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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. From 1988 through 2002, the nature, scope, and duration generally contracted, except during 1995 and 1996. During this period expanded FY1996 continuing resolutions were enacted. Continuing resolutions generally can be divided into two categories--those that provide temporary funding and those that provide funds through the end of the fiscal year. Temporary continuing resolutions provide interim funding until a specific date or until the enactment of the applicable regular appropriations acts. Full-year continuing resolutions provide continuing appropriations through the end of the 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. Legislative action on 11 of the 13 FY2003 regular appropriations bills has not been completed. Therefore, five FY2003 continuing resolutions have been enacted that together have extended funding from October 1, 2002, through January 11, 2003.

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