2 U.S.C. § 602 — Duties and functions

Page 167 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 602 Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organi- zation and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5. § 602. Duties and functions (a) Assistance to budget committees It shall be the primary duty and function of the Office to provide to the Committees on the Budget of both Houses information which will assist such committees in the discharge of all matters within their jurisdictions, including (1) information with respect to the budget, appro- priation bills, and other bills authorizing or pro- viding new budget authority or tax expendi- tures, (2) information with respect to revenues, receipts, estimated future revenues and receipts, and changing revenue conditions, and (3) such related information as such Committees may re- quest. (b) Assistance to Committees on Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Finance At the request of the Committee on Appro- priations of either House, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representa- tives, or the Committee on Finance of the Sen- ate, the Office shall provide to such Committee any information which will assist it in the dis- charge of matters within its jurisdiction, includ- ing information described in clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a) and such related information as the Committee may request. (c) Assistance to other committees and Members (1) At the request of any other committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate or any joint committee of the Congress, the Office shall provide to such committee or joint com- mittee any information compiled in carrying out clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and, to the extent practicable, such additional informa- tion related to the foregoing as may be re- quested. (2) At the request of any committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Of- fice shall, to the extent practicable, consult with and assist such committee in analyzing the budgetary or financial impact of any proposed legislation that may have— (A) a significant budgetary impact on State, local, or tribal governments; (B) a significant financial impact on the pri- vate sector; or (C) a significant employment impact on the private sector. (3) At the request of any Member of the House or Senate, the Office shall provide to such Mem- ber any information compiled in carrying out clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and, to the extent available, such additional information re- lated to the foregoing as may be requested. (d) Assignment of office personnel to committees and joint committees At the request of the Committee on the Budg- et of either House, personnel of the Office shall be assigned, on a temporary basis, to assist such committee. At the request of any other com- mittee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress, personnel of the Office may be assigned, on a temporary basis, to assist such committee or joint committee with respect to matters directly related to the applicable provi- sions of subsection (b) or (c). (e) Reports to budget committees (1) On or before February 15 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report, for the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, with respect to fiscal policy, including (A) alternative levels of total revenues, total new budget authority, and total outlays (including related surpluses and defi- cits), (B) the levels of tax expenditures under ex- isting law, taking into account projected eco- nomic factors and any changes in such levels based on proposals in the budget submitted by the President for such fiscal year, and (C) a statement of the levels of budget authority and outlays for each program assumed to be ex- tended in the baseline, as provided in section 907(b)(2)(A) of this title and for excise taxes as- sumed to be extended under section 907(b)(2)(C) of this title. Such report shall also include a dis- cussion of national budget priorities, including alternative ways of allocating new budget au- thority and budget outlays for such fiscal year among major programs or functional categories, taking into account how such alternative allo- cations will meet major national needs and af- fect balanced growth and development of the United States. (2) The Director shall from time to time sub- mit to the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate such further reports (including reports revising the report required by paragraph (1)) as may be nec- essary or appropriate to provide such Commit- tees with information, data, and analyses for the performance of their duties and functions. (3) On or before January 15 of each year, the Director, after consultation with the appro- priate committees of the House of Representa- tives and Senate, shall submit to the Congress a report listing (A) all programs and activities funded during the fiscal year ending September 30 of that calendar year for which authorizations for appropriations have not been enacted for that fiscal year, and (B) all programs and activi- ties for which authorizations for appropriations have been enacted for the fiscal year ending Sep- tember 30 of that calendar year, but for which no authorizations for appropriations have been enacted for the fiscal year beginning October 1 of that calendar year. (f) Use of computers and other techniques The Director may equip the Office with up-to- date computer capability (upon approval of the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate), obtain the services of experts and consultants in computer technology, and develop techniques for the eval- uation of budgetary requirements. (g) Studies (1) Continuing studies The Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall conduct continuing studies to en- Page 168 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 603 hance comparisons of budget outlays, credit authority, and tax expenditures. (2) Federal mandate studies (A) At the request of any Chairman or rank- ing member of the minority of a Committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Director shall, to the extent practicable, conduct a study of a legislative proposal con- taining a Federal mandate. (B) In conducting a study on intergovern- mental mandates under subparagraph (A), the Director shall— (i) solicit and consider information or comments from elected officials (including their designated representatives) of State, local, or tribal governments as may provide helpful information or comments; (ii) consider establishing advisory panels of elected officials or their designated rep- resentatives, of State, local, or tribal gov- ernments if the Director determines that such advisory panels would be helpful in per- forming responsibilities of the Director under this section; and (iii) if, and to the extent that the Director determines that accurate estimates are rea- sonably feasible, include estimates of— (I) the future direct cost of the Federal mandate to the extent that such costs sig- nificantly differ from or extend beyond the 5-year period after the mandate is first ef- fective; and (II) any disproportionate budgetary ef- fects of Federal mandates upon particular industries or sectors of the economy, States, regions, and urban or rural or other types of communities, as appro- priate. (C) In conducting a study on private sector mandates under subparagraph (A), the Direc- tor shall provide estimates, if and to the ex- tent that the Director determines that such estimates are reasonably feasible, of— (i) future costs of Federal private sector mandates to the extent that such mandates differ significantly from or extend beyond the 5-year time period referred to in sub- paragraph (B)(iii)(I); (ii) any disproportionate financial effects of Federal private sector mandates and of any Federal financial assistance in the bill or joint resolution upon any particular in- dustries or sectors of the economy, States, regions, and urban or rural or other types of communities; and (iii) the effect of Federal private sector mandates in the bill or joint resolution on the national economy, including the effect on productivity, economic growth, full em- ployment, creation of productive jobs, and international competitiveness of United States goods and services. (Pub. L. 93–344, title II, § 202, July 12, 1974, 88 Stat. 304; Pub. L. 99–177, title II, § 221, Dec. 12, 1985, 99 Stat. 1060; Pub. L. 101–508, title XIII, § 13112(a)(3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–608; Pub. L. 104–4, title I, § 102(1), Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 60; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 213, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1745; Pub. L. 105–33, title X, § 10103, Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 678.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1997—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(a), inserted ‘‘primary’’ before ‘‘duty’’ in first sentence. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(b), redesignated sub- sec. (f) as (e) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (e). Text of par. (1) of subsec. (e) read as follows: ‘‘The duties, functions, and personnel of the Joint Com- mittee on Reduction of Federal Expenditures are trans- ferred to the Office, and the Joint Committee is abol- ished.’’ Par. (2) of subsec. (e) repealed section 571 of former Title 31, Money and Finance. Subsec. (e)(1)(C). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(c), added sub- par. (C). Subsecs. (f) to (h). Pub. L. 105–33, § 10103(b), redesig- nated subsecs. (g) and (h) as (f) and (g), respectively. 1996—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–186 substituted ‘‘House Oversight’’ for ‘‘House Administration’’. 1995—Subsec. (c)(2), (3). Pub. L. 104–4, § 102(1)(A), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104–4, § 102(1)(B), amended heading and text of subsec. (h) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘The Director shall conduct con- tinuing studies to enhance comparisons of budget out- lays, credit authority, and tax expenditures.’’ 1990—Subsecs. (a)(1), (f)(1). Pub. L. 101–508 substituted ‘‘new budget authority’’ for ‘‘budget authority’’ in sub- sec. (a)(1) and second sentence of subsec. (f)(1). 1985—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(a), substituted ‘‘February 15’’ for ‘‘April 1’’. Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(b), added par. (3). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–177, § 221(c), added subsec. (h). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Committee on House Oversight of House of Rep- resentatives changed to Committee on House Adminis- tration of House of Representatives by House Resolu- tion No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1995 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 104–4 effective Jan. 1, 1996, or on the date 90 days after appropriations are made avail- able as authorized under section 1516 of this title, whichever is earlier, and applicable to legislation con- sidered on and after such date, see section 110 of Pub. L. 104–4, set out as an Effective Date note under section 1511 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1985 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 99–177 effective Dec. 12, 1985, and applicable with respect to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1985, see section 275(a)(1) of Pub. L. 99–177, formerly set out as an Effective and Termi- nation Dates note under section 900 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 112–25, title I, § 104(a), Aug. 2, 2011, 125 Stat. 246. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective on day on which first Director of Congressional Budget Office is appointed under section 601(a) of this title, see section 905(b) of Pub. L. 93–344, formerly set out as a note under section 621 of this title. CREDIT REFORM Pub. L. 100–119, title II, § 212, Sept. 29, 1987, 101 Stat. 787, provided that the Congressional Budget Office, in consultation with the General Accounting Office, was to study and report to Congress, as soon as practicable, on Federal direct loan and loan guarantee programs for fiscal years 1987 and 1988. § 603. Public access to budget data (a) Right to copy Except as provided in subsections (c), (d), and (e), the Director shall make all information,