Skip to main content
HJRES 102 112th Congress House Economics and Public Finance Budget deficits and national debt Constitution and constitutional amendments Legislative rules and procedure

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Introduced: February 14, 2012 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 16, 2012
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
Feb 14, 2012
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Feb 14, 2012
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits total outlays (except those for payment of debt) for a year from exceeding the average annual revenue (except that derived from borrowing) collected in the three prior years, adjusted in proportion to changes in population and inflation.

Requires a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber to declare an emergency and provide by law for specific outlays in excess of such limit.

Requires the declaration to specify reasons for the emergency designation and to limit the period in which outlays may exceed such limit to no longer than one year.

Requires all revenue in excess of outlays: (1) to reduce the federal debt; and (2) upon the retirement of such debt, to be held by the Treasury to be used for the specific outlays in excess of such limit.

Prescribes a formula for reducing outlays over seven years.

What's happening now February 16, 2012

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2