H.R. 5755: No Budget, No Pay Act

The No Budget, No Pay Act is a proposed piece of legislation that aims to restrict the pay of members of Congress if they fail to approve a budget and associated appropriations bills by a specific deadline each fiscal year. Below are the key elements of the bill:

1. Purpose of the Act

The purpose of the Act is to ensure that members of Congress are held accountable for timely approval of the federal budget and appropriations. If Congress does not meet its budgeting responsibilities, its members will not receive their pay.

2. Definition of Members of Congress

The term "Member of Congress" encompasses all elected members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, excluding the Vice President.

3. Conditions for Pay Suspension

If both Houses of Congress have not:

• Approved a concurrent resolution on the budget by October 1 of the fiscal year, and
• Passed all regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by the same deadline,

Then each member's pay will be suspended for every day after October 1 until these conditions are met. This emphasizes the importance of timely budget approval in the legislative process.

4. Restrictions on Pay

This section enforces that:

• Members of Congress will not be able to receive their pay during any period of suspension resulting from the failure to approve the budget.
• There will be no retroactive payment for the period of suspended pay after the budget has been approved.

5. Process for Determinations

On October 1 of each year, the following steps will be taken:

• The Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives will request certifications from the Chairpersons of the Budget and Appropriations Committees in their respective chambers to determine if the budget approval requirements have been met.
• The Chairpersons will assess if Congress is in compliance and will determine the period of pay suspension, if applicable.

6. Effective Date

The provisions of this Act, if passed, will take effect on February 1, 2027.

Relevant Companies

None found.