Public Laws

No Budget No Pay Act
Public Law 113-3

No Budget No Pay Act; Debt Limit Increase (Public Law 113-3) 127 Stat. 51; February 4, 2013; H.R. 325 (113th Congress)

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Summary

The No Budget, No Pay Act was legislation proposed in the United States Congress providing that members of Congress would receive no salary unless Congress passed a budget by October 1, 2012.

Representative Jim Cooper, a Democrat from Tennessee, introduced this bill in the United States House of Representatives.

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General  Information

Public Law: Pub. L. 113-3
Stat. At Large: 127 Stat. 51
Enacted: February 4, 2013
Bill Number: H.R. 325 (113th Congress)
Sponsor: Rep. Camp, Dave [R-MI-4] 
Note: This Act also included a suspension of the application of the public debt limit. By this time, Congress had ceased specifying the amount at which the debt limit was to be set, and rather suspended its application for a period of time. This allowed a lack of clarity as to the amount of debt permitted, at the expense of having a clearly drafted law. 

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Applicable Text of Statute

sec. 3. holding salaries of members of congress in escrow upon failure to agree to budget resolution.

(a) Holding Salaries In Escrow.—

(1) In general.—If by April 15, 2013, a House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2014 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period.

(2) Period described.—With respect to a House of Congress, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on April 16, 2013, and ends on the earlier of—

(A) the day on which the House of Congress agrees to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2014 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; or

(B) the last day of the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.

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