HR 209
Inaction Has Consequences Act
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Bill overview
This bill, the Inaction Has Consequences Act, aims to incentivize Congress to pass annual appropriations bills on time. If the House of Representatives fails to pass all regular appropriation bills by the start of a fiscal year (beginning in 2026), the salaries of its members will be held in escrow. Payments will be released when the bills are passed or at the end of the Congress, whichever comes first.
Key provisions
- Salaries of House members will be held in escrow if appropriation bills aren't passed by the start of the fiscal year.
- The escrow period ends when either all appropriation bills are passed or the end of the Congress.
- Regular appropriation bills are defined based on subcommittee jurisdiction within the Appropriations Committees.
- The Secretary of the Treasury will provide assistance to House payroll administrators.
- Remaining escrowed funds will be released at the end of the Congress to ensure constitutional compliance.
Who is affected
- Members of the House of Representatives
- Congress
- The U.S. Government
- Payroll Administrators
- The Secretary of the Treasury
Notable changes
- This bill introduces a mechanism to withhold congressional salaries for failure to pass appropriations bills.
- It establishes a specific timeframe for the escrow period, linked to the passage of bills or the end of the Congress.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Robert F. Onder
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 209
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the House of Congress does not pass regular appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Inaction Has Consequences Act
.
With respect to a House of Congress and a fiscal year, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on the first day of the fiscal year and ends on the earlier of—
the last day of the Congress during which that fiscal year begins.
The term regular appropriation bill means any annual appropriation bill which, with respect to the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives for that Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Senate).
The payroll administrator shall provide for the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow account under section 2 that would apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to such section.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this Act.
In order to ensure that this Act is carried out in a manner consistent with the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under section 2 on the last day of the Congress during which the amounts were deposited in such account.
In this Act—
the payroll administrator
of a House of Congress means—
in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this Act; and
in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this Act.