Budget resolution FY2006

Sets forth the congressional budget for the Federal Government for FY 2006, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY 2005 through 2010.

Title I: Levels and Amounts - (Sec. 101) Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts, for FY 2005 through 2010, with respect to: (1) Federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits; (5) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public.

(Sec. 102) Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security and specified major functional categories for FY 2005 through 2010.

Title II: Reconciliation - (Sec. 201) Requires, by June 6, 2005, recommendations to the Senate Committee on the Budget of changes in law within their respective jurisdictions sufficient to reduce outlays by specified amounts by the following Committees: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (3) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (4) Energy and Natural Resources; (5) Environment and Public Works; and (6) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Requires the Senate Committee on the Budget to report to the Senate a reconciliation bill carrying out all such recommendations without any substantive revision.

Directs the Senate Committee on Finance to report a reconciliation bill by: (1) September 7, 2005, that consists of changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the total level of revenues by no more than $19.016 billion for FY 2006 and $128.580 billion for the period FY 2006 through 2010; and (2) September 16, 2005, that consists solely of changes in laws within its jurisdiction to increase the statutory debt limit by $446.464 billion.

Title III: Reserve Funds - Creates reserve funds, subject to specified conditions, for: (1) health information technology and pay-for-performance; (2) an Asbestos Injury Trust Fund; (3) the uninsured; (4) the Land and Water Conservation Fund; (5) the Federal Pell Grant Program; (6) Higher Education; (7) energy legislation; (8) the safe importation of prescription drugs; (9) the bipartisan Medicaid commission; (10) patriotic employers of national guardsmen and reservists; (11) the Family Opportunity Act; (12) the restoration of SCHIP funds; (13) Hope credit; (14) influenza vaccine shortage prevention; and (15) the extension of treatment of combat pay for earned income and child tax credits.

(Sec. 301) Allows the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget (Chairman) to revise allocations of new budget authority and outlays, revenue aggregates, and other appropriate aggregates (allocations and aggregates), provided that it would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 through FY 2010, if the Senate Finance Committee or the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation providing incentives or other support for adoption of modern information technology to improve quality in health care, and providing for performance-based payments based on accepted clinical performance measures that improve the quality in health care.

(Sec. 302) Allows the Chairman to make the appropriate adjustments in committee allocations and aggregates, provided that it would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 through 2056, if the Senate Committee on the Judiciary reports legislation that: (1) compensates injured victims of asbestos-related disease; (2) does not compensate uninjured claimants or those suffering from a disease not shown to be asbestos-related disease; (3) requires strict medical criteria; and (4) is reasonably expected to remain funded from non-Federal sources for the 50-year life of the fund.

(Sec. 303) Allows the Chairman to revise allocations and aggregates, provided that it would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through FY 2010, if the Senate Finance Committee or the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation that addresses health care costs, coverage, or care for the uninsured, provides safety net access to integrated and other health care services, or increases the number of people with health insurance (provided that such increase is not obtained primarily as a result of increasing premiums for the currently insured), and increases access to coverage through mechanisms that decrease the growth of health care costs, and may include tax- and market-based measures.

(Sec. 304) Allows the Chairman to revise committee allocations for the Senate Committee on Appropriations and other appropriate budgetary aggregates, if the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources reports legislation that permits exploration and production of oil in the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and such measure is enacted and the reconciliation instruction set out in this Act is met, by the amount provided in reported legislation that provides funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Federal Land Acquisition and Stateside Grant Programs, the Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program, and the Forest Legacy Program, at least at the previous year's levels, adjusted for inflation, and makes available a portion of the receipts resulting from enactment of such legislation permitting exploration and production of oil in the 1002 Area and for such Fund and Programs. Limits the adjustment to $350 million in new budget authority in each of FY 2008 through 2010.

(Sec. 305) Allows the Chairman to revise appropriately committee allocations and aggregates, if the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation that eliminates the accumulated shortfall of budget authority resulting from insufficient appropriations of discretionary new budget authority previously enacted for the Federal Pell Grant Program for awards made through the award year 2005-2006. Limits the adjustment to $4.300 billion in new budget authority for FY 2006.

(Sec. 306) Allows the Chairman to revise committee allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation that reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965. Limits amounts to $748 billion in new budget authority and $684 billion in outlays for FY 2006, and $5.603 billion in new budget authority and $5.099 billion in outlays for FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 307) Allows the Chairman to revise committee allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources reports legislation that provides for a national energy policy, and in conjunction with revenue legislation that does not reduce net revenues by more than $803 billion in FY 2006 and $4.557 billion for FY 2006 through 2010, Limits amounts to $100 million in new budget authority for FY 2006 and the outlays flowing therefrom and $2 billion in new budget authority for the period FY 2006 through 2010 and the outlays flowing therefrom.

(Sec. 308) Allows the Chairman to revise allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation that permits the safe importation of prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from specified countries with strong safety laws, provided that any such measure would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 309) Allows the Chairman to make the appropriate adjustments in allocations and aggregates, and increase the allocation of new budget authority appropriately to such Committees for FY 2005 and FY 2006 and for the period FY 2005 through 2009 to the extent such adjustment is offset by an increase in receipts appropriated to the highway trust fund for the applicable fiscal year, if the Senate Committees on Environment and Public Works; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; or Commerce, Science, and Transportation reports legislation that provides new budget authority for the budget accounts or portions thereof, for programs, projects, and activities for highways, highway safety, and transit, in excess of: (1) $42.606 billion for FY 2005; (2) $43.131 billion for FY 2006; or (3) $231.088 billion for FY 2005 through 2009.

Provides that for FY 2006 and in subsequent fiscal years, if legislation is reported that changes obligation limitations such that the total limitations exceed $42.686 billion for FY 2006 for programs, projects, and activities for highways, highway safety, and transit, and if legislation has been enacted that satisfies the conditions set forth in section 309 for such fiscal year, the Chairman may increase the allocation of outlays and aggregates for the committees reporting such measures, but not to exceed the amount of such excess that was offset in FY 2006.

(Sec. 310) Directs the Chairman to revise the aggregates, functional totals, allocations, levels in section 404 of this resolution, and other appropriate levels and limits for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010, by up to $1.500 million in new budget authority for FY 2006 and the amounts of outlays flowing therefrom for an appropriations legislation that provides funding for legislation reported by the Senate Finance Committee authorizing and creating a 23 member, bipartisan MedicaidCommission.

(Sec. 311) Requires the Chairman to adjust the revenue aggregates in this resolution to reflect any legislation that provides a 50 percent tax credit to employers for compensation paid to employees who are on active duty status as members of the Guard or Reserve, provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 312) Allows the Chairman to revise allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Finance reports legislation that provides families of disabled children with the opportunity to purchase coverage under the Medicaid coverage for such children (the Family Opportunity Act), provided it would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 313) Allows the Chairman to revise allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Finance reports legislation that provides for the restoration of unexpended funds under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that reverted to the Treasury on October 1, 2004, and that may provide for the redistribution of such funds for outreach and enrollment as well as for coverage initiatives, provided that it would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 314) Allows the Chairman to revise committee allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Finance reports legislation that increases the Hope credit to $4,000, and makes it available for four years, if that measure includes offsets including legislation closing corporate tax loopholes and would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 315) Requires the Chairman to revise committee allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports legislation that increases the participation of manufacturers in the production of influenza vaccine, increases research and innovation in new technologies for the development of influenza vaccine, and enhances the ability of the United States to track and respond to domestic influenza outbreaks as well as pandemic containment efforts, regardless of whether the committee is within its allocations, and such legislation shall be exempt from the Congressional Budget Act (CBA), and from the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 2004 (H.Con.Res. 95), if that measure would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 and for the period FY 2006 through 2010.

(Sec. 316) Allows the Chairman to revise the allocations and aggregates if the Senate Committee on Finance reports legislation that makes permanent the taxpayer election to treat combat pay otherwise excluded from gross income under the Internal Revenue Code as earned income for purposes of the earned income credit, and makes permanent the treatment of such combat pay as earned income for purposes of the child tax credit, provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit for FY 2006 or the total of the period FY 2006 through 2010.

Title IV: Budget Enforcement - (Sec. 401) Sets forth prohibitions on advance appropriations in the Senate. Excepts advance appropriations for FY 2007 and 2008 for specified accounts identified for advance appropriations. Allows waiver or suspension of a point of order on advance appropriations in the Senate only by an affirmative three-fifths (60) majority vote.

(Sec. 402) Enables Congress, if in the absence of an extension of the discretionary spending limits and PAYGO requirements under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), to designate provisions of legislation as an emergency (meeting specified criteria) in order to exempt such measures from enforcement of this resolution with respect to the new budget authority, outlays, and receipts resulting from them. Includes measures making supplemental appropriations for FY 2006 for overseas contingency operations related to the global war on terrorism.

(Sec. 403) Continues the supermajority enforcement requirements of CBA as a Senate rule through FY 2010.

(Sec. 404) Extends Senate discretionary limits for FY 2006 through 2008.

Increases the allocation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations by $189 million in budget authority and outlays for FY 2006 if legislation is reported that appropriates $412 million for continuing disability reviews for the Social Security Administration (SSA) and provides an additional appropriation of $189 million for such purpose.

Increases the allocation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations by $446 million in budget authority and outlays for FY 2006 if legislation is reported that appropriates $6.447 billion for enhanced tax enforcement to address the "Federal tax gap" for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and provides an additional appropriation of $446 billion for such purpose.

Increases the allocation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations by $80 million in budget authority and outlays for FY 2006 if legislation is reported that appropriates $80 million to the health care fraud and abuse control program at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Increases the allocation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations by $40 million in budget authority and outlays for FY 2006 if legislation is reported that appropriates $10 million for unemployment insurance improper payments reviews for the Department of Labor, and provides an additional appropriation of $40 million for such purpose.

Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider any legislation that would cause the discretionary spending limits in this section to be exceeded.

Permits: (1) waiver or suspension of such provisions only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate; and (2) appeals in the Senate from the decisions of the Chair on such provisions.

(Sec. 406) Requires the Chairman to make adjustments to the levels and allocations in this resolution according to the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, as in effect before September 30, 2002, upon enactment of any legislation providing for a change in concepts or definitions.

Requires the budget authority counted against the bill for the Pell Grant Program to be equal to the adjusted full cost if enacted appropriations of discretionary new budget authority are insufficient to cover the full cost of Pell Grants in the upcoming award year, adjusted for any cumulative funding surplus or shortfall from prior years.

Applies such provisions only to new Pell Grants awards approved in legislation for award year 2006-2007 and subsequent award years. Excludes the cumulative shortfall through award year 2005-2006.

Bases the estimate of the budget authority associated with the full cost of Pell Grants on the maximum award and any changes in eligibility requirements, using current economic and technical assumptions and as determined pursuant to scorekeeping guidelines, if any.

(Sec. 407) Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), to the extent practicable, to prepare and submit to the Committee on Appropriations an estimate of the costs in each of the four ten-year periods beginning in FY 2015 through 2055, for each public bill or resolution, except measures within the Committee's jurisdiction, causing a net increase in direct spending in excess of $5 billion in any of such periods.

Makes it out of order to consider legislation that would cause a net increase in direct spending in excess of $5 billion in any of the four ten-year periods beginning in FY 2015 through 2055, as measured against current law out-year estimates prepared by CBO.

Permits: (1) waiver or suspension of this section only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate; and (2) appeals in the Senate from the decisions of the Chair on such provisions.

Title V: Sense of the Senate - (Sec. 501) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should: (1) preclude consideration of any legislation that would provide an appropriation, in whole or in part, for programs not specifically authorized by law or Treaty stipulation, or the amount of which exceeds the amount specifically authorized by law or Treaty stipulation, or that would provide a limited tax benefit as defined by the Line Item Veto Act of 1996; and (2) determine a method for effectively containing the extraordinary growth in unauthorized earmarks.

(Sec. 502) Expresses the sense of the Senate that a commission should be established to review Federal agencies and their programs with the express purpose of providing Congress with recommendations and implementing legislation to realign or eliminate Government agencies and programs that are wasteful, duplicative, inefficient, outdated, irrelevant, or have failed to accomplish their intended purpose.

(Sec. 503) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should provide sufficient funding to the Department of Defense (DOD) to offer members of the Reserve Component continuous access to TRICARE for a premium regardless of their activation status.

(Sec. 504) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Senate Finance Committee should not report a reconciliation bill that achieves spending reductions that would: (1) undermine the role the Medicaid program plays as a critical component of the Federal health care system; (2) cap Federal Medicaid spending or otherwise shift Medicaid cost burdens to State or local governments and their taxpayers and health providers forcing a reduction in access to essential health services for low-income elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and children and families; or (3) undermine the Federal guarantee of health insurance coverage Medicaid provides, which would threaten not only the Federal health care safety net but the entire health care system.

(Sec. 505) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) this resolution recognizes the funding challenges faced by tribal colleges and universities and assumes that equitable consideration will be provided to them through funding of the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act, the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act, title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and the National Science Foundation, DOD, and Housing and Urban Development Tribal College and University Programs; and (2) such equitable consideration reflects Congress intent to continue to work toward statutory Federal funding authorization goals for tribal colleges and universities.

(Sec. 506) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress supports the President's request to "Concentrate Federal funds for State and local homeland security assistance programs on the highest threats, vulnerabilities, and needs."

Urges Congress, in dealing with homeland security assistance grants that relate to port security, to: (1) allocate port security grants under a separate, dedicated program intended specifically for port security enhancements, rather than as part of a combined program for many different infrastructure programs that could lead to reduced funding for port security; (2) devise a method to enable the Secretary of Homeland Security to both distribute port security grants to the Nation's port facilities more quickly and efficiently and give ports the financial resources needed to comply with congressional mandates; and (3) allocate sufficient funding for port security to enable port authorities to comply with mandated security improvements taking into consideration national, economic, and strategic defense concerns, ensure the protection of our Nation's maritime transportation, commerce system, and cruise passengers, strive to achieve funds consistent with the needs estimated by the U.S. Coast Guard, and recognize the unique threats for which port authorities must prepare.

(Sec. 507) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should reject the President's proposal to eliminate per diem payments to State Veterans Homes for the vast majority of patients that reside in these homes.

(Sec. 508) Expresses the sense of the Senate that funding for Impact Aid (Title VIII of Public Law 107-110) should be sufficient to insure that all federally connected school districts are provided a payment under that Act that will allow them to address the increase in program costs in recent years, as this is critical for school districts addressing the emotional and family needs of children of military families who have a parent or parents engaged in conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan.

(Sec. 509) Expresses the sense of the Senate that any reconciled mandatory agriculture savings required under this resolution should be primarily achieved through modifications to the payment limitation provisions of the Food Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

(Sec. 510) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President, Congress, and the American people, including seniors, workers, women, minorities, and disabled persons, should work together at the earliest opportunity to enact legislation to achieve a solvent and permanently sustainable Social Security system; (2) Social Security reform must protect current and near retirees from any changes to Social Security benefits, reduce the pressure on future taxpayers and on other budgetary priorities, provide benefit levels that adequately reflect individual contributions to the Social Security system, and preserve and strengthen the safety net for vulnerable populations including the disabled and survivors; and (3) the Senate should honor the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 (regarding annual adoption of the concurrent resolution on the budget).

(Sec. 511) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should reject any Social Security plan that requires deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt, and a failure to act would result in massive debt, deep benefit cuts, and tax increases.

(Sec. 512) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the levels in this concurrent resolution assume that Congress will: (1) appropriate $750 billion for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) for FY 2006; and (2) enact long-term reauthorization of SCAAP to reimburse State and local governments for the financial burdens undocumented criminal aliens place on their local criminal justice systems.

(Sec. 513) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the level of funding provided for the Aeronautics Mission Directorate (AMD) within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) should be increased by $1,582,700,000 between FY 2006 and 2010; and (2) the increases provided should be applied to the Vehicle Systems portion of the AMD's budget for use in subsonic and hypersonic aeronautical research.

(Sec. 514) Expresses the sense of the Senate that this resolution assumes that: (1) assistance should be provided to support the expansion of programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV as an integral component of a comprehensive approach to fighting HIV/AIDS, and to facilitate such expansion more resources are needed for specified activities; (2) assistance should be provided to support the care and treatment of children with HIV/AIDS; (3) antiretroviral drugs intended for pediatric use should include age-appropriate dosing information; (4) health care sites in resource-poor countries need better diagnostic capacity and appropriate supplies to provide care and treatment services for children, and additional training is required to ensure that health care providers can administer specialized care services for children; and (5) pediatric care and treatment should be integrated into the existing health care framework so children and families can be treated simultaneously.

(Sec. 515) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) it is ill-advised for DOD to pursue a winner-take-all strategy for the acquisition of destroyers under the next generation destroyer (DDX) program; and (2) the amounts identified in this resolution assume that the DOD will not acquire any destroyer under the next generation destroyer program through a winner-take-all strategy.

Defines "winner-take-all strategy," with respect to the acquisition of destroyers under the next generation program, to mean the acquisition (including design and construction) of such destroyers through a single shipyard.

(Sec. 516) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the tax cuts assumed in this resolution include repeal of the 1993 law that subjects 85 percent of certain Social Security benefits to the income tax, provided that the revenue loss to the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is fully replaced so that seniors' access to health care is not adversely affected.

Provides that, if the inclusion of these proposals would otherwise cause the cost of the tax cuts to exceed the level authorized in the resolution, any excess should be fully offset by closing corporate tax loopholes.

(Sec. 517) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the funding levels in this resolution assume that all amounts that have been and will be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund, including amounts deposited in FY 2006 and thereafter, shall remain in the Fund for use as authorized under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984.

(Sec. 518) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the spending level of budget function 750 (Administration of Justice) is assumed to include $227 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA); and (2) unless new legislation is enacted, it is assumed that the HIDTA program will remain with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, where Congress last authorized it to reside.

(Sec. 519) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President and Congress should: (1) expeditiously consider the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy during the 109th Congress; and (2) enact a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated national ocean policy that will ensure the long-term economic and ecological health of the U.S. oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.

(Sec. 520) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the assumptions underlying this budget resolution assume that none of the offsets needed to provide $800 million for the Global Fund will come from international humanitarian assistance programs.

(Sec. 521) Expresses the sense of the Senate that this resolution assumes that any increases in funding for the COPS Methamphetamine Enforcement Clean-Up Program should be offset by increased revenues to be derived from closing corporate tax loopholes.

(Sec. 522) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of the Treasury and the Comptroller General should each examine the economic impact of U.S. publicly-held debt that is held by foreign governments, institutions, and individuals.

(Sec. 523) Expresses the sense of the Senate that a relevant portion of amounts in this budget resolution providing for tax relief should be used to provide: (1) the 86 million Americans who do not itemize deductions an opportunity to deduct charitable contributions; (2) incentives for individuals to give tax free contributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes; (3) incentives for an estimated $2 billion in food donations from farmers, restaurants, and corporations to help the needy, an equivalent of 878 million meals for hungry Americans over ten years; (4) at least 300,000 low-income, working Americans the opportunity to build assets through individual development accounts or IDAs, which can be used to purchase a home, expand educational opportunity, or to start a small business; and (5) incentives for corporate charitable contributions.

(Sec. 524) Expresses the sense of the Senate that payments to States from the Federal Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund under title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act should be increased to $1.350 billion for FY 2006 to assist States and local communities in meeting water quality standards and restoring the health and safety of U.S. water.

(Sec. 525) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should approve the full amount of the President's request for SSA administrative costs for FY 2006, including funds for the implementation of the low-income prescription drug subsidy under part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003).

(Sec. 526) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the overall discretionary levels set in this resolution assume $75 million in new budget authority in FY 2006 and new outlays in FY 2006 and subsequent years, to fund research and ongoing systematic reviews (consistent with efforts currently undertaken by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality designed to improve scientific evidence related to the comparative effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs and other treatments), and to disseminate the findings from such research to health care practitioners, consumers, and health care purchasers; and (2) knowledge gaps identified through such efforts be addressed in accordance with the authorizing legislation and with oversight from the committees of subject matter jurisdiction.

(Sec. 527) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Senate Committee on Appropriations should make every effort to provide funding for the Advanced Technology Program in FY 2006.

(Sec. 528) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Senate conferees shall insist on the Senate position expressed in this resolution with respect to Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums.