No Bias in the Baseline Act
Sponsored By: Representative Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]
Introduced
Summary
The No Bias in the Baseline Act would change how Congress measures the federal budget baseline. It targets how baseline projections are calculated by narrowing which future adjustments and assumptions feed into budget estimates.
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- The bill tightens what counts in the baseline by defining it from current law and current-year levels of budget authority, outlays, revenues, and the surplus or deficit. It assumes continuation of current discretionary appropriation levels and requires laws that create direct spending or receipts to be counted as those laws specify each year.
- It reshapes baseline adjustments by excluding resources designated as emergency requirements and any resources in supplemental appropriation laws. It also removes any adjustment for inflation or for any other factor when building the baseline.
- It changes oversight and reporting. The Congressional Budget Office must publish alternative fiscal scenarios, developed with the House and Senate Budget Committees, alongside the baseline report. The bill also makes conforming edits to the Congressional Budget Act and to the Social Security Act.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New federal budget baseline rules
If enacted, this bill would change how the federal budget baseline is built. It would define the baseline using current law and assume current discretionary funding levels continue. It would exclude emergency-designated funds and any supplemental appropriations from the baseline. It would bar any adjustment for inflation or other factors when calculating the baseline. It would require laws that create direct spending or receipts to be projected to operate exactly as written each year. It would also require the Congressional Budget Office to add alternative fiscal scenarios to its Section 202(e)(1) report, prepared with the House and Senate Budget Committees. The changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]
VA • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov