Medicaid and other health-related
spending' means programs within budget function 550.
``(24) The term `other direct spending' means programs
other than those within budget functions 550 and 570, excluding
Social Security and net interest.''.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL CBO REPORT TO BUDGET COMMITTEES.
Section 202(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended
by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(4) After the President's budget submission under section
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, in addition to the
baseline projections, the Director shall submit to the
Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives or the
Senate a supplemental projection assuming extension of current
tax policy for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that
year with an alternative projection for that fiscal year,
assuming the extension of current tax policy, excluding
emergency provisions, in the fiscal year before the submission
of a report.
``(5) On or before July 1 of each year, the Director shall
submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, the Long-Term Budget Outlook
for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year and at
least the ensuing 30 fiscal years.''.
<all>
Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Mr. McHenry asked unanimous consent that the Committee on The Budget have until 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 30 to file a report on H.R. 3578. Agreed to without objection.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Budget. H. Rept. 112-378. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Budget. H. Rept. 112-378. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 259.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 534 Reported to House. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. The resolution provides for one hour of debate, each, on H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582. All points of order against consideration of both H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582 are waived. For H.R. 3578, the resolution makes in order the amendment printed in Part A of the report accompanying this resolution and for H.R.3582, the resolution makes in order the amendments printed in part B of the report accompanying this resolution.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 534. (consideration: CR H419-426)
Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. The resolution provides for one hour of debate, each, on H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582. All points of order against consideration of both H.R. 3578 and H.R. 3582 are waived. For H.R. 3578, the resolution makes in order the amendment printed in Part A of the report accompanying this resolution and for H.R.3582, the resolution makes in order the amendments printed in part B of the report accompanying this resolution.
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DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 3578.
POSTPONING FURTHER PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 3578, the Chair announced that it understood that the Part A amendment made in order by the provisions of H.Res. 534 would not be offered and pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 534, the previous question was ordered and pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule XIX, further proceedings on the bill would be postponed.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H456-459)
Mr. Tierney moved to recommit with instructions to The Budget. (consideration: CR H456-458; text: CR H456)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tierney motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a new provision entitled "Maintaining Current Funding Levels in Real (Inflation-Adjusted) Terms for: Pell Grants and Education Programs for Students; Health and All Discretionary Spending that Provide Benefits for Seniors; Job, Health, and all Discretionary Spending that Provide Benefits for Veterans; and Health Research, Including NIH and Research to Cure Cancer."
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H457)
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 177 - 238 (Roll no. 31).
Roll Call #31 (House)Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 235 - 177 (Roll no. 32).(text: CR 2/02/2012 H419-420)
Roll Call #32 (House)On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 235 - 177 (Roll no. 32). (text: CR 2/02/2012 H419-420)
Roll Call #32 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.