H.R. 3289 — Fiscal Commission Act

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including: (1) co-chair, as an individual appointed to serve as a co-chair of the Fiscal Commission under section 3(a)(3)(B)(i); (2) Fiscal Commission, as the commission established under section 3(a); (3) implementing bill, as a bill or joint resolution consisting solely of the legislative text the Fiscal Commission approves and submits under clauses (i) and (v), respectively, of section 3(a)(2)(B); and (4) outside expert, as an individual who is not an elected official or an officer or employee of the federal government or of any state.

This section establishes a Fiscal Commission in Congress not later than 60 days after enactment with goals to educate the public on the nation's fiscal condition, including debt risks to long-term sustainability. The commission must identify policies to improve the federal fiscal outlook by (1) reducing debt and deficits; (2) achieving a public debt-to-GDP ratio of not more than 100% by FY2039; and (3) ensuring at least 75-year solvency for federal trust fund programs, considering macroeconomic effects and changes to discretionary spending, direct spending, and revenues. Congressional committees may submit related recommendations within 60 days of establishment; the commission may issue an interim report and, not earlier than November 4, 2026, but not later than November 13, 2026, must vote on a final report with findings, recommendations, a Congressional Budget Office estimate, and legislative language requiring majority approval including at least two Republican- and two Democratic-appointed members, with additional views permitted, public release within 24 hours, and submission to the President, Vice President, Speaker, and congressional leaders within three days if approved; the deadline may be extended to April 13, 2027, by majority vote.

This section establishes expedited consideration procedures in the House of Representatives and Senate for implementing bills consisting solely of legislative language approved and submitted by the Fiscal Commission. In the House, the bill must be introduced by the majority leader (or designee) on the third legislative day after submission or by any Member thereafter; committees must report it without amendment within five legislative days or be discharged; a motion to proceed is in order thereafter, with two hours of debate equally divided; all points of order are waived; no amendments are allowed; and a vote on passage occurs under House Rule XX, cl. 8. In the Senate, the bill must be introduced by the majority or minority leader (or designee) on the submission day or the next session day and placed on the Calendar; a motion to proceed is in order after two session days (non-debatable and not subject to motions to postpone, commit, or reconsider); all points of order are waived; no amendments, motions to postpone, or motions to commit are in order; and it remains unfinished business if the motion is agreed to. If one chamber receives an identical implementing bill from the other before passage, the received bill bypasses committee and supplants the original at the passage vote (except House treatment of Senate revenue measures). No amendments are permitted in either chamber.

This section provides funding for the Fiscal Commission in equal portions from (1) the Senate's contingent fund from the "Miscellaneous Items" appropriations account, subject to Senate rules and regulations; and (2) applicable House of Representatives accounts.

This section declares the provisions of the Act to be an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and House, such that they are considered part of each chamber's rules (superseding other rules only to the extent inconsistent) while recognizing each chamber's constitutional right to change its rules in the same manner as any other rule.