Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Legally Binding Budget Act of 2013”.
Legally Binding Budget Act of 2013
A BILL
To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish joint resolutions on the budget, and for other purposes.
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:
“300. Timetable
“The timetable with respect to the congressional budget process for any Congress (beginning with the One Hundred Fourteenth) is as follows:”
Sec. 4 Amendments to sections 301 and 303 and technical and conforming amendments
In general— Section 303 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended—
by striking “(a) In General.—”, by striking “has been agreed to” and inserting “takes effect”, and by striking subsections (b) and (c); and
by striking its section heading and inserting the following new section heading: “Consideration of budget-related legislation before budget becomes law”.
Technical amendment— Section 301(a)(5) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by inserting “for display purposes only,” before “the public debt”.
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. 5 Permissible revisions of budget resolutions
Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to read as follows:
“304. Permissible revisions of budget resolutions
“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
In general— Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by adding after section 315 the following new section:
“316. Automatic standing order upon veto of joint resolution on the budget
“For purposes of congressional enforcement under title III and IV of this Act and the rules of the House and the Senate, the joint resolution shall be considered as enforceable upon enactment or 15 days following presentment to the President, whichever occurs earlier.”
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. 8 Additional amendments to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to effectuate joint resolutions on the budget
Additional amendments to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974—
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”.
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”.
The section heading of section 301 of such Act is amended by striking “annual adoption of concurrent resolution” and inserting “joint resolutions”.
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”.
The table of contents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended—
in the item relating to section 301, by striking “Annual adoption of concurrent resolution” and inserting “Joint resolutions”; and
by striking “concurrent” and inserting “joint” in the item relating to section 305.
Conforming amendment— Any side heading within any section of title III of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by striking “Concurrent” and inserting “Joint” and any center heading in any section of that title is amended by striking “concurrent” and inserting “joint”.
Sec. 9 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. 10 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”.