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Summary

Normally, most of the operations of federal departments and agencies are funded each year through the separate enactment of 13 regular appropriations acts, which are scheduled to be enacted by October 1. Rarely, however, are all 13 bills enacted by the deadline. The affected departments and agencies usually are funded under continuing appropriations acts. Because continuing appropriations acts typically are enacted in the form of joint resolutions, such acts are referred to as continuing resolutions (or CRs). Over the last 30 years, the nature, scope, and duration of continuing resolutions have fluctuated. From the early 1970s through 1987, continuing resolutions gradually expanded from interim funding measures of comparatively brief duration and length to full-year funding measures. During the Bush years and early Clinton years, the nature, scope, and duration contracted; in 1995-1996 they generally expanded; and in 1997-1999, they, again, contracted. Continuing resolutions generally can be divided into two categories--those that provide temporary funding and those that provide funds for the entire fiscal year. Temporary continuing resolutions provide interim funding until a specific date or until t he enactment of the applicable regular appropriations acts. Full-year continuing resolutions provide continuing appropriations for the entire fiscal year. Over the years, delay in the enactment of regular appropriations measures and continuing resolutions after the beginning of the fiscal year has led to periods during which appropriations authority has lapsed. Such periods generally are referred to as funding gaps. On September 25, 2000, Chairman C.W. Bill Young, House Appropriations Committee, introduced H.J.Res. 109, which would continue funding for the eleven outstanding FY2001 regular appropriations bills through October 6, 2000.

Related Legislation:
• H.J.RES.109

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