Sunset Act

Original

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

10 January 1977

Last action

12 October 1978 · Introduced

Status

Referred jointly to House Committees on Government Operations; and Rules.

Summary

Sunset Act - Title I: Authorizations of New Budget Authority - Sets forth a five-year schedule for review and reauthorization of all Federal programs according to budget function and subfunction as set forth in the Budget of the United States Government for fiscal year 1977. States that no program not specifically reauthorized by Congress pursuant to this Act shall continue to function after the review date set forth in such schedule. Excepts from the requirements of this Act specified programs such as health care services, general retirement and disability insurance, and Federal employment retirement and disability payments. Permits legislation authorizing Federal program review more often than every five years as required by this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to identify for Congress for each program being reviewed the type of budget authority such program has and those inactive programs for which no outlays have been made during fiscal years 1976 and 1977. Title II: Review of Programs - Requires the authorizing committees of the Senate and House of Representatives to conduct "sunset reviews" of all programs prior to the review date applicable to such program and to issue a report on the findings of such review. Sets forth guidelines for the content of such sunset reviews including the identification of programs with duplicative objectives and an assessment of the impact of eliminating the program or funding it at a lower level. Provides the authorizing committees with assistance from the Government Accounting Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Congressional Research Service in carrying out such sunset reviews. Title III: Citizens' Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government - Establishes a Citizens' Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government to study and make recommendations on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Government. Requires the Commission to submit its final report together with its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 1980. Requires the Comptroller General to report once a year for two years after submission of the Commission's final report the status of actions taken as a result of the report. Terminates the Commission 90 days after submission of its final report. Authorizes to be appropriated $12,000,000 to carry out the provisions of this title. Title IV: Tax Expenditures - Requires the Joint Committee on Taxation, after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Budget Committees of the House and Senate, to prepare a reauthorization schedule for all tax expenditures, similar to the schedule set out in Title I for Federal programs, and to report its recommendations to the Committees on Ways and Means and Finance. Requires the Congress to take final action before the end of the 95th Congress on the schedule for tax expenditures. States that, following the adoption of the schedule, the Committees on Ways and Means and Finance are required to conduct "sunset" reviews of tax expenditures according to the schedule. Sets forth guidelines for such reviews similar to those set out in Title II for such programs. Title V: Miscellaneous - Requires executive department agency heads to submit to Congress (after the President has submitted his budget) a statement of that agency's request for new budget authority as transmitted to the Office of Management and Budget. Requires agency heads to furnish the authorizing committees of Congress information regarding supplemental budget requests and supplemental estimates of outlays. Provides for a one-year grace period for programs which have not been specifically reauthorized by the scheduled time.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

10 January 1977
Introduced
Referred to Senate Committee on Government Operations (Subsequently: Governmental Affairs).
Source: IntroReferral
10 January 1977
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
1 July 1977
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Governmental Affairs with amendment, S. Rept. 95-326.
Source: Committee
1 July 1977
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Governmental Affairs with amendment, S. Rept. 95-326.
Source: Committee
20 July 1977
Introduced
Rereferred to Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
Source: IntroReferral
13 July 1978
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Rules and Administration with amendment, S. Rept. 95-981.
Source: Committee
13 July 1978
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Rules and Administration with amendment, S. Rept. 95-981.
Source: Committee
11 October 1978
Floor
Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
Source: Floor
11 October 1978
Vote
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #479 (87-1).
Source: Floor
12 October 1978
Introduced
Referred jointly to House Committees on Government Operations; and Rules.
Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 11 October 1978
Open at official source
Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 10 January 1977
Open at official source

Related records

related to → Sunset Act

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/95th-congress/senate-bill/2
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/95/s/2
us · 95-s-2 · source updated 4 February 2025