Nickel Plan Act This bill modifies the federal budget process to establish and enforce new spending caps. The bill establishes an outlay cap (less net interest payments) for FY2024 of $5.953 trillion, less 5%. For each year from FY2025-FY2027, the outlay cap is 5% less than the previous year's outlay cap. For FY2028 and subsequent years, total outlays (including net interest payments) may not exceed 17.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Beginning in FY2029, total projected outlays for any year may not be less than the total projected outlays for the preceding year. The OMB must enforce the spending caps using a sequester to eliminate any excess spending through automatic cuts. The bill eliminates the existing exemptions from sequestration. If the OMB projects a sequester, the congressional budget committees may report a resolution directing congressional committees to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions necessary to meet the outlay limits. The bill also establishes procedures for Congress to enforce the outlay caps established by this bill.

Inflation Prevention Act of 2023 This bill establishes a point of order that, when the annualized rate of inflation exceeds 4.5%, prohibits the House and Senate from considering legislation that provides new budget authority and is estimated to increase the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The prohibition may be waived in the Senate by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Senate.

Article I Regulatory Budget Act This bill requires the establishment of a federal regulatory budget to limit the costs of federal regulations. It also establishes requirements for disclosing the projected costs of federal regulations and procedures for enforcing the regulatory budget.

Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023 This bill revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking. Specifically, the bill establishes a congressional approval process for a major rule. A major rule may only take effect if Congress approves of the rule. A major rule is a rule that has resulted in or is likely to result in (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. The bill generally preserves the current congressional review process for a nonmajor rule.

Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2023 This bill requires executive agencies to submit information regarding settlement agreements to a public database. Specifically, an agency must submit information regarding any settlement agreement (including a consent decree) entered into by the agency related to an alleged violation of federal law. If an agency determines that information regarding an agreement must remain confidential to protect the public interest, the agency must publish an explanation of why the information is confidential.

For the relief of Diego Montoya Bedoya.

Responsible Legislating Act

Budget Process Enhancement Act This bill modifies the federal budget process to withhold the salaries of Members of Congress and cancel the salaries of certain employees of the Office of Management and Budget when certain budget process requirements are not met. The bill also changes the assumptions that the Congressional Budget Office uses to calculate its baseline for discretionary spending to eliminate certain adjustments for inflation and other factors. (A baseline is a projection of federal spending and receipts during a fiscal year under current law.)

Housing Survivors of Major Disasters ActThis bill lowers the eligibility criteria for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individuals and Households Program (IHP) housing assistance, including for IHP permanent housing construction, and requires FEMA to consider evidence of constructive ownership of a residence when determining eligibility for IHP home repair or home replacement assistance.  Specifically, the bill lowers the level of damage required for certain IHP housing assistance eligibility, so the residence must merely be damaged by a major disaster instead of rendered uninhabitable. Also, under current law, FEMA is authorized to provide assistance for permanent housing construction where (1) no alternative housing resources are available; and (2) other types of temporary housing assistance are unavailable, infeasible, or not cost-effective. The bill authorizes IHP permanent housing construction where FEMA determines such assistance is a cost-effective alternative to other housing solutions, including temporary housing costs.Additionally, the bill requires FEMA to consider an individual or household’s claim of constructive (i.e., implied) ownership, where evidence supports its existence is more likely than not, when determining eligibility for IHP financial assistance for home repair or replacement for a residence without documented ownership rights. FEMA must consider all evidence provided when determining whether constructive ownership more likely than not exists, and the bill lists examples of evidence. If FEMA determines the evidence is insufficient, FEMA may require a signed declarative statement describing the constructive ownership. FEMA may not require notarization of the statement.

Cost Estimates Improvement Act This bill requires cost estimates prepared by the Congressional Budget Office or the Joint Committee on Taxation to include (1) the cost of servicing the public debt; and (2) a list of any federal agencies, programs, and initiatives with fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative goals or activities covered by the legislation.

Budgetary Accuracy in Scoring Interest Costs Act of 2023 or the BASIC Act This bill requires cost estimates prepared by the Congressional Budget Office or the Joint Committee on Taxation to include the costs of servicing the public debt.

Stop Inflationary Spending Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide inflation projections for bills that Congress considers using the budget reconciliation process. Specifically, the CBO must estimate the impact on inflation that will occur from implementing each reconciliation bill, including the impact on inflation that will occur during each of the first five years after the enactment of the bill.

True Cost Act This bill requires the President's annual budget submission to Congress to include estimates of the cost per individual taxpayer for (1) the public debt, and (2) any projected budget deficit for a fiscal year.

Securing America's Elections Act of 2023 This bill requires voting systems for federal elections to produce paper ballots that the voter may inspect and verify before the vote is cast and counted. The bill also (1) requires the paper ballot to be suitable for manual audits, (2) prescribes approved methods for such audits, and (3) directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Election Assistance Commission to report on the desirability of using open-source software in voting systems.

Period PROUD (Providing Resources for Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act of 2025