S. 3061: FIRE Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-06-15 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-06-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

FIRE Act

Plain summary

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2016 or the FIRE Act This bill requires the President and the congressional leadership to appoint members of a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform within 180 days of the inauguration of a President. The commission must identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium-term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long-term. In carrying out these duties, the commission must propose recommendations to: (1) balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, within 10 years, in order to stabilize the debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio at an acceptable level; and (2) meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between projected revenues and expenditures. Within one year of the appointment of its members, the commission must vote on a report including the required recommendations. The commission may only issue a final report to be submitted to Congress if at least 12 of its 18 members approve the report. Each commission terminates 30 days after submitting a report to Congress. After consulting with Congress and specified agencies, the President must submit to Congress a joint resolution containing the legislative text necessary to implement the recommendations contained in a report submitted to Congress. The resolution must be accompanied by a special message that includes specified details regarding recommendations of the commission that are excluded from or included in the resolution. Congress must consider the joint resolution using expedited legislative procedures specified in the bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

FIRE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s3061.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s3061 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114