Summary
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, as amended) created a process that Congress uses each year to establish and enforce the parameters for budgetary legislation. Enforcement of budgetary decisions is accomplished through the use of points of order, and through the reconciliation process. Points of order are prohibitions against certain types of legislation or congressional actions. These prohibitions are enforced when a Member raises a point of order against legislation that may violate these rules when it is considered by the House or Senate.
This report summarizes the points of order currently in effect under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended, as well as related points of order established in various other measures that have a direct impact on budget enforcement. These related measures include the budget resolution adopted by Congress in 2015 (S.Con.Res. 11, 114th Congress), as well as earlier related provisions. These include the budget resolution adopted by Congress in 2009 (S.Con.Res. 13, 111th Congress), as well as selected provisions in the Rules of the House and separate orders for the 114th Congress (H.Res. 5, 114th Congress), the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 (P.L. 101508), and the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-139). In addition, the report describes how points of order are applied and the processes used for their waiver in the House and Senate.
These provisions have been adopted pursuant to the constitutional authority of each chamber to determine its rules of proceeding. This report will be updated to reflect any additions or further changes to these points of order.
Congressional Research Service
