Federal

Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 3,976 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill sets up automatic budget cuts for federal programs that don't have current authorization from Congress to spend money. It creates a commission to review federal spending and develop a new schedule for when programs need to be reauthorized every three years. The bill aims to force Congress to regularly renew programs or cut their funding by 10-15 percent each year. ##

Who It Affects

Federal agencies that run unauthorized programs. The Spending and Accountability Commission members (Congress members appointed by House and Senate leaders). Congress members who must vote on reauthorizing programs. Federal employees working in unauthorized programs. ##

Key Provisions

- Starting in fiscal year 2024, federal programs without current authorization lose 10 percent of their budget the first year after authorization expires, then 15 percent the second and third years (Sec. 102) - Any unauthorized program that goes three years without reauthorization is automatically terminated October 1 of the next fiscal year (Sec. 103) - The Spending and Accountability Commission is created with 14 members (7 appointed by the House Speaker, 7 by the Senate majority leader) to review federal spending and propose reauthorization schedules (Sec. 201 and 203) - A program can avoid budget cuts if Congress reauthorizes it during the fiscal year when cuts would occur, but only if the reauthorization limits the program to three years or less (Sec. 104) - The commission must submit a legislative proposal for reauthorizing discretionary spending programs within 180 days of the bill becoming law (Sec. 301) ##

What Changes

Federal programs without current authorization will face automatic 10 percent budget reductions one year after expiration and 15 percent reductions in years two and three. Programs not reauthorized within three years will be completely eliminated. Congress must create a new system requiring programs to be reauthorized every three years instead of continuing indefinitely. The Spending and Accountability Commission gains power to demand information from federal agencies and hold hearings about federal spending. ##

Important Definitions

- Unauthorized program: Any program listed in the Congressional Budget Office's annual "Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations" report that needs to renew its authorization to spend money. - Budgetary level: The amount of money Congress allocates to the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations for a fiscal year. - Expiring fiscal year: The year when a program's authorization to spend money runs out. - Direct spending: Not specified in bill text. ##

Effective Date

The three-year budget reduction cycle begins in fiscal year 2024. The Spending and Accountability Commission must submit its reauthorization proposal no later than 180 days after the bill becomes law.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1518 To provide for a reauthorizing schedule for unauthorized Federal programs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 9, 2023 Mrs. RODGERS of Washington (for herself, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. DUNN of Florida, Mr. GOODEN of Texas, and Mr. WEBER of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Account- ability, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To provide for a reauthorizing schedule for unauthorized Federal programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act of 2023’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 6 this Act is as follows: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1518 IH Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. TITLE I—SUNSET OF UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAMS Sec. 101. Establishment of budgetary level reduction schedule. Sec. 102. Reduction in budgetary level for unauthorized programs. Sec. 103. Termination of unauthorized programs after third unauthorized year. Sec. 104. Exemption from budgetary level reduction. Sec. 105. Offset of budgetary level reduction through reduction in direct spend- ing. Sec. 106. Sunset. TITLE II—SPENDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION Sec. 201. Establishment. Sec. 202. Duties of Commission. Sec. 203. Membership. Sec. 204. Powers of Commission. Sec. 205. Personnel and other administrative matters. Sec. 206. Funding. TITLE III—REAUTHORIZATION CYCLE FOR DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS Sec. 301. Establishment of reauthorization schedule. TITLE I—SUNSET OF 1 UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAMS 2 SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUC- 3 TION SCHEDULE. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established a re- 5 occurring three-year budgetary level reduction cycle with 6 respect to any unauthorized program, to begin in fiscal 7 year 2024, consistent with the requirements of this Act. 8 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 9 (1) BUDGETARY LEVEL.—The term ‘‘budgetary 10 level’’ means the allocation made under section 11 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 12 U.S.C. 633(a)) to the Committee on Appropriations 13 of the House of Representatives or the Senate in a 14 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1518 IH concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year, 1 and includes any such allocation made pursuant to 2 a deeming resolution. 3 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 4 means the Spending and Accountability Commission 5 established under title II. 6 (3) EXPIRING FISCAL YEAR.—The term ‘‘expir- 7 ing fiscal year’’ means, with respect to an unauthor- 8 ized program, the fiscal year during which author- 9 izations of appropriations will expire for such pro- 10 gram. 11 (4) UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘un- 12 authorized program’’ means any program or activity 13 listed in the annual report published by the Congres- 14 sional Budget Office, entitled ‘‘Expired and Expiring 15 Authorizations of Appropriations’’, or any successor 16 report, with respect to which authorizations of ap- 17 propriations will expire during the fiscal year in 18 which such report is published. 19 (c) APPLICATION TO PROGRAMS THAT EXPIRED BE- 20 FORE FISCAL YEAR 2024.—For purposes of applying this 21 Act to any unauthorized program funded during fiscal 22 year 2024 and for which authorizations of appropriations 23 expired before such fiscal year, such program shall be 24 deemed to be a program or activity listed in the report 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1518 IH referred to in subsection (b)(4) with respect to which au- 1 thorizations of appropriations will expire during fiscal year 2 2024. 3 SEC. 102. REDUCTION IN BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR UNAU- 4 THORIZED PROGRAMS. 5 (a) BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR FISCAL YEAR FOL- 6 LOWING EXPIRATION OF AUTHORIZATION.—With respect 7 to any unauthorized program, on the date that a budg- 8 etary level is established for the fiscal year immediately 9 following the expiring fiscal year, such level shall imme- 10 diately be reduced by an amount equal to 10 percent of 11 the funds appropriated for such program in the expiring 12 fiscal year. 13 (b) BUDGETARY LEVEL FOR SECOND AND THIRD 14 FISCAL YEARS FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF AUTHORIZA- 15 TION.—With respect to any unauthorized program that re- 16 sults in a budgetary level reduction under subsection (a) 17 that remains an unauthorized program in the second or 18 third fiscal year following the expiring fiscal year, on the 19 date that a budgetary level is established for either such 20 second or third fiscal year, the budgetary level for either 21 such fiscal year shall be reduced by an amount equal to 22 15 percent of the funds appropriated for such program 23 in the expiring fiscal year. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1518 IH (c) TRANSMITTAL OF NEW BUDGETARY LEVEL.— 1 Upon the reduction of a budgetary level (if any) under 2 subsection (a) or (b), the chair of the Committee on the 3 Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate 4 shall submit the revised budgetary level to the chair of 5 the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep- 6 resentatives and the Senate, respectively. 7 SEC. 103. TERMINATION OF UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAMS 8 AFTER THIRD UNAUTHORIZED YEAR. 9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Any unauthorized program that 10 causes a budgetary level reduction under section 102(b) 11 applicable to the third fiscal year following the expiring 12 fiscal year shall, effective immediately on October 1 of the 13 fiscal year immediately following such third fiscal year, be 14 terminated, except that any unobligated amounts available 15 for such program after the date of termination shall re- 16 main available for recording, adjusting, and liquidating 17 valid obligations of such program issued before such ter- 18 mination date. 19 (b) OBLIGATION OF FUNDS PROHIBITED WITHOUT 20 REAUTHORIZATION.—No funds may be obligated for any 21 program terminated pursuant to subsection (a) in any fis- 22 cal year without an express reauthorization of the program 23 by Congress containing an authorization of appropriations 24 period not to exceed three years. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1518 IH SEC. 104. EXEMPTION FROM BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUC- 1 TION. 2 (a) REAUTHORIZATION.— 3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with paragraph 4 (2)— 5 (A) any unauthorized program that causes 6 a budgetary level reduction applicable to a fiscal 7 year under section 102 that is expressly reau- 8 thorized during the fiscal year in which such 9 level is established shall not be subject to the 10 requirements of this title; and 11 (B) upon the date of such reauthorization, 12 any such reduction shall be restored. 13 (2) LIMITATION.—Paragraph (1) shall only 14 apply if the reauthorization contains a sunset provi- 15 sion applicable to such program providing for an au- 16 thorization of appropriations period of not more 17 than three years. 18 (b) OFFSET BY REDUCTION IN DIRECT SPENDING.— 19 Any budgetary level reduction provided for in this title 20 shall not apply if, before the fiscal year during which such 21 reduction will occur, a bill is enacted into law as described 22 in section 105. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1518 IH SEC. 105. OFFSET OF BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUCTION 1 THROUGH REDUCTION IN DIRECT SPENDING. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 3 end of fiscal year 2024 and any subsequent fiscal year 4 during which this title remains applicable pursuant to sec- 5 tion 106, the Commission shall review Federal programs 6 funded by direct spending. 7 (b) REDUCTION IN DIRECT SPENDING.— 8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in fiscal year 9 2024, during any fiscal year that a budgetary level 10 reduction under section 102 is expected to occur 11 during the subsequent fiscal year by operation of 12 this title, the Commission may submit to Congress 13 a legislative proposal providing for reductions in di- 14 rect spending, to occur over a period of time not to 15 exceed the next ten fiscal years, in an amount equal 16 to the total amount of such reduction, as determined 17 by the Commission. 18 (2) EFFECT OF ENACTMENT.—If the proposal 19 described under paragraph (1) is enacted into law 20 before such subsequent fiscal year begins, the budg- 21 etary level reduction that would occur during such 22 fiscal year as a result of this title shall have no force 23 or effect during that fiscal year. 24 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘direct 25 spending’’ has the meaning given such term in section 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 1518 IH 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 1 Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900(c)(8)). 2 SEC. 106. SUNSET. 3 This title shall sunset on the date that the legislative 4 proposal described under section 301 is enacted into law. 5 The previous sentence shall not apply if such proposal, as 6 enacted, does not include budgetary level reductions with 7 respect to unauthorized programs in the amounts provided 8 in section 102. 9 TITLE II—SPENDING AND 10 ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION 11 SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT. 12 There is established in the legislature a permanent 13 commission, to be known as the ‘‘Spending and Account- 14 ability Commission’’, in order to carry out section 105 and 15 title III of this Act. 16 SEC. 202. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 17 The Commission shall— 18 (1) as described in section 105, conduct com- 19 prehensive reviews of all Federal programs funded 20 through direct spending; and 21 (2) as described in title III, provide a legislative 22 proposal for an authorization cycle for Federal pro- 23 grams funded by discretionary spending. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 1518 IH SEC. 203. MEMBERSHIP. 1 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 2 shall be composed of 14 members, as follows: 3 (1) Seven members shall be appointed by the 4 Speaker of the House of Representatives, of whom 5 three shall be appointed in consultation with the mi- 6 nority leader of the House of Representatives. 7 (2) Seven members shall be appointed by the 8 majority leader of the Senate, of whom three shall 9 be appointed in consultation with the minority leader 10 of the Senate. 11 (b) MEMBER POWERS AND CRITERIA.—Any indi- 12 vidual appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be a vot- 13 ing member of the Commission and must be a Member 14 of Congress (as defined in section 2106 of title 5, United 15 States Code, but not including the Vice President). 16 (c) CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP RE- 17 QUIREMENTS.—Each committee listed under paragraphs 18 (1) through (7) shall have at least one Member on such 19 committee appointed under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2): 20 (1) The Committee on Appropriations of the 21 House of Representatives. 22 (2) The Committee on Appropriations of the 23 Senate. 24 (3) The Committee on the Budget of the House 25 of Representatives. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 1518 IH (4) The Committee on the Budget of the Sen- 1 ate. 2 (5) The Committee on Ways and Means of the 3 House of Representatives. 4 (6) The Committee on Finance of the Senate. 5 (7) The Joint Economic Committee. 6 (d) CHAIR; VICE CHAIR.—The chair and vice chair 7 of the Commission shall be selected by the Speaker of the 8 House of Representatives and the majority leader of the 9 Senate. 10 (e) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy on the Commission 11 shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 12 appointment was made. 13 SEC. 204. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 14 (a) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 15 may, for the purpose of carrying out this title, hold such 16 hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 17 testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission 18 considers appropriate. The Commission may administer 19 oaths to witnesses appearing before it. 20 (b) OBTAINING INFORMATION.—The Commission 21 may secure directly from any agency information nec- 22 essary to enable it to carry out its duties under this title. 23 Upon request of the chair, the head of that agency shall 24 furnish that information to the Commission in a full and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1518.IH H1518 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 1518 IH timely manner. In carrying out the duties assigned under 1 this title, the Commission may use any report or other 2 information prepared by the Government Accountability 3 Office, the Congressional Budget Office, or the Congres- 4 sional Research Service. 5 (c) SUBPOENA POWER.— 6 (1) AUTHORITY TO ISSUE SUBPOENA.—The 7 Commission may issue a subpoena to require the at- 8 tendance and testimony of witnesses and the produc- 9 tion of evidence relating to any matter under inves- 10 tigation by the Commission. 11 (2) COMPLIANCE WITH SUBPOENA.—If a person 12 refuses to obey an order or subpoena of the Commis- 13 sion that is issued in connection with a Commission 14 proceeding, the Commission may apply to the United 15 States district court in the judicial district in which 16 the proceeding is held for an order requiring the per- 17 son to comply with the subpoena or order. 18 (d) IMMUNITY.—The Commission is an agency of the 19 United States for purposes of part V of title 18, United 20 States Code (relating to immunity of witnesses). 21 (e) CONTRA [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]

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