Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Biennial Appropriations Act”.
Biennial Appropriations Act
A BILL
To provide for a biennial appropriations process with the exception of defense spending and to enhance oversight and the performance of the Federal Government.
Sec. 2 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
“(a) Timetable
“(1) In general—The timetable with respect to the congressional budget process for any fiscal year is as follows:
“(2) Special Rule—In the case of any first session of Congress that begins in any year immediately following a leap year and during which the term of a President (except a President who succeeds himself or herself) begins, the following dates shall supersede those set forth in subsection (a):
“(b) Biennial appropriation bills and defense appropriation bill—Appropriation bills shall be enacted as follows:
“(1) Odd-numbered years—In odd-numbered years Congress shall consider pursuant to the budget process in this title and enact—
“(A) an annual defense appropriation bill; and
“(B) biennial appropriation bills for—
“(i) Agriculture;
“(ii) Transportation, HUD;
“(iii) Interior, Environment;
“(iv) Labor, HHS, Education; and
“(v) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs.
“(2) Even-numbered years—In even-numbered years Congress shall consider pursuant to the budget process in this title and enact—
“(A) an annual defense appropriation bill; and
“(B) biennial appropriation bills for—
“(i) Commerce, Justice, Science;
“(ii) Energy and Water;
“(iii) Homeland Security;
“(iv) Financial Services;
“(v) Legislative Branch; and
“(vi) State–Foreign Operations.”
Sec. 3 Amendments to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Definitions— Section 3 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 622) is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(11) The term biennium means the period of 2 consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1.”
in subsection (a)(1), by—
inserting after “for the first fiscal year of the resolution,” the following: “and for appropriations for each fiscal year in the biennium and for the first fiscal year of the resolution for defense,”;
striking “for that period of fiscal years” and inserting “for all fiscal years covered by the resolution”; and
inserting after “for the fiscal year of that resolution” the following: “for defense and for each fiscal year in the biennium”;
in subsection (b), by inserting after “budget year” the following: “for defense and the biennium”; and
in subsection (f)(2)(A), by—
inserting after “the first fiscal year” and inserting “or each fiscal year of the biennium”; and
striking “the total of fiscal years” and inserting “the total of all fiscal years covered by the resolution”.
Sec. 4 Amendments to title 31, United States Code
Definition— Section 1101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:
“(3) biennium has the meaning given to such term in paragraph (11) of section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622(11)).”
Budget Contents and Submission to the Congress—
Expenditures— Section 1105(a)(5) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the 4 fiscal years after that year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium for which the budget is submitted and in the succeeding 4 fiscal years”.
Receipts— Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the 4 fiscal years after that year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium for which the budget is submitted and in the succeeding 4 years”.
Balance statements— Section 1105(a)(9)(C) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “the fiscal year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium”.
Functions and activities— Section 1105(a)(12) of title 31, United States Code, is amended in subparagraph (A), by striking “the fiscal year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium”.
Allowances— Section 1105(a)(13) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “the fiscal year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium”.
Allowances for uncontrolled expenditures— Section 1105(a)(14) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “that year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium for which the budget is submitted”.
Tax expenditures— Section 1105(a)(16) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “the fiscal year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium”.
by striking “the fiscal year following the fiscal year” and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium following the biennium”;
by striking “that following fiscal year” and inserting “each such fiscal year”; and
by striking “fiscal year before the fiscal year” and inserting “biennium before the biennium”.
by striking “the prior fiscal year” and inserting “each of the 2 most recently completed fiscal years,”;
by striking “for that year” and inserting “with respect to those fiscal years”; and
by striking “in that year” and inserting “in those fiscal years”.
by striking “the prior fiscal year” and inserting “each of the 2 most recently completed fiscal years”;
by striking “for that year” and inserting “with respect to those fiscal years”; and
by striking “in that year” each place it appears and inserting “in those fiscal years”.
Estimated Expenditures of Legislative and Judicial Branches— Section 1105(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “each year” and inserting “each even-numbered year”.
Recommendations To Meet Estimated Deficiencies— Section 1105(c) of title 31, United States Code, is amended—
by striking “the fiscal year for” the first place it appears and inserting “each fiscal year in the biennium for”;
by striking “the fiscal year for” the second place it appears and inserting “each fiscal year of the biennium, as the case may be, for”; and
by striking “for that year” and inserting “for each fiscal year of the biennium”.
Capital Investment Analysis— Section 1105(e)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking “ensuing fiscal year” and inserting “biennium to which such budget relates”.
Sec. 5 Two-year appropriations; title and style of appropriations Acts
Section 105 of title 1, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“105. Title and style of appropriations Acts
“(a) In General
“(1) Nondefense—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the style and title of all Acts making appropriations for the support of the Government shall be as follows: “An Act making appropriations (here insert the object) for each fiscal year in the biennium of fiscal years (here insert the fiscal years of the biennium).”.
“(2) Defense—The style and title of Acts making appropriations for the support of defense shall be as follows: “An Act making appropriations for defense for fiscal year (here insert the fiscal year).”.
“(3) Amounts—All Acts making regular appropriations for the support of the Government shall specify the amount of appropriations provided for each fiscal year in such period.
“(b) Definitions—In this section—
“(1) the term biennium has the same meaning as in section 3(11) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622(11)); and
“(2) Acts described in subsection (a)(1) shall be considered as provided in section 300(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631(b)).”
Sec. 6 Multiyear authorizations
In General— Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
“316. Authorizations of appropriations
“(a) Point of Order—It shall not be in order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider—
“(1) any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that authorizes appropriations for a period of less than 2 fiscal years, unless the program, project, or activity for which the appropriations are authorized will require no further appropriations and will be completed or terminated after the appropriations have been expended; and
“(2) in any odd-numbered year, any authorization or revenue bill or joint resolution until Congress completes action on the biennial budget resolution, all regular biennial appropriations bills, and all reconciliation bills.
“(b) Applicability—In the Senate, subsection (a) shall not apply to—
“(1) defense;
“(2) any measure that is privileged for consideration pursuant to a rule or statute;
“(3) any matter considered in Executive Session; or
“(4) an appropriations measure or reconciliation bill.”
Amendment to Table of Contents— The table of contents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by adding after the item relating to section 315 the following new item:
Sec. 7 Congressional oversight
In general— In each year that the activities of an agency are not required to be funded pursuant to section 300(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the committee of the House and the Senate with legislative jurisdiction over that agency shall hold a joint oversight hearing with the corresponding subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of their respective House with jurisdiction over the agency.
Hearing— The hearing required by subsection (a) shall review—
the mission of the agency;
the impact of biennial budgeting on agency efficiency;
the cost savings associated with biennial budgeting;
new programs created in the off year of the agency budget; and
programs that were terminated in the off year of the agency budget.
Sec. 8 Report on two-year fiscal period
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of OMB shall—
determine the impact and feasibility of changing the definition of a fiscal year and the budget process based on that definition to a 2-year fiscal period with a biennial budget process based on the 2-year period; and
report the findings of the study to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Sec. 9 Effective date
Except as provided in section 7, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2015, and shall apply to budget resolutions and appropriations for the biennium beginning with fiscal year 2016.