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H.R. 4715 113th Congress House

Orphan Earmarks Act

Official title: To rescind unused earmarks provided for the Department of Transportation, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 22, 2014 Introduced by: James Lankford Republican · Oklahoma See on congress.gov
Economics and Public Finance AppropriationsCongressional oversightDepartment of TransportationExecutive agency funding and structure
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This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) 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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 22, 2014
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 committee concerned.
May 22, 2014
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 22, 2014

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Orphan Earmarks Act - Rescinds all unobligated amounts of funds earmarked for the Department of Transportation (DOT) if more than 90% of the dollar amount of that earmark remains available for obligation at the end of the 9th fiscal year after it was first made available. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to delay any such rescission for one year if an additional obligation of the earmark is likely to occur during the 10th fiscal year after it was first made available.

Requires each agency head to identify and report every project that is an earmark with an unobligated balance at the end of a fiscal year to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who shall report a listing and accounting for such earmarks to Congress and to the public via the OMB website.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 2370 Identical bill Orphan Earmarks Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4715: Orphan Earmarks Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4715/
MLA
"H.R. 4715: Orphan Earmarks Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4715/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4715, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4715/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4715: Orphan Earmarks Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4715/)
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