Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act

This bill, known as the Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act, establishes a reoccurring three-year budgetary level reduction cycle for federal programs operating without current authorization, beginning in fiscal year 2026. It defines an "unauthorized program" as any program listed in a Congressional Budget Office report whose authorization of appropriations has expired. This framework aims to ensure accountability for federal spending on programs lacking up-to-date congressional approval. Under this cycle, an unauthorized program would face a budgetary level reduction of 10 percent of its prior year's funding in the first fiscal year following its authorization expiration. If the program remains unauthorized, an additional 15 percent reduction would be applied in both the second and third fiscal years. Should a program continue to operate without reauthorization after these three years of reductions, it would be terminated , prohibiting further obligation of funds unless expressly reauthorized by Congress. Programs can avoid these budgetary reductions and termination if they are expressly reauthorized by Congress. To qualify for this exemption, the reauthorization must occur during the fiscal year the reduction would apply and must include a sunset provision limiting the authorization of appropriations period to not more than three years.