Limits to Government Act of 1979

Limits to Government Act of 1979 - Declares that it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to: (1) reduce Federal expenditures to no more than 20 percent of the gross national product, except in times of war or other national emergency; (2) annually review existing tax rates and make any reductions necessary to promote optimum employment of human and material resources; and (3) provide for a balanced budget no later than 1982. Title I: Amendments to the Budget and Accounting Act, 1921 - Specifies that Federal expenditures for any fiscal year shall not exceed 20 percent of the estimated gross national product or exceed the estimated receipts of the Government for such year. Requires the President to state in the Budget: (1) the relative priorities of estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations; and (2) the tax proposals necessary to reduce Government receipts to no more than 20 percent of the estimated gross national product. Title II: Amendments to Congressional Budget Act of 1974 - Sets forth a new procedure for the development of the budget under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Requires that the House of Representatives and the Senate each adopt concurrent resolutions on spending as well as concurrent resolutions on the budget. Sets forth a timetable for the congressional budget process for each fiscal year. States that the level of outlays in the concurrent spending resolution shall establish a spending ceiling for the subsequent concurrent budget resolution. Stipulates that the concurrent budget resolution cannot be acted upon until the adoption of the concurrent spending resolution. Requires the Committee on the Budget of each House to report the first concurrent resolution on spending to their respective House by March 15. Stipulates that such shall set forth: (1) the level of total budget outlays and the total new budget authority; (2) the surplus or the deficit in the budget; (3) the amount, if any, by which outlays or revenues exceed 20 percent of the estimated gross national product; (4) the amount by which the recommended level of Federal revenues exceed 20 percent of the gross national product; (5) the recommended level of Federal revenues; (6) the appropriate level of the public debt; and (7) the year in which the goals for reducing unemployment as set forth in the Employment Act of 1946 should be achieved. Requires that the first concurrent resolution on the budget contain an estimate of budget outlays and an appropriate level of new budget authority for each major functional category, for contingencies, and for undistributed intragovernmental transactions. Prescribes that in the process of considering, developing, and acting on the first concurrent spending resolution and the first concurrent budget resolution the Committee on the Budget of each House shall receive the views and estimates of other committees and joint committees and hold hearings and receive testimony. Requires that the Congressional Budget Office submit reports to the Budget Committees for purposes of the first spending resolution as well as the first budget resolution. Requires the Congress to adopt a second concurrent spending resolution and a second, concurrent budget resolution. States that such second concurrent resolutions shall reaffirm or revise the most recently agreed to concurrent resolutions. Requires a three-fifths majority of the Members voting (a quorum being present) for the adoption of the first concurrent spending resolution if outlays exceed either recommended revenues or 20 percent of the estimated fiscal year gross national product. Allows the second concurrent budget resolution to increase the aggregate level of outlays as specified in the first concurrent spending resolution, but only by a three-fifths majority vote of both Houses. Limits in the House of Representatives: (1) general debate on any concurrent spending resolution or concurrent budget resolution to five hours; (2) debate on the conference report of any concurrent spending resolution to two hours; and (3) debate on the conference report of any concurrent budget resolution to three hours. Title III: Miscellaneous and Conforming Amendments - Defines "concurrent resolution on spending" and "concurrent resolution on the budget" for purposes of this Act. Makes the effective date of this Act December 31, 1980.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 27, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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