United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 3581 (112th)
Budget and Accounting Transparency Act of 2012
Introduced
7 December 2011
Last action
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Status
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
Sponsors
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Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
7 April 2025
Summary
Budget and Accounting Transparency Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA) (title V of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974) to revise the budgetary treatment of federal direct loans and loan guarantees to account for them on a fair value basis (currently, a FCRA accrual basis). Requires the President's budget from FY1992 on to reflect the Treasury discounting component of direct loan and loan guarantee programs. Defines the "Treasury discounting component" as the estimated long-term cost to the federal government of a direct loan or loan guarantee (or modification) calculated on a net present value basis, excluding administrative costs and any incidental effects on governmental receipts or outlays. Revises other requirements for the President's budget, beginning with FY2015, including conditions for new direct loans or loan guarantee commitments. Requires new budget authority for such loans or loan guarantee commitments to be provided in advance in an appropriation Act. Exempts a direct loan or loan guarantee program that constitutes an entitlement (such as the guaranteed student loan program or the veteran's home loan guaranty program) as well as all existing credit programs of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) from: (1) the above requirement, and (2) the prohibition against modification of an outstanding direct loan or loan guarantee in a manner that increases its costs unless budget authority for the additional cost has been provided in advance in an appropriation Act. Repeals the general authorization of appropriations to federal agencies for the cost associated with such direct loan obligations or loan guarantee commitments. Revises requirements for Treasury transactions with financing accounts (nonbudget accounts associated with each program account which holds balances, receives the cost payment from the program account, and also includes all other cash flows to and from the federal government resulting from direct loan obligations or loan guarantee commitments made on or after October 1, 1991). Limits the availability of amounts in liquidating accounts to specified payments resulting from direct loan obligations or loan guarantee commitments made before October 1, 1991. Requires each of the Directors of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to study and make recommendations to the congressional budget committees on the feasibility of applying fair value concepts to budgeting for the costs of federal insurance programs. Requires the receipts and disbursements, including the administrative expenses, of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs) to be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of: (1) the President's budget, (2) the congressional budget, and (3) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDC) (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Treats the face amount of obligations issued after the 90th day after the enactment of this Act by the GSEs outstanding at one time as issued by the federal government. (Thus subjects their debt to the public debt limit.) Repeals mandatory off-budget treatment of the receipts and disbursements of the Postal Service Fund. (Thus returns such Fund to an on-budget status.) Repeals the requirement that Competitive Products Fund receipts and disbursements be accorded the same budgetary treatment accorded to Postal Service Fund receipts and disbursements. Requires CBO and OMB to: (1) prepare jointly a study of the history of offsetting collections against expenditures and the amount of receipts collected annually, the historical application of the budgetary terms "revenue," "offsetting collections," and "offsetting receipts"; and (2) review the application of those terms and make recommendations to the congressional budget committees on whether such usage should be continued or modified. Requires a federal agency, whenever it prepares and submits written budget justification materials for any congressional committee, to post them on the same day as its submission on its public website.
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Votes
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Versions
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Documents
11 official files
Referred in Senate (text)
Referred in Senate (text)
Referred in Senate · EN · 9 February 2012
Referred in Senate (PDF)
Referred in Senate · EN · 9 February 2012
Engrossed in House (text)
Engrossed in House · EN · 7 February 2012
Engrossed in House (PDF)
Engrossed in House · EN · 7 February 2012
Passed House amended
summary · EN · 7 February 2012
Reported in House (text)
Reported in House · EN · 31 January 2012
Reported in House (PDF)
Reported in House · EN · 31 January 2012
Reported to House amended, Part I
summary · EN · 31 January 2012
Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 7 December 2011
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 7 December 2011
Introduced in House
summary · EN · 7 December 2011
Sponsors
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Related records
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Sources
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- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/3581
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/112/hr/3581