H.R. 8570

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8570 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8570

To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to require the Congressional Budget Office to include the effects of 
using baseline assumptions when preparing estimates under such Act, and 
for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 29, 2026

Mr. Cline introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned

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A BILL

To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to require the Congressional Budget Office to include the effects of 
using baseline assumptions when preparing estimates under such Act, 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 ``Cost Estimate Clarity Act''.

SEC. 2. EFFECT OF BASELINE ON CBO ESTIMATES.

Section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653) 
is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Director'' and inserting the 
following:
``(a) In General.--The Director''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Effects of Baseline.--With respect to any estimate prepared 
under subsection (a), the Office shall, to the greatest extent 
practicable, include a description of the effects of using baseline 
assumptions under section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907) on the estimate, including--
``(1) a quantitative estimate of the difference between the 
estimate and the cost of the measure if baseline assumptions 
were not used to prepare such estimate;
``(2) which baseline assumption caused such difference; and
``(3) an explanation of any programs or provisions for 
which the baseline assumptions results in the estimate showing 
lower or no budgetary cost relative to actual expected Federal 
expenditures, including any instance where the baseline assumes 
the extension or continuation of a program, benefit, or payment 
rate.''.
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