US Federal House Bill HB8569

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/29/26
• Refer: 4/29/26

Caption

No Bias in the Baseline Act

Summary

HB8569, titled the No Bias in the Baseline Act, would revise federal budget baseline rules used by Congress and the Congressional Budget Office. The bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to define the baseline as a projection based on current laws and the assumption that current levels of discretionary appropriations continue, while also specifying how direct spending and receipts are treated under existing laws. The bill further narrows baseline adjustments by excluding emergency-designated resources and supplemental appropriations from certain calculations and by prohibiting any adjustment for inflation or other factors. It also makes conforming changes to related budget statutes and Social Security Act provisions, and requires CBO’s budget report to include alternative fiscal scenarios, as appropriate, in consultation with the House and Senate Budget Committees.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would change the statutory framework Congress and CBO use to construct budget baselines, which can affect how future legislation is scored and how deficit and spending projections are presented. By locking the baseline more tightly to current law and current discretionary funding levels, and by eliminating inflation adjustments in the specified calculation, the bill could alter comparisons between existing policy and proposed changes across the federal budget process. It would also require CBO to publish alternative fiscal scenarios, potentially broadening the analytical materials available to lawmakers.

Sentiment

There is limited recorded discussion or voting history available for this bill, so overall sentiment cannot be measured from committee debate or floor action. Based on the bill text and title, the measure appears to be framed as a technical budget-process reform intended to reduce perceived bias in baseline calculations. The referral to the House Committee on the Budget suggests it is being handled as a budgetary procedure measure rather than a partisan policy bill, but no formal support or opposition is documented in the provided materials.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely to be the choice of baseline methodology, especially the bill’s decision to define the baseline strictly around current law and to prohibit inflation or other adjustments. Supporters may view this as a more neutral and transparent way to measure fiscal policy, while critics may argue it understates future costs or changes the budgetary comparison in ways that affect legislative scoring. Another possible issue is the requirement for CBO to include alternative fiscal scenarios, which could raise questions about scope, methodology, and how much discretion the agency should have in preparing budget reports.