No Bias in the Baseline Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8569
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Economics and Public Finance
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-13T12:12:36Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "No Bias in the Baseline Act" (H.R. 8569) aims to standardize federal budget "baselines"—projections of future spending, revenues, and deficits—by requiring them to assume continuation of current laws and current levels of discretionary appropriations (non-mandatory, annually approved spending like defense or education). It eliminates assumptions of automatic increases, such as for inflation, to create a neutral starting point for budget debates.
Key Provisions
- Redefines baseline calculations under Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDCA):
- Projects current-year levels of new budget authority (spending approvals), outlays (actual spending), revenues, and surpluses/deficits into future years, based solely on laws enacted by a specific date.
- Assumes direct spending (mandatory programs like Social Security) and receipts follow existing laws exactly.
- For discretionary spending, uses current-year levels, excluding emergency or supplemental funds; no adjustments for inflation or other factors.
- Makes conforming changes to related laws:
- Removes certain baseline adjustment references in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and Social Security Act.
- Requires alternative scenarios: Directs the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to include alternative fiscal projections in its reports, developed with input from House and Senate Budget Committees.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Strips out inflationary and growth assumptions: Previously, baselines often included automatic increases for inflation or program expansions, inflating future projections and making spending "cuts" appear relative to higher baselines.
- Simplifies discretionary projections: Eliminates multiple adjustment paragraphs in BBEDCA, mandating flat current levels without exceptions like inflation.
- Adds CBO reporting requirement: Introduces mandatory alternative scenarios to provide Congress with varied fiscal outlooks beyond the standard baseline.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Federal departments (e.g., Defense, HHS) may face stricter scrutiny for budget requests above current levels, as baselines no longer assume growth.
- Congress and budget process: Alters tools like PAYGO rules (pay-as-you-go, requiring offsets for new spending) and sequestration (automatic cuts), potentially pressuring lawmakers toward flat or reduced budgets.
- Citizens: Could promote fiscal restraint by highlighting true costs of new spending, but might constrain funding for growing needs like healthcare or infrastructure without explicit congressional approval.
- No direct international relations impact.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Congressional Budget Committees (House and Senate): Gain input on CBO alternatives and influence over baseline-driven decisions.
- Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Must revise projection methods and publish new scenarios.
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Affected in executive budget preparations, as baselines inform presidential proposals.
- Federal agencies and programs: Impacted by rigid discretionary spending assumptions.
- Taxpayers and fiscal watchdogs: Benefit from transparent, non-inflated baselines.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Amends core budget enforcement laws (BBEDCA, Congressional Budget Act) without altering constitutional spending powers (Article I, Congress controls purse strings); ensures baselines strictly follow "current law" for consistency in enforcement mechanisms like sequestration.
- Political: Favors budget hawks by removing "bias" toward spending growth in baselines, potentially shifting debates from "cuts" to new approvals; may intensify partisan fights over annual appropriations.
- No constitutional challenges evident, as it refines procedural rules rather than restricting legislative authority.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
- 2026-04-29: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-29: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- No Bias in the Baseline Act — issued 2026-04-29 — PDF (4 pages)