Bill Summary
The "Executive Action Cost Transparency Act" aims to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of budgetary baseline calculations conducted by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Specifically, it mandates that the CBO include the budgetary effects of executive and judicial actions—such as executive orders, regulations, and judicial rulings—in its baseline reports.
Key provisions of the bill include:
1. **Inclusion of Actions**: Any executive or judicial actions that have significant budgetary impacts (at least $50 billion) must be accounted for in the CBO’s baseline calculations, unless otherwise directed by Congressional budget committees.
2. **Documentation Requirement**: Agencies responsible for implementing executive actions must provide detailed documentation to the CBO within ten days of the action's implementation. This includes written documentation, guidance for affected parties, and any relevant data.
3. **Reporting**: The CBO must include a separate table in its reports that outlines the budgetary effects of these actions, ensuring transparency and accountability regarding their financial implications.
Overall, the legislation seeks to enhance fiscal transparency by ensuring that significant executive and judicial actions are properly reflected in federal budget calculations.
Possible Impacts
The "Executive Action Cost Transparency Act" outlined in the provided legislation could have several implications for various stakeholders. Here are three examples of how it might affect people:
1. **Increased Transparency for Citizens**: The legislation mandates that the budgetary effects of executive and judicial actions be included in the Congressional Budget Office's baseline calculations. This means that citizens would have access to clearer information regarding how executive orders, proposed rules, and judicial decisions impact public finances. As a result, taxpayers might better understand the financial implications of government actions, possibly leading to increased public engagement and accountability.
2. **Impact on Government Agencies and Personnel**: Agencies and departments responsible for implementing executive actions are required to provide detailed documentation and guidance following the enactment of such actions. This could lead to an increased administrative burden on these entities, as they must ensure compliance with the new requirements. Employees may need additional training to understand the implications of the legislation and accurately communicate the effects of these actions to the public, potentially affecting their workload and operational efficiency.
3. **Influence on Legislative Decision-Making**: By requiring that significant executive and judicial actions be assessed for their budgetary impact and reported alongside traditional budget information, lawmakers may be more cautious in their decision-making processes. This could result in a more thorough examination of proposed policies before implementation, potentially leading to more fiscally responsible governance. However, it may also slow down the legislative process as Congress takes additional time to analyze the implications of executive actions, affecting how quickly policies can be enacted or modified.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6569 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6569
To include certain executive and judicial actions in the baseline
calculation by the Congressional Budget Office, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2025
Mr. Estes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Budget
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To include certain executive and judicial actions in the baseline
calculation by the Congressional Budget Office, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Executive Action Cost Transparency
Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING BASELINE DATA BY INCLUDING EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL
ACTIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(f) Executive and Judicial Actions.--
``(1) In general.--Unless directed otherwise by the chairs
of the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives
and the Senate, any calculation of the baseline and any update
of the baseline included in a report required under section
202(e)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C.
602(e)(1)) shall include the budgetary effects of any judicial
action and any executive action (including any proposed rule,
final rule, executive order, or memorandum) consistent with
scorekeeping practices agreed to by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office and the Committees on the Budget of
the House of Representatives and the Senate.
``(2) Executive action documentation requirement.--With
respect to an executive action described in paragraph (1), each
department, agency, establishment, or regulatory agency or
commission that promulgates, issues, announces, or implements
any such executive action shall, consistent with the
requirements under section 201(d) of the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601(d)) and not
later than 10 days after the date any such executive action
goes into effect, provide to the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office a list that describes--
``(A) all written documentation with respect to the
implementation of the executive action;
``(B) any implementation guidance for those
impacted by the executive action, including any
guidance for internal and external personnel, offices,
other entities or individuals, or private parties; and
``(C) any other information relevant to the
analyses required by this subsection, including
relevant data, as determined appropriate by the
Director.''.
(b) Separate Table in Report.--Section 202(e)(1) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 602(e)(1)) is amended by
adding at the end the following: ``To the extent practicable, the
report and any update to the report shall include a table of any
judicial action and any executive action described in section 257(f) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 that was
issued on or after the date of the last publication of the report or
the most recent update to the report (as the case may be) if the
Director estimates the judicial action or the executive action has
budgetary effects of at least $50,000,000,000 during the current year,
budget year, and the nine years following the budget year. Any proposed
executive action shall be assumed to be final for purposes of
determining whether to include the proposed action in the table and
shall only be included consistent with the scorekeeping guidelines
determined under section 252(d)(5) of such Act.''.
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