H.R. 308 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 308 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 18, 2013 Mr. Hultgren (for himself and Mr. Ribble) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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 A BILL To require the salaries of Members of Congress to be held in escrow if all regular appropriation bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted by the beginning of the fiscal year, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Constitutional Congressional Pay Accountability Act of 2013. 2. Holding salaries of members of congress in escrow upon failure to enact regular appropriation bills for fiscal year (a) Escrow (1) In general If all of the regular appropriation bills for a fiscal year do not become law before the beginning of such fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit all payments otherwise required to be made for the compensation of Members of Congress in an escrow account, and shall release such payments to the Members only upon the enactment of all such bills. (2) Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments held in escrow The Secretary of the Treasury 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). (3) Coordination with House and Senate The Secretary of the Treasury shall enter into such agreements with the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate as may be necessary to carry out this subsection. (b) Effective date This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2014 and each succeeding fiscal year. 3. Reduction in salary upon failure to enact regular appropriation bills prior to beginning of Congress (a) Reduction in Salary Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if all of the regular appropriation bills for the fiscal year in which a Congress begins do not become law before the first day of the Congress, the annual rate of pay for each Member of Congress for pay periods occurring during the Congress shall be the applicable rate in effect for the most recent pay period prior to the Congress reduced by 25 percent, rounded to the nearest multiple of $100 (or, if midway between multiples of $100, to the next higher multiple of $100). (b) Effective date This section shall apply with respect to the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress. 4. Definitions (a) Member of Congress In this Act, the term Member of Congress means an individual serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31). (b) Regular appropriation bill In this Act, the term regular appropriation bill means any annual appropriation bill making appropriations, otherwise making funds available, or granting authority, for any of the following categories of projects and activities: (1) Agriculture, rural development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies programs. (2) The Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies. (3) The Department of Defense. (4) Energy and water development, and related agencies. (5) Financial services and general government. (6) The Department of Homeland Security. (7) The Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies. (8) The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies. (9) The legislative branch. (10) Military construction and veterans affairs. (11) The Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs. (12) The Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.