[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2153 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2153
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the
House of Congress does not agree to a budget resolution or pass regular
appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 26, 2017
Mr. Rothfus (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Loebsack)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the
House of Congress does not agree to a budget resolution or pass regular
appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Pay for Performance
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN ESCROW UPON FAILURE
TO AGREE TO BUDGET RESOLUTION.
(a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--If by May 15 of any calendar year
(beginning with 2017), a House of Congress has not agreed to a
concurrent resolution on the budget pursuant to section 301 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 for the fiscal year which begins on
October 1 of that calendar year, during the period described in
subsection (b) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress
shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to
be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress
who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to
such Members only upon the expiration of such period.
(b) Period Described.--With respect to a House of Congress and a
calendar year, the period described in this paragraph is the period
which begins on May 16 of the calendar year and ends on the earlier
of--
(1) the day on which the House of Congress agrees to a
concurrent resolution on the budget for the fiscal year which
begins on October 1 of that calendar year; or
(2) the last day of the Congress during which that calendar
year occurs.
SEC. 3. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN ESCROW UPON FAILURE
TO PASS REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILLS.
(a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--If by July 31 of any calendar year
(beginning with 2017), a House of Congress has not passed each of the
regular appropriation bills for the fiscal year which begins on October
1 of that calendar year, during the period described in subsection (b)
the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an
escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such
period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that
House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only
upon the expiration of such period.
(b) Period Described.--With respect to a House of Congress and a
calendar year, the period described in this paragraph is the period
which begins on August 1 of the calendar year and ends on the earlier
of--
(1) the first day by which the House of Congress has passed
each of the regular appropriation bills for the fiscal year
which begins on October 1 of that calendar year; or
(2) the last day of the Congress during which that calendar
year occurs.
(c) Regular Appropriation Bill Defined.--The term ``regular
appropriation bill'' means any annual appropriation bill which, with
respect to the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a single
subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives
for that Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to the Standing Rules of the
Senate).
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF ESCROW.
(a) Withholding and Remittance of Amounts From Payments Held in
Escrow.--The payroll administrator shall provide for the same
withholding and remittance with respect to a payment deposited in an
escrow account under section 2 or section 3 that would apply to the
payment if the payment were not subject to such section.
(b) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the
Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of
Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll
administrators to carry out this Act.
SEC. 5. RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF A CONGRESS.
In order to ensure that this Act is carried out in a manner
consistent with the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House
of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of
Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this Act on
the last day of the Congress during which the amounts were deposited in
such account.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``Member'' includes a Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to the Congress; and
(2) the ``payroll administrator'' of a House of Congress
means--
(A) in the case of the House of Representatives,
the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of
Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the
Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this Act; and
(B) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the
Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary
of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to
carry out this Act.
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