H.R. 208

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 208 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 208

To provide that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be 
held in escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution 
on the budget for the next fiscal year by April 15.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 3, 2025

Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be 
held in escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution 
on the budget for the next fiscal year by April 15.

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 ``No Budget, No Pay Act''.

SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN ESCROW UPON FAILURE 
TO AGREE TO BUDGET RESOLUTION.

(a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--
(1) In general.--If by April 15, a House of Congress has 
not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the 
next fiscal year pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in paragraph 
(2) 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.
(2) Period described.--With respect to a House of Congress, 
the period described in this paragraph is the period which 
begins on April 16 and ends on the earlier of--
(A) the day on which the House of Congress agrees 
to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next 
fiscal year pursuant to section 301 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974; or
(B) the last day of the Congress.
(3) 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 paragraph (1) that would 
apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to 
paragraph (1).
(4) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to 
ensure that this section is carried out in a manner that shall 
not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives in 
violation of 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 section on the last day of the Congress.
(5) 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 section.
(b) Treatment of Delegates as Members.--In this section, the term 
``Member of Congress'' includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to 
the Congress.
(c) Payroll Administrator Defined.--In this section, the ``payroll 
administrator'' of a House of Congress means--
(1) 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 section; and
(2) 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 section.
(d) Effective Date.--This Act shall apply with respect to fiscal 
year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year.
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