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HR 4888 99th Congress House Economics and Public Finance Congress and Members of Congress Congressional oversight Congressional veto Executive impoundment of appropriated funds

A bill to amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to reform the deferral procedures.

Introduced: May 22, 1986 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 99th Congress ended
It never became law before the 99th Congress (1985–1986) 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 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 28, 1986
Referred to Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security.
May 22, 1986
Referred to House Committee on Rules.
May 22, 1986
Referred to House Committee on Government Operations.
May 22, 1986
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require any proposed budget deferral to specify a date on which the budget authority shall be released for obligation. Prohibits any amount of the authority to be withheld from obligation after such date. Requires such date to be no later than the earlier of: (1) the end of the fiscal year or the date on which the authority must be released to assure its prudent obligation, if the authority expires at the end of the fiscal year in which the deferral is proposed; and (2) 365 days after the special message proposing the deferral is transmitted to the Congress or the date on which the authority must be released to assure its prudent obligation, if the authority is available for more than one fiscal year. Deems any budget deferral not meeting such requirements to be a budget rescission as determined by the Comptroller General within five days after the proposed deferral is transmitted to the Congress.

Prohibits more than one proposed deferral of budget authority available for more than one fiscal year.

Requires budget authority proposed to be deferred to be made available for obligation if a joint resolution disapproving such deferral is enacted.

Directs the President to include with any special message to the Congress proposing to reserve budget authority the same information required to be included with a proposed budget deferral. Requires the Comptroller General, within five days after such transmittal, to determine whether the proposed reservation: (1) meets statutorily prescribed requirements; and (2) proposes to withhold or delay the obligation or expenditure of budget authority in a manner which imposes the management and administration of the authority without diverging from the purposes of the Congress in making such authority available. Requires the proposal to be treated as a deferral if it does meet such standards and as a rescission if it does not.

What's happening now May 28, 1986

Referred to Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4888: A bill to amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to reform the deferral procedures.. 99th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-4888/
MLA
"H.R. 4888: A bill to amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to reform the deferral procedures.." 99th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-4888/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4888, 99th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-4888/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4888: A bill to amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to reform the deferral procedures.](https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-4888/)
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