Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of
Committee Responses to Reconciliation
Directives
Megan S. Lynch
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
October 24, 2013
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R41151
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Summary
When reconciliation directives, also referred to as reconciliation instructions, are included in an
annual budget resolution, their purpose is to require committees to develop and report
reconciliation legislation that will achieve the budgetary goals set forth in the annual budget
resolution. The reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution specify several things,
including the committee instructed to report reconciliation legislation, the level of budgetary
changes the committee should report, and the date by which the committee should report.
Although reconciliation directives included in an annual budget resolution direct a committee to
report legislation achieving a specific budgetary outcome by a specific date, there is no
procedural mechanism for enforcing this date. Committees have often reported reconciliation
legislation in response to their directives after the date specified, with no impact on whether the
resultant legislation was considered under House and Senate procedures as reconciliation
legislation.
In some years, committees have not formally responded to the reconciliation directive instructing
them to report legislation. Although there is no procedural mechanism for enforcing the date
included in the committee’s reconciliation directive, Congress may employ methods of moving
forward with reconciliation legislation that falls within a non-reporting committee’s jurisdiction
in the event that the committee has not yet reported. These methods vary by chamber and are only
employable in certain situations.
Both the legislative committees and the Budget Committees in both chambers have important
roles to play in using the reconciliation process. This report examines the timing of certain stages
of the reconciliation process and the extent to which the submission due date included in a
reconciliation instruction is a predictor for the timing of committee response. Specifically, it
provides information on the dates by which committees have been directed to respond to
reconciliation directives and the timing of House and Senate committees in responding to such
directives in the past 10 Congresses (101st-111th Congresses).
This report will be updated as needed.
Congressional Research Service
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Contents
The Reconciliation Process.............................................................................................................. 1
Overview of the Reconciliation Process.................................................................................... 1
Reconciliation Directives................................................................................................................. 2
The Committee(s) Directed to Report Reconciliation Legislation ............................................ 3
Single Committee Directive vs. Multiple Committee Directives........................................ 3
Particular Committees Directed to Report .......................................................................... 3
Multiple Directives to a Single Committee ......................................................................... 4
The Date by Which Committees Are Directed to Report .......................................................... 4
Procedural Enforcement of Budget Reconciliation Timing ................................................ 6
Extensions to the Committee Due Date .............................................................................. 6
In the Event that a Committee Does Not Respond to a Reconciliation Directive by the
Date Indicated ............................................................................................................................... 7
House of Representatives .......................................................................................................... 7
Senate ........................................................................................................................................ 7
The Recent Practice of House and Senate Committees in Responding to Reconciliation
Directives ...................................................................................................................................... 8
The House of Representatives ................................................................................................... 8
The Senate ............................................................................................................................... 12
Figures
Figure 1. Major Stages of the Reconciliation Process ..................................................................... 2
Figure 2. A Comparative Timeline of House Action on Reconciliation in Selected Years ............ 12
Figure 3. A Comparative Timeline of Senate Action on Reconciliation in Selected Years............ 16
Tables
Table 1. Due Dates for Committee Reconciliation Response .......................................................... 5
Table 2. Timing of House Committees Responses for Omnibus Reconciliation Measures:
1989-2009 ................................................................................................................................... 10
Table 3. Timing of Senate Committees Responses for Omnibus Reconciliation Measures:
1989-2009 ................................................................................................................................... 14
Table 4. Dates Related to House Committee Reconciliation Directives........................................ 18
Table 5. Dates Related to Senate Committee Reconciliation Directives ....................................... 26
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 33
Congressional Research Service
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
The Reconciliation Process
The purpose of the reconciliation process is to enhance Congress’s ability to bring existing
spending, revenue, and debt-limit laws into compliance with current fiscal priorities established in
the annual budget resolution.1 When Congress adopts a budget resolution, it is agreeing upon
budgetary goals for the upcoming fiscal year. In some cases, for these goals to be achieved,
Congress must pass legislation that alters current revenue, direct spending, or debt-limit laws. In
Directives
January 19, 2016
(R41151)
Jump to Main Text of Report
Summary
When reconciliation directives (also referred to as reconciliation instructions) are included in an annual budget resolution, their purpose is to require committees to develop and report reconciliation legislation that will achieve the budgetary goals set forth in the annual budget resolution. The reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution specify several things, including the committee instructed to report reconciliation legislation, the level of budgetary changes the committee should report, and the date by which the committee should report.
Although reconciliation directives included in an annual budget resolution direct a committee to report legislation achieving a specific budgetary outcome by a specific date, there is no procedural mechanism for enforcing this date. Committees have often reported reconciliation legislation in response to their directives after the date specified with no impact on whether the resultant legislation was considered under House and Senate procedures as reconciliation legislation.
In some years, committees have not formally responded to the reconciliation directive instructing them to report legislation. Although there is no procedural mechanism for enforcing the date included in the committee's reconciliation directive, Congress may employ methods of moving forward with reconciliation legislation that falls within a non-reporting committee's jurisdiction in the event that the committee has not yet reported. These methods vary by chamber and are employable only in certain situations.
Both the legislative committees and the Budget Committees in both chambers have important roles to play in using the reconciliation process. This report examines the timing of certain stages of the reconciliation process and the extent to which the submission due date included in a reconciliation instruction is a predictor for the timing of committee response. Specifically, it provides information on the dates by which committees have been directed to respond to reconciliation directives and the timing of House and Senate committees in responding to such directives in the past 14 Congresses (101st-114th Congresses).
This report will be updated as needed.
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
The Reconciliation Process
The purpose of the reconciliation process is to enhance Congress's ability to bring existing spending, revenue, and debt limit laws into compliance with current fiscal priorities established in the annual budget resolution.1 When Congress adopts a budget resolution, it is agreeing upon budgetary goals for the upcoming fiscal year. In some cases, for these goals to be achieved, Congress must pass legislation that alters current revenue, direct spending, or debt limit laws. In this situation Congress seeks to reconcile existing law with its current priorities. The
reconciliation process is still a relatively new congressional process in that there have
only been
23been only 24 reconciliation bills passed by Congress since the first use of reconciliation in 1980.
Overview of the Reconciliation Process
Budget reconciliation is an optional congressional process that consists of several different stages
( (Figure 1). The first stage
in the reconciliation process is the adoption of the budget resolution. If
Congress intends to
utilizeuse the reconciliation process, reconciliation directives (also referred to as
reconciliation instructions) must be included in the annual budget resolution. These directives
trigger the second stage of the process by instructing individual committees to develop and report
legislation that would change laws within their
jurisdictionrespective jurisdictions related to spending, revenue, or the
debt- debt limit. These directives detail which committee(s) should report reconciliation legislation, the
date by which the committee(s) should report, the dollar amount of budgetary change to be
achieved in the reconciliation legislation, and the time period over which the impact of the
budgetary change should be measured.
22 If a single committee is directed in the budget resolution
to develop reconciliation legislation, it will likely be instructed to report this language directly to
its full chamber. If, however, several committees are directed to report reconciliation legislation,
they they will typically
will be directed to submit the language to their respective Budget
Committee for
Committees for packaging, without any substantive change, into an omnibus measure.
3
3
During the second stage of the reconciliation process, the specified committee develops
legislation in response to the reconciliation directive included in the budget resolution. The
committee will then meet to vote whether to report that language. The committee may vote to
report the language favorably or unfavorably, the latter meaning that although it satisfied its
directive, the committee did not support the language.
4
4
As stated above, if more than one committee has been directed to report reconciliation legislation,
they are directed to submit such language to their respective Budget
Committee. The Budget
Committee then packages all committee responses into an omnibus budget reconciliation bill
1
As provided in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as amended, Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, 2 U.S.C. 601-688 (the
Budget Act). Section 310 of the act is codified at 2 U.S.C. 641. Although the reconciliation process was first used by
the House and Senate in 1980 (for FY1981), this report focuses on the period covering 1989 (for FY1990) through
2009 (for FY2010).
2
Directives sometimes also include language regarding the type of change that should be reported as well as procedural
provisions, contingencies, and programmatic direction. For more information on the language of directives, see the
section below.
3
Section 310(b)(2) of the Budget Act.
4
For example, on October 15, 1990, the Post Office and Civil Service committee voted unanimously to report
unfavorably reconciliation language to satisfy its reconciliation directive.
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Committees. Each Budget Committee then packages all committee responses into an omnibus budget reconciliation bill without making any substantive revisions and votes on whether to report the omnibus
reconciliation bill to the full chamber. In this way, both the legislative committees and the Budget
Committees in both chambers have important roles to play in using the reconciliation process.
During the final stages of the reconciliation process, the reported legislation is considered under
expedited procedures in both the House and Senate.
55 As with all legislation, any differences in the
reconciliation legislation as passed by the two chambers must be resolved before the bill can be
sent to the President for the final stage of the process
,: either approval or veto.
Sometimes the reconciliation process triggered in the annual budget resolution of a specific year
is not completed until the subsequent year. For instance, the FY2006 budget resolution,
66 agreed to
on April 28, 2005, included reconciliation directives that resulted in the enactment of two
reconciliation bills, but these bills were not signed into law until February and May of 2006.
7
7
Figure 1. Major Stages of the Reconciliation Process
Source: Congressional Research Service.
Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Directives
As described above, Congress has the option of including reconciliation directives in its annual
budget resolution. These directives trigger the reconciliation process, and without their inclusion
in a budget resolution, no measure would be eligible to be considered under expedited
reconciliation procedures.
When reconciliation directives are included in an annual budget resolution, their purpose is to
require committees to develop and report legislation that will allow Congress to achieve the
budgetary goals set forth in the annual budget resolution. These directives detail which
committee(s) should report reconciliation legislation, the date by which the committee(s) should
report, the dollar amount of budgetary change that should exist within the reconciliation
5
For more information on the consideration of reconciliation legislation in the House and Senate, see CRS Report
RL33030, The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, by Robert Keith and Bill Heniff Jr.
6
H.Con.Res. 95 (109th Congress).
7
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), signed into law on February 8, 2006, and Tax Increase Prevention and
Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222) signed into law on May 17, 2006.
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
legislation, and the time period over which the budgetary change should occur. They might also
include language regarding the type of budgetary change that should be reported (revenue,
spending, or debt
- limit legislation), as well as other procedural provisions, contingencies, and
programmatic direction.
In this way, the reconciliation process allows the Budget Committees to assist Congress in
implementing the budgetary changes outlined in the budget resolution
, while
, at the same time
, protecting legislative committee jurisdiction over direct spending and revenue laws by allowing
them to report legislative changes of their choice.
The Committee(s) Directed to Report Reconciliation Legislation
As described above, reconciliation directives in a budget resolution direct a specific committee or
committees to develop legislation achieving a desired budgetary outcome.
Single Committee Directive vs. Multiple Committee Directives
In both the House and Senate, reconciliation instructions in a budget resolution have directed
either a single committee to report or multiple committees to report. In cases when only one
committee has been directed to report, the process directs the committee to report its
reconciliation legislation directly to its full chamber. If the budget resolution instructs more than
one committee to report reconciliation legislation, then those committees
have beenare directed to
submit their legislative recommendations to their respective Budget
Committee.8 The Budget
Committees.8 Each Budget Committee then packages the committee responses into an omnibus budget reconciliation bill
without making any substantive revisions
, and votes on whether to report the omnibus
reconciliation bill.
Particular Committees Directed to Report
Any legislative committee with jurisdiction over spending, revenues, or the debt limit may be
directed to report reconciliation legislation, and many have been instructed to report
reconciliation legislation at some point. Because the Senate Finance Committee and the House
Committee on Ways and Means each have jurisdiction within their respective chambers over all
revenue and debt
- limit legislation
, —as well as some direct spending legislation
, —these committees
are often directed to report some type of reconciliation legislation when reconciliation directives
are included in a budget resolution. Since 1989,
1314 budget resolutions have included
reconciliation directives to Senate committees.
Twelve of those 13 budget resolutionsThirteen of those 14 directed the
Senate Finance Committee to report reconciliation legislation. Similarly, since 1989,
1314 budget
resolutions have included reconciliation directives to House committees.
Twelve of those 13
budget resolutionsThirteen of those 14 directed the House Ways and Means Committee to report reconciliation
legislation.
In current practice, reconciliation may include direct spending legislation
, but does not include
discretionary spending provisions. Discretionary spending is subject to other enforcement
mechanisms.
99 The Appropriations Committees have
only been directed to report reconciliation
8
Section 310(b) of the Budget Act.
Discretionary spending levels are enforced by Section 302(f) of the Budget Act, which prohibits consideration of any
(continued...)
9
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
been directed to report reconciliation legislation on
only two occasions
, and have not been directed to
report reconciliation legislationdo so since
1981.
10
10
Multiple Directives to a Single Committee
Individual committees
sometimes areare sometimes given several separate reconciliation directives within a
single budget resolution. In 2000, for instance, the budget resolution included four separate
reconciliation instructions to the House Ways and Means Committee.
11
11
There are several reasons why a budget resolution may include multiple directives to a single
committee. First, a committee may be directed to report more than one kind of reconciliation
legislation with a separate directive given for each type. Section 310 of the Budget Act recognizes
three types of reconciliation legislation that committees may be directed to report: spending,
revenue, and debt limit. The Budget Act also recognizes that committees may be directed to
report a combination of spending and revenue legislation, including a direction to achieve
deficitneutraldeficit-neutral reductions. If a committee is given more than one directive
, —for instance
, to increase
revenues and decrease spending
, —then the committee may respond with separate pieces of
legislation.
Under current practice in the Senate, however, this provision has been interpreted to mean that no
more than one reconciliation measure of each type is permitted. Reconciliation instructions,
therefore, may result in the creation of no more than three reconciliation bills that may be
considered on the floor under expedited procedures
, —and only if they are divided so that there is
one for spending, one for revenue, and one for the debt limit.
A committee
also maymay also be asked to report reconciliation legislation that achieves budgetary goals
over different periods of time. Lastly, reconciliation directives may be separated to make clear
that the directives are intended to achieve separate policy goals.
12
12
The Date by Which Committees Are Directed to Report
Reconciliation directives included in an annual budget resolution direct a committee to report (or
submit to the Budget Committee) legislation by a specific date. For example
,
:
(b) Not later than June 20, 1980, each committee specified in subsection (a) shall submit its
recommendations to the Committee on the Budget of its House.13
(...continued)
measure or amendment that would cause 302(a) committee allocations or 302(b) subdivisions to be exceeded. For more
information, see CRS Report R40472, The Budget Resolution and Spending Legislation, by Megan S. Lynch.
10
In the budget resolution for FY1981 (H.Con.Res. 307, 96th Congress), the House Appropriations Committee and the
Senate Appropriations Committee were directed to report reconciliation legislation, and in the budget resolution for
FY1982 (H.Con.Res. 115, 97th Congress), the Senate Appropriations Committee was directed to report reconciliation
legislation.
11
H.Con.Res. 290 (106th Congress), the budget resolution for FY2001, Sec. 103.
12
For instance, the budget resolution for FY2010 (S.Con.Res. 13) included two directives to the House Committee on
Education and Labor: one under the subheading Health Care Reform, and the other under Investing in Education.
13
H.Con.Res. 307 (96th Congress).
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
recommendations to the Committee on the Budget of its House.13
(1) Not later than July 23, 1999, the Senate Committee on Finance shall report to the Senate
a reconciliation bill.
...14
14
As can be seen in Table 1, these due dates may vary in several respects. In some years, they have
been the same for both the House and Senate committees
, though not always. Due dates
sometimes have have sometimes been as early as April or as late as
October15October15 and have fallen within every month
between except August (due to the annually scheduled recess).
The decision regarding when to set committee response dates may be influenced by various
factors. One factor may be a desire to achieve the President
’'s legislative priorities as quickly as
possible, particularly in the first year of his term. For instance, in
20002001, President George W.
Bush proposed the enactment of revenue reductions. Congress used reconciliation to consider
revenue reduction legislation, setting a May due date for committee submissions
, and clearing the
measure for the President by May 26.
16
16
Conversely, submission deadlines may be set for later in the session when the need for extensive
negotiations is foreseen. For example, the FY1996 budget resolution was adopted on June 29, but
the submission date for reconciliation legislation was September 22. In 1990, prolonged
negotiations with the President over a
“"budget summit
”" agreement delayed the adoption of the
budget resolution until October, which also prolonged the triggering of the reconciliation process.
As a result, the FY1991 budget resolution set a submission deadline in both chambers of October
15, five days after the annual budget resolution was agreed to.
When a single committee is directed to report multiple pieces of reconciliation legislation,
staggered deadlines may be used to regulate the pace of legislative activity. For example, the
reconciliation instructions included in the FY2006 budget resolution in 2005 included three sets
of instructions for the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee
with three different due dates. These due dates were staggered with a week between each,
allowing the committees time to develop and report legislation to satisfy each individual
directive.
Table 1. Due Dates for Committee Reconciliation Response
(1989-2009)
Budget Resolution
(Related Fiscal Year)
House Due Date(s)
Senate Due Date(s)
(1989-2015)
Budget Resolution (Related Fiscal Year)
House Due Date(s)
|
Senate Due Date(s)
|
H.Con.Res. 106
(1990)
07/15/89
|
07/15/89
|
(1990)
07/15/89
07/15/89
H.Con.Res. 310
(1991)
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
(1991)
10/15/90
10/15/90
H.Con.Res. 64 (1994)
04/02/93; 05/14/93
04/02/93; 06/18/93
H.Con.Res. 67
(1996)
09/22/95
|
09/22/95
|
(1996)
09/22/95
09/22/95
H.Con.Res. 178 (1997)
06/13/96; 07/18/96; 09/06/96
06/21/96; 07/24/96; 09/18/96
14
H.Con.Res. 68 (106th Congress).
H.Con.Res. 64 (103rd Congress) included a due date of April 2. S.Con.Res. 13 (111th Congress) and H.Con.Res. 310
(101st Congress) both included due dates of October 15.
16
The revenue reduction legislation, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, was signed into
law on June 7, 2001, as P.L. 107-16.
15
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Budget Resolution
(Related Fiscal Year)
House Due Date(s)
Senate Due Date(s)
06/21/96; 07/24/96; 09/18/96
|
H.Con.Res. 84 (1998)
06/13/97; 06/14/97
06/13/97; 06/20/97
H.Con.Res. 68
(2000)
07/16/99
|
07/23/99
|
(2000)
07/16/99
07/23/99
H.Con.Res. 290 (2001)
07/14/00; 09/13/00
07/14/00; 09/13/00
H.Con.Res. 83
(2002)
05/08/01
|
05/18/01
|
(2002)
05/08/01
05/18/01
H.Con.Res. 95
(2004)
05/08/03
|
05/08/03
|
(2004)
05/08/03
05/08/03
H.Con.Res. 95 (2006)
09/16/05; 09/23/05; 09/30/05
09/16/05; 09/23/05; 09/30/05
S.Con.Res. 21
(2008)
09/10/07
|
09/10/07
|
(2008)
09/10/07
09/10/07
S.Con.Res. 13
(2010)
10/15/09
|
10/15/09
|
S.Con.Res. 11 (2016)
|
7/24/2015
|
7/24/2015
|
(2010)
10/15/09
10/15/09
Source: Information in this table is based on data from Table 4 and Table 5
.
.
Procedural Enforcement of Budget Reconciliation Timing
The Budget Act includes a budget process timetable stating that Congress is to complete action on
reconciliation legislation on or before June 15.
1717 There is no corresponding enforcement
mechanism, however, for ensuring that reconciliation legislation be completed by that date, and
Congress has instead followed a timetable established by the committee due dates in
reconciliation directives in the budget resolution. Another provision in the Budget Act prohibits
House consideration of any resolution providing for adjournment of more than three days during
the month of July if the House has not completed action on any required reconciliation
legislation.
18
18
There is no procedural mechanism, such as a point of order, for enforcing the date specified in the
reconciliation directive as it appears in the budget resolution. Committees
have sometimes
have
reported reconciliation legislation in response to their directives after the date specified in the
directive with no impact on whether the resultant legislation was considered as reconciliation
legislation. In other words, the late response of one or more committees did not cause the bill to
lose its privileged status as a reconciliation bill.
19
19
In the case of omnibus reconciliation measures, the House and Senate Budget Committees have at
times delayed reporting a bill until tardy committee submissions were received.
Extensions to the Committee Due Date
During the first years in which the reconciliation process was used, explicit extensions were
sometimes granted to committees that were unable to meet their reporting due date. For instance,
in 1983, the House and Senate extended their committee submission due date from July 22 to
September 23. Since this specific extension, however, the House has not employed the use of due
date extensions, although the Senate continued the practice through the 1980s.
17
Section 300 of the Budget Act. It does not speak to when committees should respond to reconciliation directives.
Section 310(f) of the Budget Act.
19
For information on the dates of committee responses to reconciliation directives that have resulted in a bill being
presented to the President, see Table 4 and Table 5.
18
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Because committee due dates have no mechanism for enforcement, in current practice neither
chamber
utilizesuses formal committee due date extensions.
In the Event
thatThat a Committee Does Not Respond to
a Reconciliation Directive by the Date Indicated
In some years, committees have not formally responded to the reconciliation directive instructing
them to report legislation. There may be several reasons for the lack of a formal committee
submission. For instance, there may have been a shift in policy priorities and Congress no longer
desired desires to pass reconciliation legislation. It could also be that a committee fails to approve
reconciliation
language20language,20 or it may be that although committees did not respond formally to the
directive, they reported freestanding legislation that was not considered under reconciliation
procedures but
that may have satisfied the goal of the reconciliation directive.
As explained above, there is no procedural mechanism for requiring a committee to report
reconciliation legislation by the date indicated in the reconciliation directive. Each chamber,
however, may employ methods of moving forward with reconciliation legislation
, and to include
and include legislative language that falls within the non-reporting committee
’'s jurisdiction
, in the event that
the committee has not yet reported. These methods vary by chamber.
House of Representatives
In the House, if a committee has not responded to a reconciliation directive, it
still may be
may still be possible to consider reconciliation legislation on the House floor that would satisfy the
committee’ committee's directive. The Budget Act states that the House Rules Committee may make in order
amendments to a reconciliation bill to satisfy reconciliation directives if a committee has not
submitted reconciliation legislation to the House Budget Committee.
2121 This would be in order
only if there were a reconciliation bill available for consideration by the House
, either reported
from the Budget Committee or received from the Senate.
Senate
Senate
In the Senate, if a committee has not responded to a reconciliation directive, it
still may be
may still be possible to consider reconciliation legislation on the Senate floor that would satisfy the
committee’ committee's directive. This would be in order on the floor in the form of a motion to recommit
the bill to that committee with instructions that it report the measure back to the Senate forthwith
with an amendment.
2222 Unlike amendments to the reconciliation bill, the motion to recommit
would not have to be germane if it were made in this situation. Such a motion to recommit would
20
In 1995, the House Agriculture Committee became deadlocked and was unable to adopt a recommendation.
For more information on special rules and the amending process, see CRS Report 98-612, Special Rules and Options
for Regulating the Amending Process, by Megan S. Lynch.
22
If adopted, a motion to recommit sends the bill to a specified committee. It may be offered with or without
instructions, and instructions typically direct a committee to amend a bill in a specific way. Motions to recommit with
instructions can be offered “forthwith,” which means if successful, the amendments would be made immediately on the
Senate floor and the measure would not be returned to committee.
21
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
allow any Senator to craft legislative language within the directed committee
’'s jurisdiction on the
floor.
The Recent Practice of House and Senate
Committees in Responding to Reconciliation
Directives
Directives
The following section provides information on the timing of committee responses to
reconciliation directives during the period covering 1989-
20092015 and offers insight on the extent to
which the submission
due date included in a reconciliation instruction is a predictor for the timing of
committee responses.
The House of Representatives
Table 2 provides information on the timing of House committee responses to reconciliation
directives. The table
only includesincludes only reconciliation acts that involved multiple committee directives.
It includes the relevant reconciliation act
;, the number of directives to House committees included
in the budget resolution
;, the number of committee responses that were submitted on time
;, the
number of responses that were submitted late
;, the number of House committee directives that
were not formally responded to
;, and the number of days before or after the deadline that the last
reporting committee submitted its response. It does not speak to the content of the response.
The table also includes the date the House Budget Committee reported
and, the number of days
between the final included committee submission to the House Budget Committee
, and the date
when the House Budget Committee reported.
The data in
Table 2Table 2 illustrate several concepts. First, they show that directed committees have
sometimes submitted reconciliation legislation before the due date, at the due date, and after the
due date, and
that in some cases
, committees never formally responded. Further,
they show that
the table shows that reconciliation legislation has been passed by the House regardless of whether committees
reported late or
thatwhether some committees never formally submitted a response.
Table 2 illustrates at least three practices of the House Budget Committee. First, the Budget
Committee has sometimes delayed the reporting of an omnibus reconciliation bill in order to
allow a committee that has missed its directed date to submit its response. Conversely, it shows
that in some cases, the Budget Committee has not waited for all committees to submit before
reporting the bill. Lastly, it shows that, except for in one case, once the House Budget Committee
has received the last submission to ultimately be included in the omnibus bill, it reports the
legislation without substantial delay.23
23
The House Budget Committee waited 153 days before reporting the Heath Care and Education Reconciliation Act of
2010, perhaps because the committee (as well as its Senate counterpart and the leadership of both chambers) expected
the legislative text that it received to be considered outside of the reconciliation process as shown in the following
excerpt from an article that appeared in Congressional Quarterly:
Schumer said that “if Baucus cannot get a deal by September 15, Democrats may move forward
with budget reconciliation procedures that would require only 50 votes to pass a bill.” “If the
(continued...)
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Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
legislation without substantial delay.23
In the case of omnibus reconciliation bills, the committee responses ranged from all committees
submitting on time (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990)
, to all committees submitting
late (Deficit Reduction Act of 1997). Several omnibus bills included both timely and tardy
responses.
In some years, reconciliation was included in budget resolutions adopted by one or both
chambers, but in the absence of final agreement, the process was not triggered. Such years are not
included in this report.24
(...continued)
Republicans are not able to produce an agreement, we will have contingencies in place,” said
Schumer, indicating that he was talking about budget reconciliation. “These plans will likely be
considered as a last resort, but they are on the table.”
Drew Armstrong, “Hopes for Bipartisan Health Care Deal Lie With Baucus; Reconciliation Still on the Table,”
Congressional Quarterly, August 3, 2009, CQ Today Print Edition-Health.
24
The FY2013 budget resolution agreed to by the House (H.Con.Res. 112, 112th Congress, agreed to on March 29,
2012), for example, contained reconciliation directives to six House committees. Although the House and Senate did
not come to agreement on a budget resolution, the six specified House committees submitted their reconciliation
language to the House Budget Committee by the specified deadline (April 27, 2012). The House Budget Committee
reported the measure (May 7) and the House passed H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act (May
10). The House was able to develop and consider H.R. 5652 as a reconciliation measure because the budget resolution
passed by the House was “deemed” enforceable by the House as if the Senate had agreed to it (H.Res. 614, 112th
Congress).24 Because Congress had not agreed to the underlying budget resolution, the House reconciliation bill, H.R.
5652, was not considered a reconciliation measure in the Senate, and, therefore was not eligible for consideration in the
Senate under reconciliation procedures.
Congressional Research Service
9
Table 2. Timing of House Committees Responses for Omnibus Reconciliation Measures: 1989-2009
House Budget Committee
Report
Number of Committee Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Act
Directives to
Submit/Report
Legislation
Submitted/
Reported On
Time
Submitted/
Reported Late
Not
Submitted/
Reported
Number of Days
Latest Included
Submission Made
Before (-) or After
(+) Due Date
Date
Reported
Number of
Days After
Latest
Committee
Submission
Reconciliation Acts Involving Multiple-Committee Directives
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1989
10
4
6
0
+65
9/20/89
2
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1990
12
12
0
0
0
10/16/90
1
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993
13
10
3
0
+460
5/25/93
7
Balanced Budget Act of 1995
12
2
8
2
+19
10/17/95
6
Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996b
4
3
1
0
+7
6/27/96
7
Balanced Budget Act of 1997
8
6
2
0
+4
6/24/97
7
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
8
1
0
7
0
6/24/1997
10
Deficit Reduction Act (2005)
7
0
7
0
+46
11/07/05
6
Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act of 2010
4
3
0
1
0
3/17/10
153
Source: included in this report.24
Table 2. Timing of House Committees Responses for Omnibus Reconciliation Measures: 1989-2015
Reconciliation Act
|
Number of Committee Reconciliation Directives
|
Number of Days Latest Included Submission Made Before (-) or After (+) Due Date
|
House Budget Committee Report
|
Directives to Submit/Report Legislation
|
Submitted/ Reported On Time
|
Submitted/ Reported Late
|
Not Submitted/ Reported
|
Date Reported
|
Number of Days After Latest Committee Submission
|
Reconciliation Acts Involving Multiple-Committee Directives
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989
|
10
|
4
|
6
|
0
|
+65
|
9/20/89
|
2
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
|
12
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10/16/90
|
1
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
|
13
|
10
|
3
|
0
|
+46a
5/25/93
|
7
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1995
|
12
|
2
|
8
|
2
|
+19
|
10/17/95
|
6
|
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996b
4
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
+7
|
6/27/96
|
7
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1997
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
+4
|
6/24/97
|
7
|
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
6/24/1997
|
10
|
Deficit Reduction Act (2005)
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
+46
|
11/07/05
|
6
|
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3/17/10
|
153
|
Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
+73
|
10/16/2015
|
11
|
Source: This information is based on data included in Table 4
.
.
Notes: The number of days is calendar days and not legislative days.
a.
a.
Note that the submission made 46 days after the due date was a directive pertaining to
the debt limit and that
, otherwise
, the latest included submission was submitted
3
three days after due date.
b.
b.
There were three sets of reconciliation directives included in the FY1997 budget resolution, H.Con.Res. 178. This information
only refersrefers only to the first set of directives.
There were no formal committee responses to the second and third set of directives.
CRS-10
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Figure 2
Table 4 presents a timeline of four particular stages of reconciliation action in the House for
six
eight different reconciliation acts. The figure includes reconciliation acts agreed to by both chambers
that involved multiple committee instructions with the same due date. It shows (1) the date that
the budget resolution
whichthat directed committees to report reconciliation was agreed to by both
chambers; chambers, (2) the date by which the instructed committees were directed to submit their responses
to the House Budget Committee
;, (3) the date that the last responding committee submitted
reconciliation legislation to the House Budget Committee
;, and (4) the date that the House Budget
Committee reported reconciliation legislation.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows the variability in timing for three of the four stages. Although the first stage
shown (budget resolution agreed to) tends to occur between April and June, the timing for the
other three stages varies. Further, there is considerable variation in the total time taken for all four
stages to be completed. In one case it took only a month (1997)
, and in another other case it took
almost 11 months (2009/2010).
There is also variability in the stages as they relate to one another. For instance, sometimes the
first two stages (adoption of budget resolution and the due date for committee submission) have
been within the same month, and sometimes they have been several months apart. This is
true
alsoalso true for the relationship between the second and third stages (committee submission due dates
and actual committee submission date). However, the amount of time between stages three and
four (the submission date of the last committee formally submitting and the date the budget
committee reports an omnibus bill) has been fairly consistent, except in one case. As in Table 2
,
, this shows that, except in one case, the House Budget Committee has reported the omnibus
legislation shortly after it has received the final submission to be included in the omnibus bill.
Congressional Research Service
11
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Figure 2. A Comparative Timeline of House Action on Reconciliation in
Selected Years
Source: This information is based on data included in
Table 4.
The Senate
Table 4.
The Senate
Table 3 provides information on the timing of Senate committee responses to reconciliation
directives. The table
only includes
only reconciliation acts that involved multiple committee directives.
It includes the relevant reconciliation act
;, the number of directives to Senate committees included
in the budget resolution
;, the number of committee responses that were submitted on time
;, the
number of committee responses that were submitted late
;, the number of committees directives
that were not formally responded to
;, and the number of days before or after the deadline that the
last reporting committee submitted its response. It does not speak to the content of the response.
The table also includes the date the Senate Budget Committee reported the omnibus bill, the
number of days between the final included committee submission to the Senate Budget
Committee, and the date when the Senate Budget Committee reported.
The data in Table 3 illustrate
several concepts. First, they show that directed committees have
sometimes reported or submitted reconciliation legislation before the due date, at the due date,
and after the due date
, and that
, in some cases, committees never formally responded. Further,
it
the table shows that reconciliation legislation has been passed by the Senate regardless of whether
committees submitted late or
thatwhether some committees never formally submitted a response.
Congressional Research Service
12
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Table 3 illustrates at least three practices of the Senate Budget Committee. First, the Budget
Committee has sometimes delayed the reporting of a reconciliation bill to allow a committee that
has missed its deadline to submit. Conversely, it shows that in some cases, the Budget Committee
has not waited for all committees to submit before reporting the omnibus reconciliation bill.
Lastly, it shows that once the Senate Budget Committee has received the last submission to be
included in the omnibus, it reports the legislation without substantial delay.
In the case of omnibus reconciliation bills, the committee responses ranged from all committees
submitting on time (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990)
, to all committees submitting
late (Deficit Reduction Act). Several omnibus bills included both timely and tardy responses.
Congressional Research Service
13
Table 3. Timing of Senate Committees Responses for Omnibus Reconciliation Measures: 1989-
2009
Senate Budget Committee
Report
Number of Committee Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Act
Directives to
Submit/Report
Legislation
Submitted/
Reported On
Time
Submitted/
Reported Late
Not Submitted/
Reported
Number of Days
Latest Included
Submission Made
Before (-) or After
(+) Due Date
Date
Reported
Number of Days
After Latest
Committee
Submission
Reconciliation Acts Involving Multiple-Committee Directives
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of
1989
8
0
7
1
+83
10/12/89
6
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of
1990
10
10
0
0
0
10/16/90
1
Omnibus Reconciliation
Act of 1993
14
13
0
1
0
6/22/93
5
Balanced Budget Act of
1995
12
3
9
0
+25
10/23/95
4
Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of
1996a
2
0
2
0
+30
7/16/96
5
Balanced Budget Act of
1997
8
3
5
0
+6
6/20/97
1
Deficit Reduction Act
(2005)
8
0
8
0
+39
10/27/05
2
Source:2015
Reconciliation Act
|
Number of Committee Reconciliation Directives
|
Number of Days Latest Included Submission Made Before (-) or After (+) Due Date
|
Senate Budget Committee Report
|
Directives to Submit/Report Legislation
|
Submitted/ Reported on Time
|
Submitted/ Reported Late
|
Not Submitted/ Reported
|
Date Reported
|
Number of Days After Latest Committee Submission
|
Reconciliation Acts Involving Multiple-Committee Directives
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989
|
8
|
0
|
7
|
1
|
+83
|
10/12/89
|
6
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
|
10
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10/16/90
|
1
|
Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993
|
14
|
13
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
6/22/93
|
5
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1995
|
12
|
3
|
9
|
0
|
+25
|
10/23/95
|
4
|
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996a
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
+30
|
7/16/96
|
5
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1997
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
+6
|
6/20/97
|
1
|
Deficit Reduction Act (2005)
|
8
|
0
|
8
|
0
|
+39
|
10/27/05
|
2
|
Source: This information is based on data included in Table 5
.
Notes:.
Notes: The number of days is calendar days and not legislative days.
a.
CRS-14
a.
There were three sets of reconciliation directives included in H.Con.Res. 178. This information
only refersrefers only to the first set of directives. There were no formal
committee responses to the second and third set of directives.
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Table 3 presents a timeline of reconciliation action in the Senate for six particular reconciliation
acts. The figure includes reconciliation acts agreed to by both chambers that involved multiple
committee instructions with the same due date. It shows (1) the date that the budget resolution
which that directed committees to report reconciliation was agreed to by both chambers
;, (2) the date
by which the instructed committees were directed to submit their responses to the Senate Budget
Committee; Committee, (3) the date that the last responding committee submitted reconciliation legislation to
the Senate Budget Committee
;, and (4) the date that the Senate Budget Committee reported
reconciliation legislation.
Figure 3 shows variability in timing for three of the four stages. Although the first stage shown
(budget resolution agreed to) tends to occur between April and June, the timing for the other three
stages varies. Further, there is considerable variation in the total time taken for all four stages to
be completed. In one case, it took only one month (1997)
, and in another case it took eight months
(2005).
There is also variability in the stages as they relate to one another. For instance, sometimes the
first two stages (adoption of budget resolution and the due date for committee submission) have
been within the same month, and sometimes they have been several months apart. This is
true
alsoalso true for the relationship between the second and third stages (committee submission due dates
and actual committee submission date). However, the amount of time between stages three and
four (the submission date of the last committee formally submitting and the date the budget
committee reports an omnibus bill) has been fairly consistent. As in Table 3, this shows that the
Senate Budget Committee reports legislation shortly after it has received the last submission to be
included in the omnibus bill.
Congressional Research Service
15
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Figure 3. A Comparative Timeline of Senate Action on Reconciliation in
Selected Years
Source: This information is based on data included in Table 5
.
.
The following tables provide more detailed information on House and Senate committee
responses to reconciliation directives. Table 4 pertains to the House
, and Table 5 pertains to the
Senate. Both include the relevant Congress and session
;, the fiscal year to which the budget
resolution pertains
;, the budget resolution number
;, the date the budget resolution was agreed to by
both chambers
;, the committees directed to report reconciliation legislation
;, the date by which the
committee was directed to respond
;, the date on which the committee responded
;, the date that the
budget committee reported a reconciliation bill (if applicable)
;, and the reconciliation legislation
that was subsequently passed by Congress.
The date of response for each committee has been determined in two ways, depending on whether
the committee was directed to report to the full chamber or to submit to the Budget Committee. In
the case that a committee was instructed to report directly to the full chamber, the date of the
committee report was used. In the case that the committee was directed to report to its
respective
Budget Committee, the date on the submission letters accompanying
theirits reconciliation
responses was used. These letters were found in committee reports and committee prints
Congressional Research Service
16
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
accompanying the reconciliation legislation. In some cases these letters had been inserted into the
Congressional Record
.
.
In some cases, the tables do not show a committee response date. Committees have not always
formally responded to the reconciliation directive instructing them to report legislation. There
may be a number of reasons for the lack of a formal submission. For instance, there may have
been a shift in policy priorities over the course of the year and Congress no longer desired to
consider reconciliation legislation within that committee
’'s jurisdiction. It may also be that even
though committees did not respond formally to the reconciliation directive, they did report
freestanding legislation that would have satisfied the goal of the reconciliation directive.
Congressional Research Service
17
Table 4. Dates Related to House Committee Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Directives for FY1990-FY2010
Congress/
Session
101/1
CRS-18
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Resolution
Directed to
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
Related
by Both
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Legislation
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 106
1990
05/18/89
Agriculture
07/15/89
07/21/89
Banking, Finance and
Urban Affairs
07/15/89
07/15/89
Education and Labor
07/15/89
07/26/89
Energy and
Commerce
07/15/89
09/15/89
Government
Operations
07/15/89
06/28/89
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
09/20/89
Interior and Insular
Affairs
07/15/89
07/10/89
Merchant Marine and
Fisheries
07/15/89
08/02/89
Post Office and Civil
Service
07/15/89
07/14/89
Veterans’ Affairs
07/15/89
07/17/89
Ways and Means
07/15/89
09/18/89
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of
1989 (P.L. 101-239)
Congress/
Session
101/2
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 310
1991
10/10/90
Agriculture
10/15/90
10/15/90
Banking, Finance and
Urban Affairs
10/15/90
10/15/90
Education and Labor
10/15/90
10/15/90
Energy and
Commerce
10/15/90
10/15/90
Interior and Insular
Affairs
10/15/90
10/12/90
Judiciary
10/15/90
10/12/90
10/16/90
Merchant Marine and
Fisheries
10/15/90
10/14/90
Post Office and Civil
Service
10/15/90
10/15/90
Public Works and
Transportation
10/15/90
10/12/90
Science, Space, and
Technology
10/15/90
10/14/90
Veterans’ Affairs
10/15/90
10/13/90
Ways and Means
10/15/90
10/15/90
102/1
H.Con.Res. 121
1992
05/22/91
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
102/2
H.Con.Res. 287
1993
03/20/92
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
CRS-19
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of
1990 (P.L. 101-508)
Congress/
Session
103/1
103/2
CRS-20
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 64
H.Con.Res. 218
1994
1995
Agriculture
05/14/93
05/14/93
Armed Services
05/14/93
05/14/93
Banking, Finance and
Urban Affairs
05/14/93
05/14/93
Education and Labor
05/14/93
05/17/93
Energy and
Commerce
05/14/93
05/14/93
Foreign Affairs
05/14/93
05/13/93
Judiciary
05/14/93
05/12/93
04/01/93
05/14/94
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
05/25/93
Merchant Marines
and Fisheries
05/14/93
05/14/93
Natural Resources
05/14/93
05/13/93
Post Office and Civil
Service
05/14/93
05/17/93
Public Works and
Transportation
05/14/93
05/14/93
Veterans' Affairs
05/14/93
05/14/93
Ways and Means
04/02/93
05/18/93
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of
1993 (P.L. 103-66)
Congress/
Session
104/1
CRS-21
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 67
1996
06/29/95
Agriculture
09/22/95
-
Government Reform
and Oversight
09/22/95
-
Banking and Financial
Services
09/22/95
09/19/95
Commerce
09/22/95
10/06/95
Economic and
Educational
Opportunities
09/22/95
09/29/95
International
Relations
09/22/95
09/28/95
Judiciary
09/22/95
09/19/95
National Security
09/22/95
09/26/95
Resources
09/22/95
09/29/95
Transportation and
Infrastructure
09/22/95
10/11/95
Veterans' Affairs
09/22/95
09/29/95
Ways and Means
09/22/95
09/28/95
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
10/17/95
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Balanced Budget Act of
1995 (Vetoed)
Congress/
Session
104/2
CRS-22
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 178
1997
05/23/96
Agriculture (1)
06/13/96
06/13/96
Commerce (1)
06/13/96
06/20/96
Economic and
Educational
Opportunities (1)
06/13/96
06/13/96
Ways and Means (1)
06/13/96
06/13/96
Commerce (2)
07/18/96
-
Ways and Means (2)
07/18/96
-
Agriculture (3)
09/06/96
-
Banking and Financial
Services (3)
09/06/96
-
Commerce (3)
09/06/96
-
Economic and
Educational
Opportunities (3)
09/06/96
-
Government and
Reform Oversight (3)
09/06/96
-
International
Relations (3)
09/06/96
-
Judiciary (3)
09/06/96
-
National Security (3)
09/06/96
-
Resources (3)
09/06/96
-
Science (3)
09/06/96
-
Transportation and
Infrastructure 3
09/06/96
-
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
06/27/96
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of
1996 (P.L. 104-193)
Congress/
Session
105/1
CRS-23
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
H.Con.Res. 84
1998
06/04/97
Veterans' Affairs 3
09/06/96
-
Ways and Means (3)
09/06/96
-
Agriculture (1)
06/13/97
06/16/97
Banking and Financial
Services (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Commerce (1)
06/13/97
06/17/97
Education and the
Workforce (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
06/24/97
Governmental
Reform and
Oversight (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Transportation and
Infrastructure (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Veteran's Affairs (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Ways and Means (1)
06/13/97
06/13/97
Agriculture (2)
06/14/97
-
Banking and Financial
Services (2)
06/14/97
-
Commerce (2)
06/14/97
-
Education and the
Workforce (2)
06/14/97
-
Government Reform
and Oversight (2)
06/14/97
-
Transportation and
Infrastructure (2)
06/14/97
-
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Balanced Budget Act of
1997 (P.L. 105-33)
Congress/
Session
105/2
106/1
106/2
107/1
107/2
108/1
108/2
109/1
CRS-24
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
Veterans' Affairs (2)
06/14/97
-
Ways and Means (2)
06/14/97
06/14/97
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
06/24/97
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Taxpayer Relief Act of
1997 (P.L. 105-34)
No budget resolution was agreed to
H.Con.Res. 68
H.Con.Res. 290
H.Con.Res. 83
2000
2001
2002
Taxpayer Refund and
Relief Act of 1999
(Vetoed)
04/14/99
Ways and Means
07/16/99
07/16/99
Ways and Means (1)
07/14/00
-
Ways and Means (2)
09/13/00
-
Ways and Means (3)
07/14/00
-
Ways and Means (4)
09/13/00
-
05/08/01
Ways and Means
05/18/01
-
Economic Growth and
Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16)
04/10/03
Ways and Means
05/08/03
05/08/03
Jobs and Growth Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act
of 2003 (P.L. 108-27)
Agriculture
09/16/05
11/01/05
Education and the
Workforce
09/16/05
10/28/05
Energy and
Commerce
09/16/05
11/01/05
04/12/00
Marriage Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of
2000 (Vetoed)
No budget resolution was agreed to
H.Con.Res. 95
2004
No budget resolution was agreed to
H.Con.Res. 95
2006
04/28/05
11/07/05
Deficit Reduction Act
(P.L. 109-171)
Congress/
Session
109/2
Date by Which
Date Budget House Committee Committee was
Directed to
Resolution
Directed to
was Agreed to
Report
Submit/ Report Date Committee
by Both
Related
Reconciliation
(Type of
Submitted/
Legislation
Budget Resolution Fiscal Year Chambers
Directive)
Reported
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both
Chambers
Financial Services
09/16/05
10/31/05
Judiciary
09/16/05
10/28/05
Resources
09/16/05
10/28/05
Ways and Means (1)
09/16/05
10/28/05
Ways and Means (2)
09/23/05
11/17/05
Tax Increase Prevention
and Reconciliation Act of
2005 (P.L. 109-222)
09/10/07
06/25/07
College Cost Reduction
and Access Act
(P.L. 110-84)
No budget resolution was agreed to
110/1
S.Con.Res. 21
2008
05/17/07
Education and Labor
110/2
S.Con.Res. 70
2009
06/05/08
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
111/1
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
S.Con.Res. 13
2010
04/27/09
Energy and
Commerce
10/15/09
-
Ways and Means
10/15/09
10/15/09
Education and Labor
(1)
10/15/09
10/13/09a
Education and Labor
(2)
10/15/09
10/07/09b
03/17/ 10
Health Care and
Education Reconciliation
Act of 2010 (P.L. 111152)
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes: A number following the name of the committee directed to report reconciliation indicates separate sets of reconciliation directives within the budget resolution.
a.
Although the Committee voted on July 17, 2009, to authorize the chairman to transmit language to the Budget Committee, the date on the letter of transmittal to the
Budget Committee included in H.Rept. 111-443 Part II, is October 13, 2009.
b.
Although the Committee voted on July 21, 2009, to authorize the chairman to transmit language to the Budget Committee, the date on the letter of transmittal to the
Budget Committee included in H.Rept. 111-443 Part II, is October 7, 2009.
CRS-25
Table 5. Dates Related to Senate Committee Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Directives for FY1990-FY2010
Congress/
Session
101/1
101/2
CRS-26
Budget
Resolution
H.Con.Res. 106
H.Con.Res. 310
Related
Fiscal
Year
1990
1991
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
05/18/89
10/10/90
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
07/15/89
-
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
07/15/89
10/03/89
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
07/15/89
08/04/89
Environment and
Public Works
07/15/89
07/27/89
Finance
07/15/89
10/06/89
Governmental
Affairs
07/15/89
07/21/89
Labor and Human
Resources
07/15/89
10/05/89
Veterans' Affairs
07/15/89
07/24/89
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
10/15/90
10/15/90
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
10/15/90
10/12/90
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
10/15/90
10/12/90
Energy and Natural
Resources
10/15/90
10/15/90
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
10/12/89
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1989
(P.L. 101-239)
10/16/90
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1990
(P.L. 101-508)
Congress/
Session
Budget
Resolution
Related
Fiscal
Year
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Environment and
Public Works
10/15/90
10/15/90
Finance
10/15/90
10/15/90
Governmental
Affairs
10/15/90
10/15/90
Judiciary
10/15/90
10/12/90
Labor and Human
Resources
10/15/90
10/12/90
Veterans' Affairs
10/15/90
10/12/90
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
102/1
H.Con.Res. 121
1992
05/22/91
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
102/2
H.Con.Res. 287
1993
03/20/92
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
103/1
CRS-27
H.Con.Res. 64
1994
04/01/93
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
06/18/93
06/18/93
Armed Services
06/18/93
06/10/93
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
06/18/93
06/15/93
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
06/18/93
06/16/93
Energy and Natural
Resources
06/18/93
06/17/93
Environment and
Public Works
06/18/93
06/11/93
Finance (1)
06/18/93
06/18/93
Finance (2)
06/18/93
06/18/93
06/22/93
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993
(P.L. 103-66)
Congress/
Session
103/2
104/1
CRS-28
Budget
Resolution
H.Con.Res. 218
H.Con.Res. 67
Related
Fiscal
Year
1995
1996
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
05/14/94
06/26/95
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Foreign Relations
06/18/93
06/10/93
Governmental
Affairs
06/18/93
06/09/93
Judiciary
06/18/93
06/10/93
Labor and Human
Resources
06/18/93
06/17/93
Veterans' Affairs
06/18/93
06/15/93
Finance (3)
04/02/93
-
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
09/22/95
09/29/95
Armed Services
09/22/95
09/26/95
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
09/22/95
09/29/95
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
09/22/95
09/29/95
Energy and Natural
Resources
09/22/95
09/27/95
Environment and
Public Works
09/22/95
09/22/95
Finance (1)
09/22/95
10/17/95
Governmental
Affairs
09/22/95
09/28/95
Judiciary
09/22/95
09/22/95
10/23/95
Balanced Budget Act of
1995 (Vetoed)
Congress/
Session
Budget
Resolution
Related
Fiscal
Year
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Labor and Human
Resources
09/22/95
10/03/95
Veterans' Affairs
09/22/95
10/05/95
Finance (2)
104/2
CRS-29
H.Con.Res. 178
1997
05/23/96
5 days after
certification by
CBOa
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
10/19/95
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry (1)
06/21/96
06/28/96
Finance (1)
06/21/96
07/11/96
Finance (2)
07/24/96
-
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry (2)
09/18/96
-
Armed Services
09/18/96
-
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
09/18/96
-
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
09/18/96
-
Energy and Natural
Resources
09/18/96
-
Environment and
Public Works
09/18/96
-
Finance (3)
09/18/96
-
Governmental
Affairs
09/18/96
-
07/16/96
Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996
(P.L. 104-193)
Congress/
Session
105/1
105/2
Budget
Resolution
H.Con.Res. 84
Related
Fiscal
Year
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
1998
06/04/97
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Judiciary
09/18/96
-
Labor and Human
Resources
09/18/96
-
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
06/13/97
06/13/97
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
06/13/97
06/18/97
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
06/13/97
06/19/97
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
06/20/97
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
Balanced Budget Act of
1997 (P.L. 105-33)
Energy and Natural
Resources
06/13/97
06/13/97
Finance (1)
06/13/97
06/19/97
Governmental
Affairs
06/13/97
06/19/97
Labor and Human
Resources
06/13/97
06/18/97
Veterans' Affairs
06/13/97
06/12/97
Finance (2)
06/20/97
6/20/97
Taxpayer Relief Act of
1997 (P.L. 105-34)
Finance
07/23/99
07/26/99
Taxpayer Refund and Relief
Act of 1999 (Vetoed)
Finance
07/14/00
07/05/00
Finance
09/13/00
07/05/00
No budget resolution was agreed to
106/1
H.Con.Res. 68
2000
04/14/99
106/2
H.Con.Res. 290
2001
04/12/00
CRS-30
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Marriage Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2000
(Vetoed)
Congress/
Session
107/1
Budget
Resolution
Related
Fiscal
Year
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
H.Con.Res. 83
2002
05/08/01
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Finance
107/2
108/1
108/2
109/1
05/18/01
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
05/16/01
Economic Growth and Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act of
2001 (P.L. 107-16)
Jobs and Growth Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act of
2003 (P.L. 108-27)
No budget resolution was agreed to
H.Con.Res. 95
2004
04/10/03
Finance
05/08/03
05/13/03
Agriculture,
Nutrition, and
Forestry
09/16/05
10/21/05
Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
09/16/05
10/21/05
Commerce,
Science, and
Transportation
09/16/05
10/20/05
No budget resolution was agreed to
H.Con.Res. 95
2006
04/28/05
10/27/05
Energy and Natural
Resources
09/16/05
10/19/05
Environment and
Public Works
09/16/05
10/19/05
Finance
09/16/05
10/25/05
Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
09/16/05
10/19/05
Judiciary
09/16/05
10/25/05
Finance (2)
CRS-31
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
09/23/05
11/16/05
Deficit Reduction Act
(P.L. 109-171)
Tax Increase Prevention
and Reconciliation Act of
2005 (P.L. 109-222)
Congress/
Session
Budget
Resolution
Related
Fiscal
Year
Date Budget
Resolution
was Agreed to
by Both
Chambers
Senate
Committee
Directed to
Report
Reconciliation
Legislation
Finance (3)
109/2
110/1
110/2
Date
Committee
Submitted/
Reported
09/30/05
-
Date Budget
Committee
Reported (If
Applicable)
Reconciliation Bill
Passed Both Chambers
No budget resolution was agreed to
S.Con.Res. 21
S.Con.Res. 70
2008
2009
05/17/07
06/05/08
Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
S.Con.Res. 13
2010
04/27/09
09/10/07
07/10/07
College Cost Reduction
and Access Act (P.L. 11084)
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
Finance
111/1
Date by
Which
Committee
was Directed
to Submit/
Report
Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
10/15/09
10/15/09
-
-
Health Care and
Education Reconciliation
Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152)
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
a.
CRS-32
Section 105(b)(2) of the budget resolution stated that Committee on Finance should report revenue related reconciliation legislation no later than five days after a
certification from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) stating that certain legislative recommendations would balance the budget by FY2003. The CBO certification
was dated October 18, 1995.
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Author Contact Information
Megan S. Lynch
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
mlynch@crs.loc.gov, 7-7853
Congressional Research Service
33
Reconciliation Directives for FY1990-FY2015
Congress/ Session
|
Budget Resolution
|
Related Fiscal Year
|
Date Budget Resolution Was Agreed to by Both Chambers
|
House Committee Directed to Report Reconciliation Legislation
|
Date by Which Committee Was Directed to Submit/ Report (Type of Directive)
|
Date Committee Submitted/ Reported
|
Date Budget Committee Reported (If Applicable)
|
Reconciliation Bill Passed Both Chambers
|
101/1
|
H.Con.Res. 106
|
1990
|
05/18/89
|
Agriculture
|
07/15/89
|
07/21/89
|
09/20/89
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-239)
|
Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
07/15/89
|
Education and Labor
|
07/15/89
|
07/26/89
|
Energy and Commerce
|
07/15/89
|
09/15/89
|
Government Operations
|
07/15/89
|
06/28/89
|
Interior and Insular Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
07/10/89
|
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
|
07/15/89
|
08/02/89
|
Post Office and Civil Service
|
07/15/89
|
07/14/89
|
Veterans Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
07/17/89
|
Ways and Means
|
07/15/89
|
09/18/89
|
101/2
|
H.Con.Res. 310
|
1991
|
10/10/90
|
Agriculture
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
10/16/90
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508)
|
Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Education and Labor
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Energy and Commerce
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Interior and Insular Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Judiciary
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
|
10/15/90
|
10/14/90
|
Post Office and Civil Service
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Public Works and Transportation
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Science, Space, and Technology
|
10/15/90
|
10/14/90
|
Veterans Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/13/90
|
Ways and Means
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
102/1
|
H.Con.Res. 121
|
1992
|
05/22/91
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
102/2
|
H.Con.Res. 287
|
1993
|
03/20/92
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
103/1
|
H.Con.Res. 64
|
1994
|
04/01/93
|
Agriculture
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
05/25/93
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66)
|
Armed Services
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Education and Labor
|
05/14/93
|
05/17/93
|
Energy and Commerce
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Foreign Affairs
|
05/14/93
|
05/13/93
|
Judiciary
|
05/14/93
|
05/12/93
|
Merchant Marines and Fisheries
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Natural Resources
|
05/14/93
|
05/13/93
|
Post Office and Civil Service
|
05/14/93
|
05/17/93
|
Public Works and Transportation
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Veterans Affairs
|
05/14/93
|
05/14/93
|
Ways and Means
|
04/02/93
|
05/18/93
|
103/2
|
H.Con.Res. 218
|
1995
|
05/14/94
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
104/1
|
H.Con.Res. 67
|
1996
|
06/29/95
|
Agriculture
|
09/22/95
|
-
|
|
|
Government Reform and Oversight
|
09/22/95
|
-
|
|
|
Banking and Financial Services
|
09/22/95
|
09/19/95
|
10/17/95
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1995 (Vetoed)
|
Commerce
|
09/22/95
|
10/06/95
|
Economic and Educational Opportunities
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
International Relations
|
09/22/95
|
09/28/95
|
Judiciary
|
09/22/95
|
09/19/95
|
National Security
|
09/22/95
|
09/26/95
|
Resources
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
Transportation and Infrastructure
|
09/22/95
|
10/11/95
|
Veterans Affairs
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
Ways and Means
|
09/22/95
|
09/28/95
|
104/2
|
H.Con.Res. 178
|
1997
|
05/23/96
|
Agriculture (1)
|
06/13/96
|
06/13/96
|
06/27/96
|
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193)
|
Commerce (1)
|
06/13/96
|
06/20/96
|
Economic and Educational Opportunities (1)
|
06/13/96
|
06/13/96
|
Ways and Means (1)
|
06/13/96
|
06/13/96
|
Commerce (2)
|
07/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Ways and Means (2)
|
07/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Agriculture (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Banking and Financial Services (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Commerce (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Economic and Educational Opportunities (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Government and Reform Oversight (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
International Relations (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Judiciary (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
National Security (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Resources (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Science (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Transportation and Infrastructure (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Veterans Affairs (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
Ways and Means (3)
|
09/06/96
|
-
|
|
|
105/1
|
H.Con.Res. 84
|
1998
|
06/04/97
|
Agriculture (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/16/97
|
06/24/97
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33)
|
Banking and Financial Services (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Commerce (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/17/97
|
Education and the Workforce (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Governmental Reform and Oversight (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Transportation and Infrastructure (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Veteran's Affairs (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Ways and Means (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Agriculture (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Banking and Financial Services (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Commerce (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Education and the Workforce (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Government Reform and Oversight (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Transportation and Infrastructure (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Veterans Affairs (2)
|
06/14/97
|
-
|
|
|
Ways and Means (2)
|
06/14/97
|
06/14/97
|
06/24/97
|
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-34)
|
105/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
106/1
|
H.Con.Res. 68
|
2000
|
04/14/99
|
Ways and Means
|
07/16/99
|
07/16/99
|
|
Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999 (Vetoed)
|
106/2
|
H.Con.Res. 290
|
2001
|
04/12/00
|
Ways and Means (1)
|
07/14/00
|
-
|
|
Marriage Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000 (Vetoed)
|
Ways and Means (2)
|
09/13/00
|
-
|
|
Ways and Means (3)
|
07/14/00
|
-
|
|
Ways and Means (4)
|
09/13/00
|
-
|
|
107/1
|
H.Con.Res. 83
|
2002
|
05/08/01
|
Ways and Means
|
05/18/01
|
-
|
|
Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16)
|
107/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
108/1
|
H.Con.Res. 95
|
2004
|
04/10/03
|
Ways and Means
|
05/08/03
|
05/08/03
|
|
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-27)
|
108/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
109/1
|
H.Con.Res. 95
|
2006
|
04/28/05
|
Agriculture
|
09/16/05
|
11/01/05
|
11/07/05
|
Deficit Reduction Act (P.L. 109-171)
|
Education and the Workforce
|
09/16/05
|
10/28/05
|
Energy and Commerce
|
09/16/05
|
11/01/05
|
Financial Services
|
09/16/05
|
10/31/05
|
Judiciary
|
09/16/05
|
10/28/05
|
Resources
|
09/16/05
|
10/28/05
|
Ways and Means (1)
|
09/16/05
|
10/28/05
|
Ways and Means (2)
|
09/23/05
|
11/17/05
|
|
Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222)
|
109/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
110/1
|
S.Con.Res. 21
|
2008
|
05/17/07
|
Education and Labor
|
09/10/07
|
06/25/07
|
|
College Cost Reduction and Access Act (P.L. 110-84)
|
110/2
|
S.Con.Res. 70
|
2009
|
06/05/08
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
111/1
|
S.Con.Res. 13
|
2010
|
04/27/09
|
Energy and Commerce
|
10/15/09
|
-
|
|
|
Ways and Means
|
10/15/09
|
10/15/09
|
03/17/ 10
|
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152)
|
Education and Labor (1)
|
10/15/09
|
10/13/09a
Education and Labor (2)
|
10/15/09
|
10/07/09b
111/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
112/1
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
112/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
113/1
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
113/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
114/1
|
S.Con.Res. 11
|
2016
|
05/05/2015
|
Education and the Workforce
|
7/24/2015
|
10/02/2015
|
10/16/2015
|
Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 (Vetoed)
|
Energy and Commerce
|
7/24/2014
|
10/05/2015
|
Ways and Means
|
7/24/2015
|
10/02/2015
|
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes: A number following the name of the committee directed to report reconciliation indicates separate sets of reconciliation directives within the budget resolution.
a.
Although the committee voted on July 17, 2009, to authorize the chairman to transmit language to the Budget Committee, the date on the letter of transmittal to the Budget Committee included in H.Rept. 111-443, Part II, is October 13, 2009.
b.
Although the committee voted on July 21, 2009, to authorize the chairman to transmit language to the Budget Committee, the date on the letter of transmittal to the Budget Committee included in H.Rept. 111-443, Part II, is October 7, 2009.
Table 5. Dates Related to Senate Committee Reconciliation Directives
Reconciliation Directives for FY1990-FY2015
Congress/ Session
|
Budget Resolution
|
Related Fiscal Year
|
Date Budget Resolution Was Agreed to by Both Chambers
|
Senate Committee Directed to Report Reconciliation Legislation
|
Date by Which Committee Was Directed to Submit/ Report
|
Date Committee Submitted/ Reported
|
Date Budget Committee Reported (If Applicable)
|
Reconciliation Bill Passed Both Chambers
|
101/1
|
H.Con.Res. 106
|
1990
|
05/18/89
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
-
|
|
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
07/15/89
|
10/03/89
|
10/12/89
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-239)
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
07/15/89
|
08/04/89
|
Environment and Public Works
|
07/15/89
|
07/27/89
|
Finance
|
07/15/89
|
10/06/89
|
Governmental Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
07/21/89
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
07/15/89
|
10/05/89
|
Veterans Affairs
|
07/15/89
|
07/24/89
|
101/2
|
H.Con.Res. 310
|
1991
|
10/10/90
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
10/16/90
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508)
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Environment and Public Works
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Finance
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Governmental Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/15/90
|
Judiciary
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
Veterans Affairs
|
10/15/90
|
10/12/90
|
102/1
|
H.Con.Res. 121
|
1992
|
05/22/91
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
102/2
|
H.Con.Res. 287
|
1993
|
03/20/92
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
103/1
|
H.Con.Res. 64
|
1994
|
04/01/93
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
06/18/93
|
06/18/93
|
06/22/93
|
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66)
|
Armed Services
|
06/18/93
|
06/10/93
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
06/18/93
|
06/15/93
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
06/18/93
|
06/16/93
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
06/18/93
|
06/17/93
|
Environment and Public Works
|
06/18/93
|
06/11/93
|
Finance (1)
|
06/18/93
|
06/18/93
|
Finance (2)
|
06/18/93
|
06/18/93
|
Foreign Relations
|
06/18/93
|
06/10/93
|
Governmental Affairs
|
06/18/93
|
06/09/93
|
Judiciary
|
06/18/93
|
06/10/93
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
06/18/93
|
06/17/93
|
Veterans Affairs
|
06/18/93
|
06/15/93
|
Finance (3)
|
04/02/93
|
-
|
|
|
103/2
|
H.Con.Res. 218
|
1995
|
05/14/94
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
104/1
|
H.Con.Res. 67
|
1996
|
06/26/95
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
10/23/95
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1995 (Vetoed)
|
Armed Services
|
09/22/95
|
09/26/95
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
09/22/95
|
09/29/95
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
09/22/95
|
09/27/95
|
Environment and Public Works
|
09/22/95
|
09/22/95
|
Finance (1)
|
09/22/95
|
10/17/95
|
Governmental Affairs
|
09/22/95
|
09/28/95
|
Judiciary
|
09/22/95
|
09/22/95
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
09/22/95
|
10/03/95
|
Veterans Affairs
|
09/22/95
|
10/05/95
|
Finance (2)
|
5 days after certification by CBOa
10/19/95
|
104/2
|
H.Con.Res. 178
|
1997
|
05/23/96
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (1)
|
06/21/96
|
06/28/96
|
07/16/96
|
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193)
|
Finance (1)
|
06/21/96
|
07/11/96
|
Finance (2)
|
07/24/96
|
-
|
|
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (2)
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Armed Services
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Environment and Public Works
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Finance (3)
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Governmental Affairs
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Judiciary
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
09/18/96
|
-
|
|
|
105/1
|
H.Con.Res. 84
|
1998
|
06/04/97
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
06/20/97
|
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33)
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
06/13/97
|
06/18/97
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
06/13/97
|
06/19/97
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
06/13/97
|
06/13/97
|
Finance (1)
|
06/13/97
|
06/19/97
|
Governmental Affairs
|
06/13/97
|
06/19/97
|
Labor and Human Resources
|
06/13/97
|
06/18/97
|
Veterans Affairs
|
06/13/97
|
06/12/97
|
Finance (2)
|
06/20/97
|
6/20/97
|
|
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-34)
|
105/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
106/1
|
H.Con.Res. 68
|
2000
|
04/14/99
|
Finance
|
07/23/99
|
07/26/99
|
|
Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999 (Vetoed)
|
106/2
|
H.Con.Res. 290
|
2001
|
04/12/00
|
Finance
|
07/14/00
|
07/05/00
|
|
Marriage Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000 (Vetoed)
|
|
|
|
|
Finance
|
09/13/00
|
07/05/00
|
107/1
|
H.Con.Res. 83
|
2002
|
05/08/01
|
Finance
|
05/18/01
|
05/16/01
|
|
Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16)
|
107/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
108/1
|
H.Con.Res. 95
|
2004
|
04/10/03
|
Finance
|
05/08/03
|
05/13/03
|
|
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-27)
|
108/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
109/1
|
H.Con.Res. 95
|
2006
|
04/28/05
|
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
|
09/16/05
|
10/21/05
|
10/27/05
|
Deficit Reduction Act (P.L. 109-171)
|
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
|
09/16/05
|
10/21/05
|
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
|
09/16/05
|
10/20/05
|
Energy and Natural Resources
|
09/16/05
|
10/19/05
|
Environment and Public Works
|
09/16/05
|
10/19/05
|
Finance
|
09/16/05
|
10/25/05
|
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
|
09/16/05
|
10/19/05
|
Judiciary
|
09/16/05
|
10/25/05
|
Finance (2)
|
09/23/05
|
11/16/05
|
|
Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222)
|
Finance (3)
|
09/30/05
|
-
|
|
109/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
110/1
|
S.Con.Res. 21
|
2008
|
05/17/07
|
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
|
09/10/07
|
07/10/07
|
College Cost Reduction and Access Act (P.L. 110-84)
|
110/2
|
S.Con.Res. 70
|
2009
|
06/05/08
|
No reconciliation directives included in the budget resolution
|
111/1
|
S.Con.Res. 13
|
2010
|
04/27/09
|
Finance
|
10/15/09
|
-
|
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152)
|
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
|
10/15/09
|
-
|
111/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
112/1
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
112/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
113/1
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
113/2
|
No budget resolution was agreed to
|
114/1
|
S.Con.Res. 11
|
2016
|
05/05/2015
|
Finance
|
07/24/2015
|
-
|
Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 (Vetoed)
|
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
|
07/24/2015
|
-
|
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
a.
Section 105(b)(2) of the budget resolution stated that the Finance Committee should report revenue related reconciliation legislation no later than five days after a certification from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) stating that certain legislative recommendations would balance the budget by FY2003. The CBO certification was dated October 18, 1995.
Author Contact Information
[author name scrubbed], Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
Footnotes
1.
|
As provided in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as amended, Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, 2 U.S.C. 601-688 (the Budget Act). Section 310 of the act is codified at 2 U.S.C. 641. This report focuses on the period covering 1989 (for FY1990) through 2015 (for FY2016).
|
2.
|
Directives sometimes also include language regarding the type of change that should be reported as well as procedural provisions, contingencies, and programmatic direction. For more information on the language of directives, see the section below.
|
3.
|
Section 310(b)(2) of the Budget Act.
|
4.
|
For example, on October 15, 1990, the Post Office and Civil Service committee voted unanimously to report unfavorably reconciliation language to satisfy its reconciliation directive.
|
5.
|
For more information on the consideration of reconciliation legislation in the House and Senate, see CRS Report RL33030, The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]
|
6.
|
H.Con.Res. 95 (109th Congress).
|
7.
|
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), signed into law on February 8, 2006; and Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222), signed into law on May 17, 2006.
|
8.
|
Section 310(b) of the Budget Act.
|
9.
|
Discretionary spending levels are enforced by Section 302(f) of the Budget Act, which prohibits consideration of any measure or amendment that would cause 302(a) committee allocations or 302(b) subdivisions to be exceeded. For more information, see CRS Report R40472, The Budget Resolution and Spending Legislation, by [author name scrubbed].
|
10.
|
In the budget resolution for FY1981 (H.Con.Res. 307, 96th Congress), the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee were directed to report reconciliation legislation, and in the budget resolution for FY1982 (H.Con.Res. 115, 97th Congress), the Senate Appropriations Committee was directed to report reconciliation legislation.
|
11.
|
H.Con.Res. 290 (106th Congress), the budget resolution for FY2001, §103.
|
12.
|
For instance, the budget resolution for FY2010 (S.Con.Res. 13) included two directives to the House Committee on Education and Labor: one under the subheading Health Care Reform and the other under Investing in Education.
|
13.
|
H.Con.Res. 307 (96th Congress).
|
14.
|
H.Con.Res. 68 (106th Congress).
|
15.
|
H.Con.Res. 64 (103rd Congress) included a due date of April 2. S.Con.Res. 13 (111th Congress) and H.Con.Res. 310 (101st Congress) both included due dates of October 15.
|
16.
|
The revenue reduction legislation, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, was signed into law on June 7, 2001, as P.L. 107-16.
|
17.
|
Section 300 of the Budget Act. It does not speak to when committees should respond to reconciliation directives.
|
18.
|
Section 310(f) of the Budget Act.
|
19.
|
For information on the dates of committee responses to reconciliation directives that have resulted in a bill being presented to the President, see Table 4 and Table 5.
20.
|
In 1995, the House Agriculture Committee became deadlocked and was unable to adopt a recommendation.
|
21.
|
For more information on special rules and the amending process, see CRS Report 98-612, Special Rules and Options for Regulating the Amending Process, by [author name scrubbed].
|
22.
|
If adopted, a motion to recommit sends the bill to a specified committee. It may be offered with or without instructions, and instructions typically direct a committee to amend a bill in a specific way. Motions to recommit with instructions can be offered "forthwith," which means if successful, the amendments would be made immediately on the Senate floor and the measure would not be returned to committee.
|
23.
|
The House Budget Committee waited 153 days before reporting the Heath Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, perhaps because the committee (as well as its Senate counterpart and the leadership of both chambers) expected the legislative text that it received to be considered outside of the reconciliation process, as shown in the following excerpt from Congressional Quarterly:
[Senator Chuck] Schumer said that "if [Senate Finance Chairman Max] Baucus cannot get a deal by September 15, Democrats may move forward with budget reconciliation procedures that would require only 50 votes to pass a bill." "If the Republicans are not able to produce an agreement, we will have contingencies in place," said Schumer, indicating that he was talking about budget reconciliation. "These plans will likely be considered as a last resort, but they are on the table."
Drew Armstrong, "Hopes for Bipartisan Health Care Deal Lie with Baucus; Reconciliation Still on the Table," Congressional Quarterly, August 3, 2009, CQ Today Print Edition-Health.
24.
|
For example, the FY2013 budget resolution agreed to by the House (H.Con.Res. 112, 112th Congress, agreed to on March 29, 2012) contained reconciliation directives to six House committees. Although the House and Senate did not come to agreement on a budget resolution, the six specified House committees submitted their reconciliation language to the House Budget Committee by the specified deadline (April 27, 2012). The House Budget Committee reported the measure (May 7) and the House passed H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act (May 10). The House was able to develop and consider H.R. 5652 as a reconciliation measure because the budget resolution passed by the House was "deemed" enforceable by the House as if the Senate had agreed to it (H.Res. 614, 112th Congress). Because Congress had not agreed to the underlying budget resolution, the House reconciliation bill, H.R. 5652, was not considered a reconciliation measure in the Senate and, therefore, was not eligible for consideration in the Senate under reconciliation procedures.
|