§682 — Title 2 The Congress | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines key words used in sections 682–688. It explains what counts as a deferral, who the Comptroller General is, what a rescission bill and an impoundment resolution are, and how to count continuous days of a Congress session. “Deferral of budget authority” means holding back or delaying the use or commitment of money for projects or activities, or any executive action or inaction that effectively stops that spending, including delaying contract authority when the law allows it. “Comptroller General” means the Comptroller General of the United States. “Rescission bill” means a bill or joint resolution that only cancels budget authority the President asked to cancel in a special message under section 683, and that Congress finishes within the first 45 calendar days of continuous session after getting the message. “Impoundment resolution” means a House or Senate resolution that only says it disapproves of a proposed deferral in a special message under section 684. A session’s continuity is only broken by an adjournment sine die; days when either House is out of session because of an adjournment longer than 3 days to a set date are not counted in the 45-day or the 25-day periods, and if a special message arrives and the Congress ends before the 45 days run out (or the message arrives after adjournment), the message is treated as sent again on the first day of the next Congress and the 45-day count starts the day after.

Title 2, §682

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of sections 682 to 688 of this title—

(1)“deferral of budget authority” includes—

(A)withholding or delaying the obligation or expenditure of budget authority (whether by establishing reserves or otherwise) provided for projects or activities; or

(B)any other type of Executive action or inaction which effectively precludes the obligation or expenditure of budget authority, including authority to obligate by contract in advance of appropriations as specifically authorized by law;

(2)“Comptroller General” means the Comptroller General of the United States;

(3)“rescission bill” means a bill or joint resolution which only rescinds, in whole or in part, budget authority proposed to be rescinded in a special message transmitted by the President under section 683 of this title, and upon which the Congress completes action before the end of the first period of 45 calendar days of continuous session of the Congress after the date on which the President’s message is received by the Congress;

(4)“impoundment resolution” means a resolution of the House of Representatives or the Senate which only expresses its disapproval of a proposed deferral of budget authority set forth in a special message transmitted by the President under section 684 of this title; and

(5)continuity of a session of the Congress shall be considered as broken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than 3 days to a day certain shall be excluded in the computation of the 45-day period referred to in paragraph (3) of this section and in section 683 of this title, and the 25-day periods referred to in section 687 and 688(b)(1) of this title. If a special message is transmitted under section 683 of this title during any Congress and the last session of such Congress adjourns sine die before the expiration of 45 calendar days of continuous session (or a special message is so transmitted after the last session of the Congress adjourns sine die), the message shall be deemed to have been retransmitted on the first day of the succeeding Congress and the 45-day period referred to in paragraph (3) of this section and in section 683 of this title (with respect to such message) shall commence on the day after such first day.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1401 of Title 31 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 31, Money and Finance, by Pub. L. 97–258, § 1, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 877.

§682 Definitions

Summary

Title 2, §682

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Editorial Notes

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