Title 2, The CongressRelease 119-110
§602 Duties and Functions
Title 2 › CHAPTER 17 — CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE › § 602
Summary
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) must give the House and Senate Budget Committees the information they need about the budget, tax changes, revenues, and related matters. At the request of the Appropriations, Ways and Means (House), or Finance (Senate) Committees, the CBO must also give them the same kinds of information. Other congressional committees and individual Members can ask for the CBO’s budget and revenue analyses, and the CBO must provide what it has and, when possible, extra related analysis. If asked, the CBO must temporarily assign staff to help the Budget Committees and may assign staff to help other committees with directly related issues. The CBO must, when asked, help committees analyze bills that would have a major budget or financial effect on State, local, or tribal governments, on the private sector, or on private‑sector employment. The Director must send a yearly report to the Budget Committees by February 15 for the fiscal year that begins October 1. That report must show alternative levels of total revenues, new budget authority, and outlays (including surpluses or deficits), tax expenditure levels under current law and under the President’s budget proposals, and baseline assumptions about programs and excise taxes. The Director must also send other reports as needed and must send Congress a list by January 15 of programs funded in the past fiscal year that lack current authorization or that lack authorization for the coming fiscal year. The Director may equip the CBO with modern computer tools (with committee approval) and hire experts. The CBO must run ongoing studies comparing outlays, credit authority, and tax expenditures, and, on request by committee leaders, must study bills with federal mandates. For mandate studies, the CBO must seek input from state, local, or tribal officials, may form advisory panels, and, when feasible, estimate long‑term costs beyond five years, any uneven effects on industries or regions, and effects on the national economy.
Full Legal Text
Title 2, §602
The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Assistance to budget committees
It shall be the primary duty and function of the Office to provide to the Committees on the Budget of both Houses information which will assist such committees in the discharge of all matters within their jurisdictions, including (1) information with respect to the budget, appropriation bills, and other bills authorizing or providing new budget authority or tax expenditures, (2) information with respect to revenues, receipts, estimated future revenues and receipts, and changing revenue conditions, and (3) such related information as such Committees may request.
(b)Assistance to Committees on Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Finance
At the request of the Committee on Appropriations of either House, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, or the Committee on Finance of the Senate, the Office shall provide to such Committee any information which will assist it in the discharge of matters within its jurisdiction, including information described in clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a) and such related information as the Committee may request.
(c)Assistance to other committees and Members
(1)At the request of any other committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate or any joint committee of the Congress, the Office shall provide to such committee or joint committee any information compiled in carrying out clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and, to the extent practicable, such additional information related to the foregoing as may be requested.
(2)At the request of any committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Office shall, to the extent practicable, consult with and assist such committee in analyzing the budgetary or financial impact of any proposed legislation that may have—
(A)a significant budgetary impact on State, local, or tribal governments;
(B)a significant financial impact on the private sector; or
(C)a significant employment impact on the private sector.
(3)At the request of any Member of the House or Senate, the Office shall provide to such Member any information compiled in carrying out clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and, to the extent available, such additional information related to the foregoing as may be requested.
(d)Assignment of office personnel to committees and joint committees
At the request of the Committee on the Budget of either House, personnel of the Office shall be assigned, on a temporary basis, to assist such committee. At the request of any other committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress, personnel of the Office may be assigned, on a temporary basis, to assist such committee or joint committee with respect to matters directly related to the applicable provisions of subsection (b) or (c).
(e)Reports to budget committees
(1)On or before February 15 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report, for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with respect to fiscal policy, including (A) alternative levels of total revenues, total new budget authority, and total outlays (including related surpluses and deficits), (B) the levels of tax expenditures under existing law, taking into account projected economic factors and any changes in such levels based on proposals in the budget submitted by the President for such fiscal year, and (C) a statement of the levels of budget authority and outlays for each program assumed to be extended in the baseline, as provided in section 907(b)(2)(A) of this title and for excise taxes assumed to be extended under section 907(b)(2)(C) of this title. Such report shall also include a discussion of national budget priorities, including alternative ways of allocating new budget authority and budget outlays for such fiscal year among major programs or functional categories, taking into account how such alternative allocations will meet major national needs and affect balanced growth and development of the United States.
(2)The Director shall from time to time submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate such further reports (including reports revising the report required by paragraph (1)) as may be necessary or appropriate to provide such Committees with information, data, and analyses for the performance of their duties and functions.
(3)On or before January 15 of each year, the Director, after consultation with the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and Senate, shall submit to the Congress a report listing (A) all programs and activities funded during the fiscal year ending September 30 of that calendar year for which authorizations for appropriations have not been enacted for that fiscal year, and (B) all programs and activities for which authorizations for appropriations have been enacted for the fiscal year ending September 30 of that calendar year, but for which no authorizations for appropriations have been enacted for the fiscal year beginning October 1 of that calendar year.
(f)Use of computers and other techniques
The Director may equip the Office with up-to-date computer capability (upon approval of the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate), obtain the services of experts and consultants in computer technology, and develop techniques for the evaluation of budgetary requirements.
(g)Studies
(1)Continuing studies
The Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall conduct continuing studies to enhance comparisons of budget outlays, credit authority, and tax expenditures.
(2)Federal mandate studies
(A)At the request of any Chairman or ranking member of the minority of a Committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Director shall, to the extent practicable, conduct a study of a legislative proposal containing a Federal mandate.
(B)In conducting a study on intergovernmental mandates under subparagraph (A), the Director shall—
(i)solicit and consider information or comments from elected officials (including their designated representatives) of State, local, or tribal governments as may provide helpful information or comments;
(ii)consider establishing advisory panels of elected officials or their designated representatives, of State, local, or tribal governments if the Director determines that such advisory panels would be helpful in performing responsibilities of the Director under this section; and
(iii)if, and to the extent that the Director determines that accurate estimates are reasonably feasible, include estimates of—
(I)the future direct cost of the Federal mandate to the extent that such costs significantly differ from or extend beyond the 5-year period after the mandate is first effective; and
(II)any disproportionate budgetary effects of Federal mandates upon particular industries or sectors of the economy, States, regions, and urban or rural or other types of communities, as appropriate.
(C)In conducting a study on private sector mandates under subparagraph (A), the Director shall provide estimates, if and to the extent that the Director determines that such estimates are reasonably feasible, of—
(i)future costs of Federal private sector mandates to the extent that such mandates differ significantly from or extend beyond the 5-year time period referred to in subparagraph (B)(iii)(I);
(ii)any disproportionate financial effects of Federal private sector mandates and of any Federal financial assistance in the bill or joint resolution upon any particular industries or sectors of the economy, States, regions, and urban or rural or other types of communities; and
(iii)the effect of Federal private sector mandates in the bill or joint resolution on the national economy, including the effect on productivity, economic growth, full employment, creation of productive jobs, and international competitiveness of United States goods and services.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1997—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(a), inserted “primary” before “duty” in first sentence. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(b), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (e). Text of par. (1) of subsec. (e) read as follows: “The duties, functions, and personnel of the Joint Committee on Reduction of Federal Expenditures are transferred to the Office, and the Joint Committee is abolished.” Par. (2) of subsec. (e) repealed section 571 of former Title 31, Money and Finance. Subsec. (e)(1)(C). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(c), added subpar. (C). Subsecs. (f) to (h). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(b), redesignated subsecs. (g) and (h) as (f) and (g), respectively. 1996—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “House Oversight” for “House Administration”. 1995—Subsec. (c)(2), (3). Pub. L. 104–4, § 102(1)(A), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104–4, § 102(1)(B), amended heading and text of subsec. (h) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director shall conduct continuing studies to enhance comparisons of budget outlays, credit authority, and tax expenditures.” 1990—Subsecs. (a)(1), (f)(1). Pub. L. 101–508 substituted “new budget authority” for “budget authority” in subsec. (a)(1) and second sentence of subsec. (f)(1). 1985—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(a), substituted “February 15” for “April 1”. Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(b), added par. (3). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(c), added subsec. (h).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Committee on House Oversight of House of Representatives changed to Committee on House Administration of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999.
Effective Date
of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–4 effective Jan. 1, 1996, or on the date 90 days after appropriations are made available as authorized under section 1516 of this title, whichever is earlier, and applicable to legislation considered on and after such date, see section 110 of Pub. L. 104–4, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1511 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1985 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–177 effective Dec. 12, 1985, and applicable with respect to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1985, see section 275(a)(1) of Pub. L. 99–177, formerly set out as an Effective and Termination Dates note under section 900 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 112–25, title I, § 104(a), Aug. 2, 2011, 125 Stat. 246.
Effective Date
Section effective on day on which first Director of Congressional Budget Office is appointed under section 601(a) of this title, see section 905(b) of Pub. L. 93–344, formerly set out as a note under section 621 of this title. Credit Reform Pub. L. 100–119, title II, § 212, Sept. 29, 1987, 101 Stat. 787, provided that the Congressional Budget Office, in consultation with the General Accounting Office, was to study and report to Congress, as soon as practicable, on Federal direct loan and loan guarantee programs for fiscal years 1987 and 1988.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
2 U.S.C. § 602
Title 2, The Congress
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110