H.R. 1388: Fair-Value Accounting and Budget Act

This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide certain fair-value estimates of federal loan and loan guarantee programs. Under the bill, the fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair-value estimates generally use private-market interest rates to estimate the cost of a loan program rather than rates based on Treasury securities.

The bill requires CBO to include fair-value estimates in (1) any estimate prepared for a measure that establishes or modifies a loan or loan guarantee program, and (2) its publication titled The Budget and Economic Outlook. If CBO provides a fair-value estimate pursuant to this bill, the chairs of the congressional budget committees must use the estimate to determine compliance with budget enforcement requirements.

The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit an annual report to Congress on fair-value estimates of the costs of federal credit programs.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.