Bill > HR879

This bill, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act, proposes a significant shift in how the U.S. government plans and spends money by moving from an annual to a biennial, or two-year, budget cycle. Key provisions include requiring biennial budget resolutions and appropriations Acts, meaning Congress would pass budget and spending bills for two-year periods instead of one. It also mandates biennial government strategic and performance plans, requiring agencies to plan and report on their goals and achievements over two-year spans. The bill defines a "biennium" as two consecutive fiscal years starting on October 1 of an odd-numbered year. Additionally, it includes provisions to ensure that authorizations for spending are also made for at least two years, unless a program is short-term, and that regular appropriations bills are considered on a biennial basis. Finally, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is tasked with studying the impact and feasibility of fully transitioning to a two-year fiscal period and reporting these findings to Congress.