The Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990, and the later modifications and extensions of the act, almost surely contributed to the better budget outcomes as well, before the brief emergence of surpluses eroded the will to adhere to its deficit-containment rules. The key provisions of the BEA expired in 2002, and no replacement has been adopted.
Reinstatement of a structure like the BEA would signal a renewed commitment to fiscal restraint and would help restore discipline to the annual budgeting process. But it would be only a part of any meaningful endeavor to establish a framework for fiscal policy choices. The BEA was designed to constrain legislative actions on new initiatives.