HR143-119

What This Bill Does

The Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act sets a budget enforcement process for unauthorized programs beginning in fiscal year 2026. It defines unauthorized programs by reference to CBO's Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations report and treats programs funded in fiscal year 2026 with older expired authorizations as expiring in that year for purposes of the Act. When a budgetary level is established for the fiscal year after an authorization expires, the level is immediately reduced by 10 percent of the prior-year funding for that program. If the program remains unauthorized in the second or third fiscal year after expiration, the budgetary level is reduced by 15 percent of the prior-year amount. House and Senate Budget Committee chairs must transmit revised levels to Appropriations Committee chairs. If a program triggers the third-year reduction, it terminates on October 1 of the following fiscal year, with unobligated funds available only to record, adjust, and liquidate valid pre-termination obligations. A terminated program cannot receive new obligations without express congressional reauthorization for no more than three years. Reauthorization during the fiscal year restores reductions only if the reauthorization includes a sunset provision of not more than three years.

Who Benefits and How

Fiscal conservatives benefit because unauthorized programs face automatic cuts and eventual termination if Congress does not reauthorize them. Authorizing committees benefit from leverage to revisit expired programs before appropriations continue. Budget Committee chairs benefit from a formal role in revising and transmitting budgetary levels. Taxpayers benefit if the process reduces spending on programs that lack current authorization. Oversight advocates benefit because the Act forces regular congressional review of program authorizations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Unauthorized federal programs bear immediate budget risk from 10 percent and 15 percent reductions and eventual termination. Program beneficiaries and grantees face funding uncertainty if authorizations lapse. Appropriations Committees must work within revised budgetary levels transmitted by Budget Committee chairs. Authorizing committees must reauthorize programs with sunset periods of not more than three years to avoid or reverse reductions. Agencies running terminated programs may only use unobligated balances to close valid prior obligations and cannot incur new obligations without express reauthorization.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a recurring three-year budgetary level reduction cycle for unauthorized programs.
• Defines unauthorized programs using CBO's expired and expiring authorizations report.
• Requires a 10 percent reduction in the fiscal year after authorization expires.
• Requires 15 percent reductions in the second and third unauthorized fiscal years.
• Terminates programs after the third unauthorized year.
• Allows unobligated funds after termination only for valid pre-termination obligations.
• Bars new obligations for terminated programs without express reauthorization.
• Restores reductions only when reauthorization includes a sunset of not more than three years.