Government Economy and Spending Reform Act of 1979

Government Economy and Spending Reform Act of 1979 - Title I: Authorizations of New Budget Authority - Terminates all budget authority for Federal programs on specified dates every five years according to the functional or subfunctional category of each program as set forth in the fiscal year 1979 budget.

Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress by April 1, 1980, on specified programs with respect to the laws under which such program is carried on, the amount of new budget authority received by such program during the four fiscal years ending before April 1, 1980, and to identify programs for which no outlays have been made during the last two fiscal years ending before April 1, 1980.

Requires the Committees on Appropriations and the Committees on the Budget of both Houses of Congress to review such report and to identify each program's functional and subfunctional category.

Prohibits providing new budget authority after the applicable review date set forth in this Act unless the provision of such budget authority is specifically authorized by law or the standing rules of either House of Congress.

Title II: Zero-Base Program Review - Sets forth a timetable for Congressional zero-base review of new budget authority. Defines "zero-base review" as an evaluation of a given program to determine whether its merits warrant its termination or continuation at a level less than, equal to, or more than its existing level. Requires each congressional committee conducting a zero-base program review to adopt tentative and final review plans, receive reports from the Comptroller General and Federal agencies on the program being reviewed, and report to their respective House the results of such zero-base review of the program. Sets forth minimum objectives of inquiry for such reviews. Requires that any committee reporting pursuant to this Act recommend the extent to which any program reviewed should be continued or eliminated.

Title III: Continuing Review - Amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 to require, whenever the Comptroller General issues a report which discloses any substantial deficiency in the achievement of the objectives of any Federal program, the agency conducting such program to report to specified congressional committees 60 days after such report and every six months thereafter to delineate the actions taken with respect to such deficiency. Requires that such agency continue to issue such reports until such time as the Comptroller General determines that no purpose is served by their submission.

Amends the Budget and Accounting Act, 1921, to require the inclusion in the Budget of a statement of the specific objectives of each Government program, and a comparison, in each subsequent Budget, of the achievement of such objectives for the last completed fiscal year with the planned objectives of such year.

Title IV: Citizens' Bicentennial Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government - Establishes, as an independent instrumentality of the United States, the Citizens' Bicentennial Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government to conduct a nonpartisan study and investigation of the programs, organization, and methods of operation of all departments, agencies, independent instrumentalities, and other authorities of the executive branch of the Government, and to make such recommendations as it determines are necessary to promote economic, efficient and improved services in the transaction of public business.

Requires the Commission to submit interim reports to the President and the Congress, and to submit a final report with its findings and recommendations. Requires the Comptroller General to report once a year for two years after submission of the Commission's final report on the status of actions taken as a result of the report.

Specifies the composition of the 18-member Commission and sets forth the duties and powers of the Commission. States that the Commission shall cease to exist 90 days after submission of its final report.

Authorizes the appropriation of $12,000,000 to carry out the provisions of this title.

Title V: Zero-Base Review of Tax Expenditures - Requires that Congress complete action during the first session of the Ninety-sixth Congress on a bill prescribing termination dates for all tax expenditure provisions. Directs the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue to identify such provisions and recommend the termination dates to Congress. Defines a "tax expenditure provision" as any provision of law or of any regulation which allows a special exclusion, exemption, or deduction from gross income which provides a special credit, a preferential rate of tax, or a deferral of tax liability.

Declares out of order in either House of Congress any bill which authorizes or continues any tax expenditure provision not in compliance with this title.

Requires the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance to conduct a zero-base review for each such provision during the same period as the review conducted under title II of programs having similar objectives. Directs each committee to: (1) adopt tentative and final review plans; (2) receive reports from the Comptroller General, the Department of the Treasury, and agencies which administer similar provisions on the provision being reviewed; and (3) report to its respective House the results of such zero-base review of the provision. Sets forth minimum objectives of inquiry for such reviews. Requires each committee to recommend the extent to which each provision reviewed should be continued or eliminated.

Title VI: Miscellaneous - Requires the Director of Management and Budget to study the feasibility of zero-based budgeting for Federal agencies. Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to study the relationship between personnel ceilings on employees of the United States and the use of private contracts to carry out programs and activities. Requires the Directors to report to Congress on the results of such studies.

Requires Federal agency heads to report requests for new budget authority to Congress. Requires specified committees to study the effectiveness of the zero-base review procedures required by this Act.

Directs the Congress to complete action during the second session of the Ninety-seventh Congress on legislation which continues or terminates the zero-base review of programs and tax expenditure provisions.