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H.R. 1957 101st Congress House

To reform the budget process.

Introduced: May 11, 1989 See on congress.gov
Economics and Public Finance AppropriationsBudget deficitsCongressional agenciesCongressional budget process
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Congressional committeesCongressional joint committeesCongressional oversightEntitlementsFederal budget processFederal budgetsFederal receipts and expendituresGovernment spending reductionsGovernment trust fundsHouse rules and procedureLegislationLegislative resolutionsOff-budget expendituresOld age, survivors and disability insuranceSenate rules and procedure
This bill died when the 101st Congress ended
It never became law before the 101st Congress (1989–1990) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 10, 1989
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Legislative Process.
Apr 20, 1989
Referred to the Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security.
Apr 13, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Apr 13, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
Apr 13, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Government Operations.
Apr 13, 1989
Introduced in House
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 Latest action August 10, 1989

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Legislative Process.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish a Joint Committee on the Budget to replace and assume the current functions and duties of the Budget Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. Amends the Standing Rules of the Senate and the Rules of the House of Representatives to reflect the establishment of the new Joint Committee. Lists matters within the Committee's jurisdiction.

Establishes a two-year budgeting cycle, but continues annual appropriations legislation. Devotes the first session of any Congress to action on a joint resolution on the biennial budget, subject to the following revised deadlines: (1) April 15 for the Joint Budget Committee to report its joint resolution; (2) May 15 for the Congress to complete action on the resolution; and (3) September 30 for the Congress to complete action on annual appropriations bills and on reconciliation legislation.

Shifts the budget resolution from a concurrent to a joint resolution form (thereby requiring the President's signature). Revises the resolution to separate committee allocations of budget and credit authority and budget outlays into the following functional totals: (1) defense discretionary; (2) defense entitlement and mandatory; (3) domestic discretionary; (4) domestic entitlement and mandatory; (5) international affairs discretionary; (6) international affairs entitlement and mandatory; (7) offsetting receipts; and (8) net interest.

Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to issue four-year projections of congressional budget action. (Current projections are on a five-year basis.)

Amends Federal law to require the President's budget for a biennium to be set forth in the same accounts as those set forth in the Budget Accounts Listing in the budget submitted for FY 1991. Requires the President to consult with committees having jurisdiction over programs affected by proposed changes before any changes may be made in the budget tables. (Current law requiring consultation with the Budget and Appropriations Committees remains unchanged.)

Conforms provisions governing the President's budget to the biennial framework. Directs the President to transmit during the first 15 days of the second session any budget revisions with respect to the budget transmitted in the first session, whose deadline is changed to the 15th day after the session begins.

Makes allocations subsequent to the joint budget resolution only to the Appropriations Committees, for subdivision among their subcommittees by the relevant major functional categories.

Requires that if the Congress has not adopted a joint budget resolution by May 15 for the biennium that begins on October 1 of that year, it will be deemed to have adopted the resolution at the baseline level under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) with reductions assumed as necessary to meet maximum deficit target amounts.

Appropriates as continuing appropriations amounts effective for the preceding fiscal year if a regular appropriations bill has not become law before the beginning of the fiscal year.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that before FY 1994 legislation should be enacted establishing fiscal targets beyond those mandated by the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, with the object of producing a unified budget surplus and eliminating the deficit with respect to budget amounts that do not include the social security trust funds.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1957: To reform the budget process.. 101st Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1957/
MLA
"H.R. 1957: To reform the budget process.." 101st Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1957/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1957, 101st Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1957/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1957: To reform the budget process.](https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1957/)
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