# Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices

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## Record

- **Collection:** Congressional research report
- **Document type:** Reports
- **Published:** March 27, 2025
- **Citation:** R46595

## Text

Continuing Resolutions: Overview of
Components and Practices
Updated March 27, 2025

Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R46595

SUMMARY

Continuing Resolutions: Overview of
Components and Practices
The program activities of most federal agencies are generally funded on an annual basis through
the enactment of regular appropriations acts. When those annual appropriations acts are not
enacted by the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1), one or more continuing appropriations
acts (commonly known as continuing resolutions or CRs) may be enacted to provide temporary
funding to continue certain programs and activities until action on the regular appropriations acts
is completed.
There are six main features of CRs. First, CRs have provided funding for certain activities
(coverage), which are typically specified with reference to the prior fiscal year’s appropriations
acts. Second, CRs provide budget authority for a specified duration of time. This duration may
be as short as a single day or as long as the remainder of the fiscal year. Third, in recent practice,
CRs have typically provided funds based on an overall funding rate rather than in specified
amounts. Fourth, the use of budget authority provided in the CR has been prohibited for new
activities not funded in the previous fiscal year. Fifth, the duration and amount of funds in the
CR, and purposes for which they may be used for specified activities, may be adjusted through
anomalies. Sixth, legislative provisions—which create, amend, or extend other laws—have been
included in some instances.

R46595
March 27, 2025
James V. Saturno,
Coordinator
Specialist on Congress and
the Legislative Process
Megan S. Lynch
Specialist on Congress and
the Legislative Process
Bill Heniff Jr.
Analyst on Congress and
the Legislative Process
Drew C. Aherne
Analyst on Congress and
the Legislative Process
Justin Murray

Congress has enacted one or more CRs in all but three of the 49 fiscal years since the start of the
Senior Research Librarian
fiscal year was changed to October 1 beginning in FY1977. FY1997 was the last fiscal year for
which no CRs were enacted. Sixteen times between FY1998 and FY2025, the initial CR (and for
some years, subsequent CRs as well) provided continuing appropriations for all of the regular
appropriations acts. During that same period, funding for one or more regular appropriations acts
was provided in CRs for an average of 118 days before the appropriations process was completed for that year.
For some fiscal years, a CR has provided continuing appropriations through the end of that year (often referred to as a fullyear CR). Some of the full-year CRs enacted in the 1980s included the full text of certain regular appropriations acts (thus
having a form more akin to an omnibus appropriations act rather than a typical CR). More recently, full-year CRs were
enacted covering most or all of the regular appropriations acts for FY2007, FY2011, FY2013, and FY2025.

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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Main Components of Continuing Resolutions ................................................................................ 2
Coverage ................................................................................................................................... 2
Duration .................................................................................................................................... 3
Funding Rate ............................................................................................................................. 5
Purpose for Funds and Restrictions on New Activities ............................................................. 6
Anomalies: Exceptions to Duration, Amount, and Purpose ...................................................... 6
Duration .............................................................................................................................. 7
Amount ............................................................................................................................... 7
Purpose................................................................................................................................ 8
Legislative Provisions ............................................................................................................... 8
The Timing of Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills and Use of CRs .................................. 9
Duration and Frequency of Continuing Resolutions, FY1998-FY2025........................................ 12
Features of Full-Year CRs Since FY1977 ..................................................................................... 14

Tables
Table 1. Timing of Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills and Use of Continuing
Resolutions (CRs): FY1977-FY2025 ......................................................................................... 10
Table 2. Number and Duration of Interim Continuing Resolutions (CRs): FY1998FY2025 ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Table 3. Appropriations Acts Containing Full-Year Continuing Resolutions (CRs):
FY1977-FY2025 ........................................................................................................................ 15
Table A-1. Number and Duration of Continuing Resolutions (CRs) ............................................. 18

Contacts
Author Information........................................................................................................................ 30

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Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices

Introduction
As expressed in Article I, Section 9 of the U. S. Constitution, “No Money shall be drawn from the
Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law” so that the power of the purse
must be exercised through the lawmaking process. This allows Congress to craft the terms of
appropriations or deny appropriations outright by funding programs and activities of most federal
agencies on an annual basis through the enactment of 12 regular appropriations acts.1 When
those annual appropriations acts are not enacted by the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1),
one or more continuing appropriations acts may be enacted to provide temporary funding to
continue certain programs and activities until action on regular appropriations acts is completed.
Such funding is provided for a specified period of time, which may be extended through the
enactment of subsequent continuing appropriations.
A continuing appropriations act is commonly referred to as a continuing resolution or CR because
it has typically been in the form of a joint resolution rather than a bill. But there is no procedural
requirement as to its form. Continuing appropriations are also occasionally provided through a
bill.
If appropriations are not enacted for a fiscal year through a regular appropriations act or a CR, a
“funding gap” occurs until such appropriations are provided. When a funding gap occurs, federal
agencies may be directed to begin a “shutdown” of the affected programs and activities.2
Agencies are generally prohibited from obligating or expending federal funds in the absence of
appropriations.3
Congress has enacted one or more CRs in all but three fiscal years since FY1977.4 In total, 207
CRs were enacted into law during the period FY1977-FY2025, ranging from zero to 21 in any
single fiscal year. Continuing appropriations acts provided funding for one or more regular
appropriations acts for an average of 118 days before the appropriations process was completed
for that year.

1 For further information on the appropriations process, see CRS Report R47106, The Appropriations Process: A Brief

Overview, by James V. Saturno and Megan S. Lynch. Appropriations acts provide agencies with budget authority,
which is defined as authority provided by federal law to enter into contracts or other financial obligations and for the
Treasury to subsequently outlay the funds to meet those obligations. For further explanation, see CRS In Focus
IF12105, Introduction to Budget Authority, by James V. Saturno. For the purposes of this report, the terms budget
authority and funding are used interchangeably.
2 For further information on funding gaps and shutdowns, see respectively,CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding
Gaps: A Brief Overview, by James V. Saturno; and CRS Report RL34680, Shutdown of the Federal Government:
Causes, Processes, and Effects, coordinated by Clinton T. Brass.
3 These prohibitions are codified by the Antideficiency Acts (31 U.S.C. §§1341-1342, 1511-1519). Exceptions are
made under the act, including for activities involving “the safety of human life or the protection of property” (31 U.S.C.
§1342). The Antideficiency Acts are discussed in CRS Report RL30795, General Management Laws: A Compendium
(available to congressional clients upon request). In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides
information about the act online at http://www.gao.gov/ada/antideficiency.htm.
4 Although all 13 FY1977 regular appropriations bills became law on or before the start of the fiscal year, two CRs
were enacted to provide funding for certain activities that had not been included in the regular appropriations acts. The
use of CRs had also been common prior to the beginning of the fiscal year being moved to October 1. For example, in
each of the 23 years prior to FY1977 (i.e., FY1954-FY1976), during which the federal fiscal year began on July 1, at
least one CR was enacted for each fiscal year. See Congressional Record, vol. 118 (May 31, 1972), pp. 19358-19359;
and CRS archived report, An Overview of the Use of Continuing Appropriations, September 26, 1980 (available to
congressional clients upon request).

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Main Components of Continuing Resolutions
There are six main features of CRs. First, CRs provide funding for certain activities (coverage),
which are typically specified with reference to the prior or current fiscal year’s appropriations
acts. Second, CRs provide budget authority for a specified duration of time. This duration may be
as short as a single day or as long as the remainder of the fiscal year. Third, in recent practice,
CRs have typically provided funds based on an overall funding rate rather than in specified
amounts. Fourth, the use of budget authority provided in the CR is typically prohibited for new
activities not funded in the previous fiscal year. Fifth, the duration and amount of funds in the CR,
and purposes for which they may be used for specified activities, may be adjusted through
anomalies. Sixth, legislative provisions—which create, amend, or extend other laws—have been
included in some instances.
Although this section discusses the above components as they have been enacted in CRs under
recent practice, it does not discuss their potential effects on budget execution or agency
operations. For analysis of these issues, see CRS Report RL34700, Interim Continuing
Resolutions (CRs): Potential Impacts on Agency Operations, by Clinton T. Brass, and GAO-17807T, Budget Uncertainty and Disruptions Affect Timing of Agency Spending.

Coverage
A CR provides funds for certain activities, which are typically specified with reference to other
pieces of appropriations legislation or the appropriations acts for a previous fiscal year. Most
often, the coverage of a CR is defined with reference to the activities funded in prior fiscal years’
appropriations acts for which the current fiscal year’s regular appropriations have yet to be
enacted. For example, in Section 101 of P.L. 111-68 (the first CR for FY2010), the coverage
included activities funded in selected regular and supplemental appropriations acts for FY2008
and FY2009:
Sec. 101. Such amounts as may be necessary … under the authority and conditions
provided in such Acts, for continuing projects or activities (including the costs of direct
loans and loan guarantees) that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint
resolution, that were conducted in fiscal year 2009, and for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were made available in the following appropriations Acts:
(1) Chapter 2 of title IX of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252).
(2) Section 155 of division A of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329), except that subsections (c), (d), and
(e) of such section shall not apply to funds made available under this joint resolution.
(3) Divisions C through E of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329).
(4) Divisions A through I of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 111-8), as
amended by section 2 of P.L. 111-46.
(5) Titles III and VI (under the heading `Coast Guard’) of the Supplemental Appropriations
Act, 2009 (P.L. 111-32). [emphasis added]

Less frequently, CRs specify coverage with reference to regular appropriations bills for the
current fiscal year that have yet to be enacted.5 In these instances, it is possible that an activity
covered in the corresponding previous fiscal year’s appropriations bill might not be covered in the
5 See, for example, Section 101 of P.L. 105-240.

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CR. Alternatively, a CR might stipulate that activities funded in the previous fiscal year are
covered only if they are included in a regular appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. For
example, Section 101 of P.L. 105-240, the first CR for FY1999, provided that funding would
continue only under such circumstances.
SEC. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary under the authority and conditions
provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1998 for continuing
projects or activities including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees (not otherwise
specifically provided for in this joint resolution) which were conducted in the fiscal year
1998 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority would be available in the
following appropriations Acts:
(1) the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999….
(8) the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, the House and Senate reported versions of which shall
be deemed to have passed the House and Senate respectively as of October 1, 1998, for the
purposes of this joint resolution, unless a reported version is passed as of October 1, 1998,
in which case the passed version shall be used in place of the reported version for purposes
of this joint resolution;
(9) the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999…. [emphasis added]

CRs may be enacted as standalone legislative vehicles or as provisions attached to other
legislation, such as a regular appropriations bill or an omnibus bill.6 In instances in which one or
more regular appropriations bills are near completion, Congress may find it expeditious to include
a CR in that same legislative vehicle to cover activities in the remaining regular bills that are not
yet enacted. In such instances, some activities may be covered by reference, while funding for
others is provided through the text of the measure. For example, Division C of P.L. 115-245—the
Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations
Act, 2019, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019—provided continuing appropriations
through December 7, 2018, by referencing the FY2018 regular appropriations acts, while the
other divisions of P.L. 115-245 provided full-year regular appropriations for the FY2019 Defense
and Labor-HHS-ED bills.

Duration
The duration of a CR refers to the period for which budget authority is provided for covered
activities. The period ends either upon the enactment of the applicable regular appropriations act
or on an expiration date specified in the CR, whichever occurs first. When a CR expires prior to
the completion of all regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year, one or more additional CRs
may be enacted to prevent funding gaps and secure additional increments of time to complete the
remaining regular appropriations bills. The duration of any further CRs may be brief, sometimes a
single day, to encourage the process to conclude swiftly, or it may be for weeks or months to
accommodate further negotiations or congressional recesses. In some cases, CRs have carried
over into the next session of Congress.
In most of the fiscal years in which CRs have been used, a series of two or more have been
enacted into law. Such CRs may be designated by their order (e.g., “first” CR, “second” CR) or,
after the initial CR has been enacted, designated as a “further” CR. When action on the regular
6 Two or more regular appropriations bills are sometimes packaged into a single or “omnibus” legislative vehicle prior

to enactment. For a discussion of this practice, see CRS Report RL32473, Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of
Recent Practices, by James V. Saturno.

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appropriations bills is not complete by the time when the first CR expires, subsequent CRs will
often simply replace the expiration date in the preceding CR with a new expiration date. For
example, Section 1 of the third CR for FY2016, P.L. 114-100, stated that “Public Law 114-53 is
amended by striking the date specified in Section 106(3) and inserting ‘December 22, 2015.’”
This action extended the duration of the preceding CR by six days.
Funds provided by a CR will not necessarily be used by all covered activities through the date the
CR expires. In practice, the budget authority provided by a CR may be superseded by the
enactment of subsequent appropriations measures or the occurrence of other specified conditions.
In an instance in which a regular appropriations bill was enacted prior to the expiration of a CR,
the budget authority provided by the regular bill for covered activities would replace the funding
provided by the CR. All other activities in the CR, however, would continue to be funded by the
CR unless they were likewise superseded or the CR expired. The duration of funds for certain
activities could also be shortened if other conditions that are specified in the CR occur. For
example, Section 106 of P.L. 117-80, the first CR for FY2023, provided funds for 77 days or
fewer:
Sec. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this Act or in the applicable appropriations Act
for fiscal year 2023, appropriations and funds made available and authority granted
pursuant to this Act shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) The
enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this Act.
(2) The enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal year 2023
without any provision for such project or activity. (3) December 16, 2022. [emphasis
added]

In this instance, funding for all other activities to which these conditions didn’t apply would
continue under the CR until it expired or was otherwise superseded. While recent practice has
been to resolve all outstanding appropriations issues simultaneously, historically, one or more
regular appropriations acts would be enacted while a CR was in effect. As a consequence, not
only was the duration of the CR was shortened for those projects and activities, but the coverage
of the CR was reduced as well. For example, P.L. 107-240, the fourth CR for FY2003, was
enacted on October 18, 2002. It had an expiration of November 22, 2002, and included funding
for projects and activities covered by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. However,
P.L. 107-248, the regular Department of Defense Appropriations Act of for FY2003, was enacted
on October 23, 2002, superseding the funding provided under the CR and reducing its coverage.
A CR may also be attached to a regular appropriations bill. In such a case, the activities covered
by the regular appropriations act are funded through the remainder of the fiscal year, whereas the
activities covered by the CR are funded through a specified date. One example of this is P.L. 114223, the first CR for FY2017. Division C of the measure was a continuing resolution with an
expiration date of December 9, 2016. Division A, however, was the regular appropriations act for
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and provided funding for those accounts for the entire
fiscal year. Congress may also single out specific activities in a CR to receive funding for a
specified duration that differs from the majority of other accounts and activities.
Congress has occasionally enacted a CR to provide funds for the activities covered in such bills
through the remainder of the fiscal year as an alternative to separately enacting one or more of the
regular appropriations bills. This type of CR is referred to as a full-year CR. Full-year CRs may
provide funding for all bills that have yet to be enacted or include the full text of one or more
regular appropriations bills. For example, Division A of P.L. 112-10 contained the text of the
FY2011 Defense Appropriations Act, whereas the programs and activities covered by the 11
remaining regular appropriations bills were funded by the full-year CR in Division B.

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Funding Rate
CRs often fund activities under a formula-type approach that provides budget authority at a
restricted level but not a specified amount. This method of providing budget authority is
commonly referred to as the “funding rate.” Under a funding rate, the amount of budget authority
for an account7 is calculated as the total amount of budget authority annually available based on a
reference level (usually a dollar amount or calculation) multiplied by the fraction of the fiscal
year for which the funds are made available in the CR.8 This is in contrast to regular and
supplemental appropriations acts, which generally provide specific amounts for each account.
In previous years, some CRs have provided funding across accounts by reference to the amount
of budget authority available in specified appropriations acts from the previous fiscal year. For
example, Section 101 of P.L. 110-329, the first CR for FY2010, provided the following funding
rate:
Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 2008 and under the authority and conditions provided
in such Acts, for continuing projects or activities (including the costs of direct loans and
loan guarantees) that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution, that
were conducted in fiscal year 2008, and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority
were made available in the following appropriations Acts: divisions A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J,
and K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161). [emphasis added]

Other CRs have provided funding by reference to the levels available in the previous fiscal year,
with either an increase or decrease from the previous fiscal year’s level. For example, Section
101(a) and (b) of P.L. 112-33, the first CR for FY2012, provided the following funding rate:
(a) Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 2011 and under the authority and conditions provided
in such Acts, for continuing projects or activities (including the costs of direct loans and
loan guarantees) that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Act, that were
conducted in fiscal year 2011, and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were
made available in the following appropriations Acts….
(b) The rate for operations provided by subsection (a) is hereby reduced by 1.503 percent.
[emphasis added]

Although these examples illustrate the most typical types of funding rates, other types of funding
rates have sometimes been used when providing continuing appropriations. For example, P.L.
105-240, the first CR for FY1999, provided a funding rate for covered activities based on three
possible reference amounts: the House- and Senate-passed FY1999 regular appropriations bills,
the amount of the President’s budget request, or “current operations” (the total amount of budget
authority available for obligation for an activity during the previous fiscal year), whichever was
the lowest. In instances where no funding was provided under the House- and Senate-passed
FY1999 appropriations bills, the funding rate would be based on the lower of the President’s
budget request or current operations. Similar formulations were regularly used for CRs in the
1980s. In addition, while the first CR for a fiscal year may provide a certain funding rate,
subsequent CRs sometimes may provide a different rate.
7 Regular appropriations bills are drafted as a series of unnumbered paragraphs with headings, with each one generally

reflecting a unique budget “account.” Elements within budget accounts are divided by “program, project or activity”
based upon the table “Comparative Statement of New Budget Authority” in the back of the report accompanying the
appropriations bill.
8 For a discussion of how funding rates are calculated, see GAO, Office of the General Counsel, Principles of Federal
Appropriations Law, vol. II, 3rd ed. (2004), at 8-10 to 8-14.

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CRs have also sometimes provided budget authority for some or all covered activities by
incorporating the actual text of one or more regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year rather
than providing funding according to the rate formula.9 For example, P.L. 112-10 provided funding
for the Department of Defense through the incorporation of a regular appropriations bill in
Division A, whereas Division B provided formulaic funding for all other activities for the
remainder of the fiscal year. In this type of instance, the formula in the CR applies only to
activities not covered in the text of the incorporated regular appropriations bill or bills.

Purpose for Funds and Restrictions on New Activities
Congress has often limited the funding provided by CRs so that agencies are not able to use those
funds to initiate new programs or activities or to avoid limitations imposed on previously
appropriated funds. CRs that provide a funding rate for activities often stipulate that funds may be
used for the same purposes and in the manner provided in specified appropriations acts for the
previous fiscal year. In practice, this is often characterized as a prohibition on “new starts.” CRs
also typically include language that would prohibit agencies from making final determinations
about new grants and other payments prior to the enactment of legislation that would provide the
total amount available for the fiscal year (either in the form of a regular appropriations act or a
full-year CR). In addition, conditions and limitations on program activity from the previous
year’s appropriations acts may be retained by language contained within the resolution’s text.
Examples of such language, from P.L. 112-33, are below:
Sec. 103. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be available to the extent and in the
manner that would be provided by the pertinent appropriations Act. [emphasis added]
Sec. 104. Except as otherwise provided in section 102, no appropriation or funds made
available or authority granted pursuant to section 101 shall be used to initiate or resume
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available
during fiscal year 2011. [emphasis added]
Sec. 109. … no grants shall be awarded for such programs funded by this Act that would
impinge on final funding prerogatives.

This language prevents the initiation of new activities with the funds provided in the CR.
Agencies may use appropriated funds from prior fiscal years that remain available, however, to
initiate new activities in some circumstances.10

Anomalies: Exceptions to Duration, Amount, and Purpose
Even though CRs typically provide funds at a rate, they may also include provisions that
enumerate exceptions to the duration, amount, or purposes for which those funds may be used for
certain appropriations accounts or activities. Such provisions are commonly referred to as
“anomalies.” The purpose of anomalies is to preserve Congress’s constitutional prerogative to

9 From a functional perspective, CRs that provide appropriations by using the full text of acts (including by cross-

reference), rather than by using a formulaic rate (as was the case in several years in the 1980s), may sometimes be
categorized as omnibus appropriations acts rather than CRs, even though they are entitled an act “making continuing
appropriations” or “making further continuing appropriations.”
10 Although appropriations bills most commonly provide budget authority that is available for obligation for one fiscal
year, budget authority for an activity may be provided for more than one year (“multiyear”) or indefinitely (“no-year”).
In instances where funds provided in previous years are still available for the purpose of initiating a new project or
activity, such funds may generally be used for this purpose, even though funds for the current fiscal year are provided
by a CR. GAO, Glossary, p. 22.

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provide appropriations in the manner it sees fit, even in instances when only short-term funding is
provided.11

Duration
A CR may contain anomalies that designate a duration of funding for certain activities that is
different from the overall duration provided. For example, Section 112 of P.L. 108-84 provided an
exception to the expiration date of October 31, 2003, specified in Section 107(c) of the CR:
For entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget authority was provided in
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 2003, and for activities under the Food Stamp Act of
1977, activities shall be continued at the rate to maintain program levels under current law,
under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal
year 2003, to be continued through the date specified in section 107(c): Provided, That
notwithstanding section 107, funds shall be available and obligations for mandatory
payments due on or about November 1 and December 1, 2003, may continue to be made.
[emphasis added]

Amount
Anomalies may also designate a different specific amount or rate of budget authority for certain
accounts or activities than the funding rate provided for the remainder of activities in the CR.
Typically, such funding is specified as an annualized rate based upon a lump sum. For example,
Section 120 of P.L. 112-33 provided the following lump-sum anomaly for a specific account,
which was an exception to the generally applicable funding rate in Section 101:
Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are provided for “Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board—Salaries and Expenses” at a rate for operations of $29,130,000. [emphasis added]

Funding adjustments can also be provided in anomalies for groups of accounts in the bill. For
example, Section 121 of P.L. 112-33 provided a different rate for certain funds in a group of
accounts:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, except section 106, the District of
Columbia may expend local funds under the heading “District of Columbia Funds” for
such programs and activities under title IV of H.R. 2434 (112th Congress), as reported by
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, at the rate set forth
under ‘‘District of Columbia Funds—Summary of Expenses’’ as included in the Fiscal
Year 2012 Budget Request Act of 2011 (D.C. Act 19–92), as modified as of the date of the
enactment of this Act. [emphasis added]

Further, anomalies may provide exceptions to amounts specified in other laws. For example,
Section 121 of P.L. 110-329 provided that funds may be expended in excess of statutory limits up
to an alternative rate:
Notwithstanding the limitations on administrative expenses in subsections (c)(2) and
(c)(3)(A) of section 3005 of the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of
2005 (P.L. 109-171; 120 Stat. 21), the Assistant Secretary (as such term is defined in
section 3001(b) of such Act) may expend funds made available under sections 3006, 3008,
and 3009 of such Act for additional administrative expenses of the digital-to-analog
converter box program established by such section 3005 at a rate not to exceed
$180,000,000 through the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
[emphasis added]
11 For a discussion of anomalies provided in the first CR for FY2023, see CRS Report R47283, Overview of Continuing

Appropriations for FY2023 (Division A of P.L. 117-180), by Drew C. Aherne and Sarah B. Solomon.

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Purpose
CRs may also use anomalies to alter the purposes for which the funds may be expended. Such
anomalies may allow funds to be spent for activities that would otherwise be prohibited or
prohibit funds for activities that might otherwise be allowed. For example, Section 114 of P.L.
108-309, the first CR for FY2005, prohibited funds from being available to a particular
department for a certain activity:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, except sections 107 and 108,
amounts are made available for the Strategic National Stockpile (“SNS”) at a rate for
operations not exceeding the lower of the amount which would be made available under
H.R. 5006, as passed by the House of Representatives on September 9, 2004, or S. 2810,
as reported by the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on September 15, 2004:
Provided, That no funds shall be made available for the SNS to the Department of
Homeland Security under this joint resolution. [emphasis added]

Legislative Provisions
Substantive legislative provisions, which have the effect of creating new law or changing existing
law, have also been included in some CRs. One reason why CRs have been attractive vehicles for
such provisions is that they are often widely considered to be must-pass measures to prevent
funding gaps. Legislative provisions previously included in CRs have varied considerably in
length, from a short paragraph to more than 200 pages.
House and Senate rules restrict the inclusion of legislative provisions in appropriations bills, but
such restrictions are applicable in different contexts. Although House rules prohibit legislative
provisions from being included in general appropriations measures (including amendments or any
conference report to such measures), these restrictions do not apply to CRs.12 Senate rules
prohibit non-germane amendments that include legislative provisions either on the Senate floor or
as an amendment between the houses.13 While these Senate restrictions do apply in the case of
CRs, there is considerable leeway on when such provisions may be included, such as when the
Senate amends a legislative provision included by the House.14 The rules of the House and Senate
are not self-enforcing, however. A point of order must be raised and sustained during floor
consideration to enforce the prohibition.15
Substantive provisions in CRs have included language that established major new policies, such
as an FY1985 CR, which contained the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984.16

12 House Rule XXI, clause 2, prohibits such language in general appropriations measures and applicable amendments.

House Rule XXII, clause 5, in effect, generally extends the House Rule XXI, clause 2, prohibition to conference
reports. CRs, however, are not considered to be general appropriations bills because they provide only temporary
appropriations. John V. Sullivan, Thomas J. Wickham Jr. and Jason A. Smith, House Practice: A Guide to the Rules,
Precedents and Procedures of the House, (Washington: GPO, 2024), ch. 4, §6, pp. 76-77; and Lewis Deschler,
Deschler’s Precedents of the United States House of Representatives, vol. vii, ch. 25, §7.1, §7.2, H.Doc 94-661, 94th
Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1994), pp. 637-640.
13 Senate Rule XVI, paragraphs 2-6.
14 For further information on House and Senate restrictions on legislation in appropriations, see CRS Report R41634,
Limitations in Appropriations Measures: An Overview of Procedural Issues, by James V. Saturno.
15 For further information on points of order, see CRS Report 98-307, Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the
House of Representatives, by Valerie Heitshusen; and CRS Report 98-306, Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in
the Senate, by Valerie Heitshusen.
16 P.L. 98-473, 98 Stat. 1837.

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More frequently, CRs have been used to amend or renew provisions of law. For example, Section
140 of P.L. 112-33 retroactively renewed import restrictions under the Burmese Freedom and
Democracy Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-61):
(a) Renewal of Import Restrictions Under Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of
2003.—
(1) In general.—Congress approves the renewal of the import restrictions contained in
section 3(a)(1) and section 3A (b)(1) and (c)(1) of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy
Act of 2003.
(2) Rule of construction.—This section shall be deemed to be a “renewal resolution” for
purposes of section 9 of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
(b) Effective Date.—This section shall take effect on July 26, 2011.

CRs have also contained legislative provisions that temporarily extended expiring laws. For
example, Section 146 of P.L. 116-159 extended the National Flood Insurance Program:
(a) Section 1309(a) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4016(a)) is
amended by striking “September 30, 2019” and inserting “September 30, 2021”.
(b) Section 1319 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4026) is amended
by striking “September 30, 2019” and inserting “September 30, 2021”.
(c) (1) This section shall become effective immediately upon enactment of this Act.
(2) If this Act is enacted after September 30, 2020, this section shall be applied as if it were
in effect on September 30, 2020.

Legislative provisions that temporarily extend expiring laws are effective through the date the CR
expires, unless otherwise specified.

The Timing of Enactment of Regular
Appropriations Bills and Use of CRs
As mentioned previously, regular appropriations were enacted after October 1 in all but four
fiscal years between FY1977 and FY2025.17 Consequently, CRs have been needed in almost all
of these years to prevent one or more funding gaps from occurring.
Table 1 provides an overview of the enactment of regular appropriations bills and the use of CRs
between FY1977 and FY2025. All appropriations were enacted on or before the start of the new
fiscal year four times during this period: FY1977, FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997. Over half of
the regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year were enacted before the start of the new fiscal
year in one other instance (FY1978). In all other fiscal years, fewer than six regular
appropriations acts were enacted on or before October 1. In addition, no regular appropriations
bills were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year in 21 of the 49 fiscal years since FY1977, 16
of these since FY1997, the last fiscal year in which no CRs were enacted.

17 Although all 13 FY1977 regular appropriations bills became law on or before the start of the fiscal year, two CRs

were enacted to provide funding for certain activities that had not been included in the regular appropriations acts.

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Table 1. Timing of Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills and
Use of Continuing Resolutions (CRs): FY1977-FY2025
Fiscal Year

Number of Regular
Appropriations Billsa

Regular Appropriations Bills Enacted
on or Before October 1

CRs Enacted

1977

13

13

2b

1978

13

9

3

1979

13

5

1

1980

13

3

2

1981

13

1

3

1982

13

1

4

1983

13

1

2

1984

13

4

2

1985

13

4

5

1986

13

0

5

1987

13

0

6

1988

13

0

5

1989

13

13

0

1990

13

1

3

1991

13

0

5

1992

13

3

4

1993

13

1

1

1994

13

2

3

1995

13

13

0

1996

13

0

13

1997

13

13

0

1998

13

1

6

1999

13

1

6

2000

13

4

7

2001

13

2

21

2002

13

0

8

2003

13

0

8

2004

13

3

5

2005

13

1

3

2006

11

2

3

2007

11

1

4

2008

12

0

4

2009

12

3

2

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Fiscal Year

Number of Regular
Appropriations Billsa

Regular Appropriations Bills Enacted
on or Before October 1

CRs Enacted

2010

12

1

2

2011

12

0

8

2012

12

0

5

2013

12

0

2

2014

12

0

4

2015

12

0

5

2016

12

0

3

2017

12

1

3

2018

12

0

5

2019

12

5

3

2020

12

0

2

2021

12

0

5

2022

12

0

4

2023

12

0

3

2024

12

0

4

2025

12

0

3

Source: U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Appropriations, Budget Estimates, Etc., 94th Cong.,
2nd sess.-104th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 1976-1995). U.S. Congress, House of Representatives,
Calendars of the U.S. House of Representatives and History of Legislation, 104th Cong., 1st sess.-113th Cong., 1st sess.
(Washington: GPO, 1995-2012). CRS appropriations status tables (FY1999-FY2023), http://www.crs.gov/pages/
AppropriationsStatusTable.aspx.
Notes:
a. Between the 95th and 108th Congresses, there were 13 House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees
each responsible for one regular appropriations bill. During the 109 th Congress, due to subcommittee
realignment, the total number of regular appropriations bills was effectively reduced to 11 during each year
of the Congress. Beginning in the 110th Congress, subcommittee jurisdictions were again realigned for a
total of 12 subcommittees, each of which is currently responsible for a single regular appropriations bill. For
further information on subcommittee realignment during this period, see CRS Report RL31572,
Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2025, by James V. Saturno.
b. Although all 13 FY1977 regular appropriations bills became law on or before the start of the fiscal year, two
CRs were enacted to provide funding for certain activities that had not been included in the regular
appropriations acts.

CRs were enacted in all but three of these fiscal years (FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997). In
FY1977, although all 13 regular appropriations bills became law on or before the start of the
fiscal year, two CRs were enacted to provide funding for certain activities that had not been
included in the regular appropriations acts.

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Duration and Frequency of Continuing Resolutions,
FY1998-FY2025
CRs have been a significant element of the recent annual appropriations process.18 As shown in
Table 2, a total of 134 interim CRs (and four full-year CRs) were enacted into law from FY1998
to FY2025. While the average number of interim CRs enacted per year was just under five, the
number enacted ranged from one measure (for FY2013) to 21 (for FY2001).
During the past 28 fiscal years, Congress used an interim CR to provide funding for an average of
almost four months (118 days) before final appropriations action was taken for the fiscal year
(regardless of whether final action was enactment of all regular appropriations acts or a full-year
CR). Taking into account the total duration of all interim CRs for each fiscal year, the period for
which continuing appropriations were provided ranged from 21 days to 216 days. (Full-year CRs
used during this period—FY2007, FY2011, FY2013, and FY2025—extend the duration to 365
days during those years.) For the other 24 fiscal years, the expiration date of the final CR has
varied substantially. For 15 fiscal years since FY1997, one or more CRs were enacted to cover a
period that extended into the following session. In the remaining 13 fiscal years of this period, the
expiration date of the final CR was set in the first quarter of the fiscal year on a date occurring
between October 21 and December 31.
Table 2. Number and Duration of Interim Continuing Resolutions (CRs): FY1998FY2025

Fiscal Year

Number of
Interim CRs

Total
Duration
in Daysa

Final
Expiration
Dateb

1998

6

57

11-26-1997

1999

6

21

10-21-1998

2000

7

63

12-02-1999

2001

21

82

12-21-2000

2002

8

102

01-10-2002

2003

8

143

02-20-2003

2004

5c

123

01-31-2004

2005

3

69

12-08-2004

2006

3

92

12-31-2005

2007

3

138

02-15-2007

2008

4

92

12-31-2007

2009

2

162

03-11-2009

2010

2

79

12-18-2009

2011

7

197

04-15-2011

2012

5

84

12-23-2011

2013

1

178

03-26-2013

18 FY1997 was the most recent fiscal year that all regular appropriations bills were completed by the start of the fiscal

year.

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Fiscal Year

Number of
Interim CRs

Total
Duration
in Daysa

Final
Expiration
Dateb

2014

4d

110d

01-18-2014

2015

5

156

03-06-2015

2016

3

83

12-22-2015

2017

3

216

05-05-2017

2018

5

173

03-23-2018

2019

3

138

02-15-2019

2020

2

81

12-20-2019

2021

5

88

12-28-2020

2022

4

166

03-15-2022

2023

3

91

12-30-2022

2024

4

160

03-08-2024

2025

2

165

03-14-2025

4.79

118.18

—

Annual Average

Source: Prepared by CRS using data from the Legislative Information System (LIS)/Congres.gov; CRS,
appropriations status tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/Pages/appover.aspx.
Notes:
a. Duration in days is measured, in the case of the first CR for a fiscal year, from the first day of the year
(October 1). For example, a CR enacted on September 30 that provided funding through October 12
would be measured as having a12-day duration. For subsequent CRs for a fiscal year, duration in days is
measured from the day after the expiration of the preceding CR. The duration of CRs that ended a lapse in
appropriations includes the period of that funding gap and is calculated from the first full day after the final
day that budget authority was provided (by the preceding CR) through the expiration date. For years in
which appropriations action was completed by enactment of a full-year CR (FY2007, FY2011, FY2013, and
FY2025), the number of days is equal to the number of days covered by interim CRs.
b. The final expiration date is the date the last interim CR expired. In some of these instances, the CR had
previously been superseded by the enactment of the remaining regular appropriations acts for that fiscal
year. For example, in FY2014, the expiration date of P.L. 113-73, the fourth CR for FY2014, was January 18,
2014. However, final regular appropriations were enacted the previous day in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76). For years in which appropriations action was completed by
enactment of a full-year CR (FY2007, FY2011, FY2013, and FY2025), the final expiration date is the last date
funded by an interim CR.
c. The fifth CR for FY2004 did not change the expiration date of January 31, 2004, established in the preceding
CR.
d. A total of four CRs were enacted for FY2014. This count includes two CRs that provided funding for only
specific programs and activities during the FY2014 funding gap. The Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39) was
enacted on September 30, 2013. The Department of Defense Survivor Benefits Continuing Appropriations
Resolution, 2014 (P.L. 113-44), was enacted on October 10, 2013. The funding provided by both of these
CRs was terminated on October 17, 2013, through the enactment of a third CR, P.L. 113-46, which broadly
funded the previous fiscal year’s activities through January 15, 2014. The funding provided by this third CR
was extended through January 18 through the enactment of a fourth CR (P.L. 113-73). Section 118 of P.L.
113-46 provided that the time covered by that act was to have begun on October 1, 2013. To preserve
counting consistency, the FY2014 duration of days for the purposes of this table begins on October 1 and
ends on January 18, 2014. For further information on the FY2014 funding gap and congressional action on
CRs, see CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview, by James V. Saturno.

The Appendix to this report provides more detailed information on the number and duration of
each CR enacted for FY1977-FY2025. As indicated previously, the duration of CRs for a fiscal

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year represents the period after the start of the federal fiscal year required to complete
appropriations actions for that fiscal year. Although the recent practice has been to resolve all
outstanding appropriations issues simultaneously, this has not always been the case. Historically,
regular appropriations acts were routinely enacted prior to the expiration of a CR. As a
consequence, the duration of a specific CR, should not be interpreted to mean that the funding for
all programs and activities funded by the CR at the time of enactment were still funded by the CR
at the time of its expiration.
The data show that there is no significant correlation between the number and duration of CRs or
even with respect to the way shorter-term and longer-term CRs are used within a single fiscal
year. For example, six CRs were enacted for both FY1998 and FY1999, but lasted for a period of
57 days for FY1998 and 21 days for FY1999. The largest number of CRs enacted for a single
fiscal year was 21 for FY2001, covering a period lasting 82 days. The smallest number enacted
was one for FY2013 covering 178 days.
Overall, 51 CRs were enacted to provide funds for periods or 30 days or longer, but less than the
remainder of the fiscal year, 34 of these have been enacted since FY1997. In contrast, 84 CRs
were enacted to cover periods of seven days or fewer.
Recent practice (since FY2015) has been for the first CR for a fiscal year to be enacted by
October 1 to cover an average of just over 68 days, with a range of between 52 and 77 days. The
data show, however, that after that initial CR, the pattern of usage is less clear. During that same
period, between one and four additional CRs have been enacted each year, covering between 11
and 146 additional days before the completion of appropriations actions for that fiscal year.19

Features of Full-Year CRs Since FY1977
Full-year CRs have been used to provide annual discretionary spending on a number of
occasions. Prior to the full implementation of the Congressional Budget Act in FY1977, full-year
CRs were used occasionally, particularly in the 1970s. Full-year CRs were enacted into law for
four of the six preceding fiscal years (FY1971, FY1973, FY1975, and FY1976).20 Following the
successful completion of all 13 regular appropriations acts prior to the start of FY1977, full-year
CRs were used in each of the 11 succeeding fiscal years (FY1978-FY1988) to cover at least one
regular appropriations act. Three years later, another full-year CR was enacted for FY1992. Most
recently, full-year CRs were enacted for FY2007, FY2011, FY2013 and FY2025.
Table 3 identifies the 15 full-year CRs enacted for the period since FY1977. Nine of the 15 fullyear CRs during this period were enacted in the first quarter of the fiscal year—three in October,
two in November, and four in December. The six remaining measures were enacted during the
following session of Congress between February 15 and June 5.
The full-year CRs enacted during this period also varied in terms of length and the form of
funding provided. Prior to FY1983, full-year CRs were relatively short measures. Full-year CRs
for FY1983 through FY1988, were much lengthier, as Congress incorporated the full text of some
or all of the covered regular appropriations acts rather than using formulaic references for the
funding level. None of the full-year CRs enacted between 1985 and 1988 used formulaic funding
provisions. Secondly, the number of regular appropriations acts covered by full-year CRs
19 This included periods in which there were funding gaps of two days in FY2018 and 34 days in FY2019.
20 The full-year CR for FY1976, P.L. 94-254, provided funding through the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 1976) as

well as through the end of a “transition quarter” (September 30, 1976). The additional quarter of funding was necessary
to facilitate the change in the start of the federal government fiscal year from July 1 to October 1.

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increased significantly during the FY1983-FY1988 period. For the period covering FY1978FY1982, the number of regular appropriations acts covered by CRs for the full fiscal year ranged
from one to six (averaging about three). Beginning with FY1983 and extending through FY1988,
the number of covered acts ranged from five to 13, averaging about 10.
The next two full-year CRs, for FY1992 and FY2007, returned to the earlier practice of using
formulaic references and anomalies to establish funding levels. Both CRs provided funding only
through this means. As a consequence, the length of these measures was considerably shorter than
the FY1983-FY1988 full-year CRs.
The measures providing full-year CRs for FY2011 and FY2013 were, in some respects, a hybrid
of the earlier and later approaches. The FY2011 full-year CR provided funding for 11 bills
through formulaic provisions and anomalies, and it also carried the full text of one regular
appropriations bill in a separate division of the act (the FY2011 Department of Defense
Appropriations Act). Similarly, the FY2013 CR contained the texts of five regular appropriations
bills in Divisions A-E of the act—the FY2013 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the Department of Defense Appropriations Act; the
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act; and the Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. In addition, Division F provided
continuing appropriations for the remaining seven regular appropriations bills through formulaic
provisions and anomalies. Unlike previous years, the formula for providing continuing
appropriations was based on the amount provided in FY2012 rather than a rate.
The CR that completed action on FY2025 appropriations provided funding for each of the 12
regular appropriations acts generally based on continuing the funding level in FY2024
appropriations acts supplemented by a title for each regular act that included anomalies providing
exceptions.
Table 3. Appropriations Acts Containing Full-Year Continuing Resolutions (CRs):
FY1977-FY2025

Fiscal
Year

Public Law
Number

Enactment
Date

Included
Formulaic Funding
Provision(s)?

Number of
Appropriations
Acts Covered or
Contained in the
Acta

1978

P.L. 95-205

12-09-1977

No

2/13b

1979

P.L. 95-482

10-18-1978

No

1/13

1980

P.L. 96-123

11-20-1979

Yes

6/13c

1981

P.L. 97-12

06-05-1981

Yes

5/13d

1982

P.L. 97-161

03-31-1982

Yes

3/13e

1983

P.L. 97-377

12-21-1982

Yes

7/13

1984

P.L. 98-151

11-14-1983

Yes

5/13f

1985

P.L. 98-473

10-12-1984

No

9/13g

1986

P.L. 99-190

12-19-1985

No

8/13h

1987

P.L. 99-591

10-30-1986

No

13/13

1988

P.L. 100-202

12-22-1987

No

13/13

1992

P.L. 102-266

04-01-1992

Yes

1/13i

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Fiscal
Year

Public Law
Number

Enactment
Date

Included
Formulaic Funding
Provision(s)?

Number of
Appropriations
Acts Covered or
Contained in the
Acta

2007

P.L. 110-5

02-15-2007

Yes

9/11j

2011

P.L. 112-10

04-15-2011

Yes

12/12k

2013

P.L. 113-6

03-26-2013

Yes

12/12l

2025

P.L. 119-4

03-15-2025

Yes

12/12

Source: Prepared by CRS using data from the Legislative Information System/Congress.gov; CRS, appropriations
status tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/Pages/appover.aspx.
Notes:
a. Between the 95th and 108th Congresses, there were 13 House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees
each responsible for one regular appropriations bill. During the 109th Congress, due to subcommittee
realignment, the total number of regular appropriations bills was effectively reduced to 11 during each year
of the Congress. Beginning in the 110th Congress, subcommittee jurisdictions were again realigned for a
total of 12 subcommittees, each of which is currently responsible for a single regular appropriations bill. For
further information on subcommittee realignment during this period, see CRS Report RL31572,
Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2025, by James V. Saturno.
b. The full-year continuing appropriations for the District of Columbia provided by this act were later
superseded by a standalone regular appropriations act (P.L. 95-288).
c. Some of the appropriations acts covered by this full-year CR were later superseded by standalone regular
appropriations acts for Interior and Related Agencies (P.L. 96-126); Military Construction (96-130);
Department of Defense (P.L. 96-154); and Transportation (P.L. 96-131).
d. This full-year CR was contained within the FY1981 Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions Act 1981
(P.L. 97-12, see Title IV, “Further Continuing Appropriations”). Title IV extended through the end of the
fiscal year the expiration of P.L. 96-536, which covered the appropriations acts that had not yet been
enacted for Foreign Assistance; the Legislative Branch; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies; Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies; and the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government.
e. This full-year CR extended through the end of the fiscal year the expiration date of P.L. 97-92, which
covered the appropriations acts that had not yet been enacted for the Treasury, Postal Service and General
Government; Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary; and Departments of Labor,
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
f.
Some of the appropriations acts covered by this full-year CR were later superseded by standalone regular
appropriations acts for the Department of Defense (P.L. 98-121); Commerce, Justice, and State, the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies (P.L. 98-166); and the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government
(P.L. 98-151).
g. The full-year continuing appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies that were provided by this act were later superseded by a standalone
regular appropriations act (P.L. 98-619).
h. The full-year continuing appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies that were provided by this CR were superseded by the enactment of P.L.
99-178.
i.
This full-year CR extended through the end of FY1992 the expiration date of P.L. 102-163, which covered
appropriations that had not yet been enacted for Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs.
j.
Despite the reorganization of the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees at the beginning of the
110th Congress, the FY2007 CR (P.L. 110-5), which was enacted on February 15, 2007, reflected the
subcommittee jurisdictions in the 109th Congress.
k. P.L. 112-10, Division B, provided continuing appropriations through the end of the fiscal year for
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Financial Services and

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l.

General Government; Department of Homeland Security; Department of the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies;
Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies; Department of State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and
Related Agencies. Division A contained the text of the FY2011 Department of Defense Appropriations Act.
P.L. 113-6, Division F, provided continuing appropriations for FY2013 for Energy and Water Development
and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Department of the Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Divisions A-E contained the texts
of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the Department
of Defense Appropriations Act; Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act; and Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

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Table A-1. Number and Duration of Continuing Resolutions (CRs)
FY1977-FY2025
Fiscal
Year

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

1977

1

1

P.L. 94-473

2

2

1

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

90 Stat. 2065

10-11-1976

03-31-1977

182

P.L. 95-16

91 Stat. 28

04-01-1977

04-30-1977

30

3

P.L. 95-130

91 Stat. 1153

10-13-1977

10-31-1977

31

2

4

P.L. 95-165

91 Stat. 1323

11-09-1977

11-30-1977

30

3

5

P.L. 95-205

91 Stat. 1460

12-09-1977

09-30-1978

304

1979

1

6

P.L. 95-482

92 Stat. 1603

10-18-1978

09-30-1979

365

1980

1

7

P.L. 96-86

93 Stat. 656

10-12-1979

11-20-1979

51

2

8

P.L. 96-123

93 Stat. 923

11-20-1979

09-30-1980

315

1

9

P.L. 96-369

94 Stat. 1351

10-01-1980

12-15-1980

76

2

10

P.L. 96-536

94 Stat. 3166

12-16-1980

06-05-1981

172

3

11

P.L. 97-12b

95 Stat. 95

06-05-1981

09-30-1981

117

1

12

P.L. 97-51

95 Stat. 958

10-01-1981

11-20-1981

51

2

13

P.L. 97-85

95 Stat. 1098

11-23-1981

12-15-1981

22

3

14

P.L. 97-92

95 Stat. 1183

12-15-1981

03-31-1982

106

4

15

P.L. 97-161

96 Stat. 22

03-31-1982

09-30-1982

183

1

16

P.L. 97-276

96 Stat. 1186

10-02-1982

12-17-1982

78

2

17

P.L. 97-377c

96 Stat. 1830

12-17-1982

09-30-1983

287

1

18

P.L. 98-107

97 Stat. 733

10-01-1983

11-10-1983

41

2

19

P.L. 98-151

97 Stat. 964

11-14-1983

09-30-1984

321

1

20

P.L. 98-441

98 Stat. 1699

10-03-1984

10-03-1984

3

1978

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

CRS-18

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

2

21

P.L. 98-453

3

22

4

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

98 Stat. 1731

10-05-1984

10-05-1984

2

P.L. 98-455

98 Stat. 1747

10-06-1984

10-09-1984

4

23

P.L. 98-461

98 Stat. 1814

10-10-1984

10-11-1984

2

5

24

P.L. 98-473d

98 Stat. 1837

10-12-1984

09-30-1985

354

1

25

P.L. 99-103

99 Stat. 471

09-30-1985

11-14-1985

45

2

26

P.L. 99-154

99 Stat. 813

11-14-1985

12-12-1985

28

3

27

P.L. 99-179

99 Stat. 1135

12-13-1985

12-16-1985

4

4

28

P.L. 99-184

99 Stat. 1176

12-17-1985

12-19-1985

3

5

29

P.L. 99-190e

99 Stat. 1185

12-19-1985

09-30-1986

285

1

30

P.L. 99-434

100 Stat. 1076

10-01-1986

10-08-1986

8

2

31

P.L. 99-464

100 Stat. 1185

10-09-1986

10-10-1986

2

3

32

P.L. 99-465

100 Stat. 1189

10-11-1986

10-15-1986

5

4

33

P.L. 99-491

100 Stat. 1239

10-16-1986

10-16-1986

1

5

34

P.L. 99-500f

100 Stat. 1783

10-18-1986

09-30-1987

349

6

35

P.L. 99-591f

100 Stat. 3341

10-30-1986

[n/a]f

—

1

36

P.L. 100-120

101 Stat. 789

09-30-1987

11-10-1987

41

2

37

P.L. 100-162

101 Stat. 903

11-10-1987

12-16-1987

36

3

38

P.L. 100-193

101 Stat. 1310

12-16-1987

12-18-1987

2

4

39

P.L. 100-197

101 Stat. 1314

12-20-1987

12-21-1987

3

5

40

P.L. 100-202g

101 Stat. 1329

12-22-1987

09-30-1988

284

1989

[none]

—

—

—

—

—

—

1990

1

41

P.L. 101-100

103 Stat. 638

09-29-1989

10-25-1989

25

2

42

P.L. 101-130

103 Stat. 775

10-26-1989

11-15-1989

21

1986

1987

1988

CRS-19

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

3

43

P.L. 101-154

1

44

2

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

103 Stat. 934

11-15-1989

11-20-1989

5

P.L. 101-403h

104 Stat. 867

10-01-1990

10-05-1990

5

45

P.L. 101-412

104 Stat. 894

10-09-1990

10-19-1990

14

3

46

P.L. 101-444

104 Stat. 1030

10-19-1990

10-24-1990

5

4

47

P.L. 101-461

104 Stat. 1075

10-25-1990

10-27-1990

3

5

48

P.L. 101-467

104 Stat. 1086

10-28-1990

11-05-1990

9

1

49

P.L. 102-109

105 Stat. 551

09-30-1991

10-29-1991

29

2

50

P.L. 102-145

105 Stat. 968

10-28-1991

11-14-1991

16i

3

51

P.L. 102-163

105 Stat. 1048

11-15-1991

11-26-1991

12

4

52

P.L. 102-266

106 Stat. 92

04-01-1992

09-30-1992

183

1993

1

53

P.L. 102-376

106 Stat. 1311

10-01-1992

10-05-1992

5

1994

1

54

P.L. 103-88

107 Stat. 977

09-30-1993

10-21-1993

21

2

55

P.L. 103-113

107 Stat. 1114

10-21-1993

10-28-1993

7

3

56

P.L. 103-128

107 Stat. 1355

10-29-1993

11-10-1993

13

1995

[none]

—

—

—

—

—

—

1996

1

57

P.L. 104-31

109 Stat. 278

09-30-1995

11-13-1995

44

2

58

P.L. 104-54j

109 Stat. 540

11-19-1995

11-20-1995

7

3

59

P.L. 104-56

109 Stat. 548

11-20-1995

12-15-1995

25

4

60

P.L. 104-69j

109 Stat. 767

12-22-1995

01-03-1996

19

5

61

P.L. 104-90j

110 Stat. 3

01-04-1996

01-25-1996

22

6

62

P.L. 104-91j

110 Stat. 10

01-06-1996

09-30-1996

290

7

63

P.L. 104-92j

110 Stat. 16

01-06-1996

09-30-1996

290

8

64

P.L. 104-94j

110 Stat. 25

01-06-1996

01-26-1996

43

1991

1992

CRS-20

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

9

65

P.L. 104-99

10

66

11

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

110 Stat. 26

01-26-1996

03-15-1996

49

P.L. 104-116

110 Stat. 826

03-15-1996

03-22-1996

7

67

P.L. 104-118

110 Stat. 829

03-22-1996

03-29-1996

7

12

68

P.L. 104-122

110 Stat. 876

03-29-1996

04-24-1996

26

13

69

P.L. 104-131

110 Stat. 1213

04-24-1996

04-25-1996

1

1997

[none]

—

—

—

—

—

—

1998

1

70

P.L. 105-46

111 Stat. 1153

09-30-1997

10-23-1997

23

2

71

P.L. 105-64

111 Stat. 1343

10-23-1997

11-07-1997

15

3

72

P.L. 105-68

111 Stat. 1453

11-07-1997

11-09-1997

2

4

73

P.L. 105-69

111 Stat. 1454

11-09-1997

11-10-1997

1

5

74

P.L. 105-71

111 Stat. 1456

11-10-1997

11-14-1997

4

6

75

P.L. 105-84

111 Stat. 1628

11-14-1997

11-26-1997

12

1

76

P.L. 105-240

112 Stat. 1566

09-25-1998

10-09-1998

9

2

77

P.L. 105-249

112 Stat. 1868

10-09-1998

10-12-1998

3

3

78

P.L. 105-254

112 Stat. 1888

10-12-1998

10-14-1998

2

4

79

P.L. 105-257

112 Stat. 1901

10-14-1998

10-16-1998

2

5

80

P.L. 105-260

112 Stat. 1919

10-16-1998

10-20-1998

4

6

81

P.L. 105-273

112 Stat. 2418

10-20-1998

10-21-1998

1

1

82

P.L. 106-62

113 Stat. 505

09-30-1999

10-21-1999

21

2

83

P.L. 106-75

113 Stat. 1125

10-21-1999

10-29-1999

8

3

84

P.L. 106-85

113 Stat. 1297

10-29-1999

11-05-1999

7

4

85

P.L. 106-88

113 Stat. 1304

11-05-1999

11-10-1999

5

5

86

P.L. 106-94

113 Stat. 1311

11-10-1999

11-17-1999

7

1999

2000

CRS-21

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Fiscal
Year

2001

CRS-22

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

6

87

P.L. 106-105

7

88

1

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

113 Stat. 1484

11-18-1999

11-18-1999

1

P.L. 106-106

113 Stat. 1485

11-19-1999

12-02-1999

14

89

P.L. 106-275

114 Stat. 808

09-29-2000

10-06-2000

6

2

90

P.L. 106-282

114 Stat. 866

10-06-2000

10-14-2000

8

3

91

P.L. 106-306

114 Stat. 1073

10-13-2000

10-20-2000

6

4

92

P.L. 106-344

114 Stat. 1318

10-20-2000

10-25-2000

5

5

93

P.L. 106-358

114 Stat. 1397

10-26-2000

10-26-2000

1

6

94

P.L. 106-359

114 Stat. 1398

10-26-2000

10-27-2000

1

7

95

P.L. 106-381

114 Stat. 1450

10-27-2000

10-28-2000

1

8

96

P.L. 106-388

114 Stat. 1550

10-28-2000

10-29-2000

1

9

97

P.L. 106-389

114 Stat. 1551

10-29-2000

10-30-2000

1

10

98

P.L. 106-401

114 Stat. 1676

10-30-2000

10-31-2000

1

11

99

P.L. 106-403

114 Stat. 1741

11-01-2000

11-01-2000

1

12

100

P.L. 106-416

114 Stat. 1811

11-01-2000

11-02-2000

1

13

101

P.L. 106-426

114 Stat. 1897

11-03-2000

11-03-2000

1

14

102

P.L. 106-427

114 Stat. 1898

11-04-2000

11-04-2000

1

15

103

P.L. 106-428

114 Stat. 1899

11-04-2000

11-14-2000

10

16

104

P.L. 106-520

114 Stat. 2436

11-15-2000

12-05-2000

21

17

105

P.L. 106-537

114 Stat. 2562

12-05-2000

12-07-2000

2

18

106

P.L. 106-539

114 Stat. 2570

12-07-2000

12-08-2000

1

19

107

P.L. 106-540

114 Stat. 2571

12-08-2000

12-11-2000

3

20

108

P.L. 106-542

114 Stat. 2713

12-11-2000

12-15-2000

4

21

109

P.L. 106-543

114 Stat. 2714

12-15-2000

12-21-2000

6

Fiscal
Year

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

2002

1

110

P.L. 107-44

2

111

3

2003

2004

2005

CRS-23

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

115 Stat. 253

09-28-2001

10-16-2001

16

P.L. 107-48

115 Stat. 261

10-12-2001

10-23-2001

7

112

P.L. 107-53

115 Stat. 269

10-22-2001

10-31-2001

8

4

113

P.L. 107-58

115 Stat. 406

10-31-2001

11-16-2001

16

5

114

P.L. 107-70

115 Stat. 596

11-17-2001

12-07-2001

21

6

115

P.L. 107-79

115 Stat. 809

12-07-2001

12-15-2001

8

7

116

P.L. 107-83

115 Stat. 822

12-15-2001

12-21-2001

6

8

117

P.L. 107-97

115 Stat. 960

12-21-2001

01-10-2002

20

1

118

P.L. 107-229

116 Stat. 1465

09-30-2002

10-04-2002

4

2

119

P.L. 107-235

116 Stat. 1482

10-04-2002

10-11-2002

7

3

120

P.L. 107-240

116 Stat. 1492

10-11-2002

10-18-2002

7

4

121

P.L. 107-244

116 Stat. 1503

10-18-2002

11-22-2002

35

5

122

P.L. 107-294

116 Stat. 2062

11-23-2002

01-11-2003

50

6

123

P.L. 108-2

117 Stat. 5

01-10-2003

01-31-2003

20

7

124

P.L. 108-4

117 Stat. 8

01-31-2003

02-07-2003

7

8

125

P.L. 108-5

117 Stat. 9

02-07-2003

02-20-2003

13

1

126

P.L. 108-84

117 Stat. 1042

09-30-2003

10-31-2003

31

2

127

P.L. 108-104

117 Stat. 1200

10-31-2003

11-07-2003

7

3

128

P.L. 108-107

117 Stat. 1240

11-07-2003

11-21-2003

14

4

129

P.L. 108-135

117 Stat. 1391

11-22-2003

01-31-2004

71
—
51

5

130

P.L. 108-185

117 Stat. 2684

12-16-2003

[n/a]k

1

131

P.L. 108-309

118 Stat. 1137

09-30-2004

11-20-2004

Fiscal
Year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

CRS-24

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

2

132

P.L. 108-416

3

133

1

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

118 Stat. 2338

11-21-2004

12-03-2004

13

P.L. 108-434

118 Stat. 2614

12-03-2004

12-08-2004

5

134

P.L. 109-77

119 Stat. 2037

09-30-2005

11-18-2005

49

2

135

P.L. 109-105

119 Stat. 2287

11-19-2005

12-17-2005

29

3

136

P.L. 109-128

119 Stat. 2549

12-18-2005

12-31-2005

14

1

137

P.L. 109-289l

120 Stat. 1311

09-29-2006

11-17-2006

48

2

138

P.L. 109-369

120 Stat. 2642

11-17-2006

12-08-2006

21

3

139

P.L. 109-383

120 Stat. 2678

12-09-2006

02-15-2007

69

4

140

P.L. 110-5

121 Stat. 8

02-15-2007

09-30-2007

227

1

141

P.L. 110-92

121 Stat. 989

09-29-2007

11-16-2007

47

2

142

P.L. 110-116m

121 Stat. 1341

11-13-2007

12-14-2007

28

3

143

P.L. 110-137

121 Stat. 1454

12-14-2007

12-21-2007

7

4

144

P.L. 110-149

121 Stat. 1819

12-21-2007

12-31-2007

10

1

145

P.L. 110-329

122 Stat. 3574

09-30-2008

03-06-2009

157

2

146

P.L. 111-6

123 Stat. 522

03-06-2009

03-11-2009

5

1

147

P.L. 111-68n

123 Stat. 2043

10-01-2009

10-31-2009

31

2

148

P.L. 111-88o

123 Stat. 2972

10-30-2009

12-18-2009

48

1

149

P.L. 111-242

124 Stat. 2607

09-30-2010

12-03-2010

64

2

150

P.L. 111-290

124 Stat. 3063

12-04-2010

12-18-2010

15

3

151

P.L. 111-317

124 Stat. 3454

12-18-2010

12-21-2010

3

4

152

P.L. 111-322

124 Stat. 3518

12-22-2010

03-04-2011

73

5

153

P.L. 112-4

125 Stat. 6

03-02-2011

03-18-2011

14

6

154

P.L. 112-6

125 Stat. 23

03-18-2011

04-08-2011

21

Fiscal
Year

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

CRS-25

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

7

155

P.L. 112-8

8

156

1

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

125 Stat. 34

04-09-2011

04-15-2011

7

P.L. 112-10p

125 Stat. 102

04-15-2011

09-30-2011

168

157

P.L. 112-33

125 Stat. 363

09-30-2011

10-04-2011

4

2

158

P.L. 112-36

125 Stat. 386

10-05-2011

11-18-2011

45

3

159

P.L. 112-55q

125 Stat. 710

11-18-2011

12-16-2011

28

4

160

P.L. 112-67

125 Stat. 769

12-16-2011

12-17-2011

1

5

161

P.L. 112-68

125 Stat. 770

12-17-2011

12-23-2011

6

1

162

P.L. 112-175

126 Stat. 1313

09-28-2012

03-27-2013

178

2

163

P.L. 113-6

127 Stat. 198

03-26-2013

09-30-2013

(365)r

1

164

P.L. 113-39

127 Stat. 532

09-30-2013

[n/a]s

(17)s

2

165

P.L. 113-44

127 Stat. 555

10-10-2013

12-15-2013s

(8)s

3

166

P.L. 113-46

127 Stat. 558

10-17-2013

01-15-2014

(107)s

4

167

P.L. 113-73

128 Stat. 3

01-15-2014

01-18-2014

3

1

168

P.L. 113-164

128 Stat. 1867

09-19-2014

12-11-2014

72

2

169

P.L. 113-202

128 Stat. 2069

12-12-2014

12-13-2014

1

3

170

P.L. 113-203

128 Stat. 2070

12-13-2014

12-17-2014

4

4

171

P.L. 113-235

128 Stat. 2767

12-16-2014

02-27-2015

72

5

172

P.L. 114-3

129 Stat. 38

02-27-2015

03-06-2015

7

1

173

P.L. 114-53

129 Stat. 502

09-30-2015

12-11-2015

72

2

174

P.L. 114-96

129 Stat. 2193

12-11-2015

12-16-2015

5

3

175

P.L. 114-100

129 Stat. 2202

12-16-2015

12-22-2015

6

1

176

P.L. 114-223

130 Stat. 857t

09-29-2016

12-09-2016

70

2

177

P.L. 114-254

130 Stat. 1005

12-10-2016

04-28-2017

139

Fiscal
Year

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

CRS-26

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

3

178

P.L. 115-30

1

179

2

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

131 Stat. 134

04-28-2017

05-05-2017

7

P.L. 115-56

131 Stat. 1129u

09-08-2017

12-08-2017

69

180

P.L. 115-90

131 Stat. 1280

12-08-2017

12-22-2017

14

3

181

P.L. 115-96

131 Stat. 2044

12-22-2017

01-19-2018

28

4

182

P.L. 115-120

131 Stat. 28

01-22-2018

02-08-2018

20v

5

183

P.L. 115-123

132 Stat. 64

02-09-2018

03-23-2018

42v

1

184

P.L. 115-245

132 Stat. 2981

09-28-2018

12-07-2018

68

2

185

P.L. 115-298

132 Stat. 4382

12-07-2018

12-21-2018

14

3

186

P.L. 116-5

132 Stat. 10

1-25-2019

2-15-2019

56w

1

187

P.L. 116-59

133 Stat. 1093

9-27-2019

11-21-2019

52

2

188

P.L. 116-69

133 Stat. 1134

11-21-2019

12-20-2019

29

1

189

P.L. 116-159

134 Stat. 709

10-01-2020

12-11-2020

72

2

190

P.L. 116-215

134 Stat. 1041

12-11-2020

12-18-2020

7

3

191

P.L. 116-225

134 Stat. 1098

12-18-2020

12-20-2020

2

4

192

P.L. 116-226

134 Stat. 1099

12-20-2020

12-21-2020

1

5

193

P.L. 116-246

134 Stat. 1119

12-22-2020

12-28-2020

6

1

194

P.L. 117-43

135 Stat. 344

09-30-2021

12-03-2021

64

2

195

P.L. 117-70

135 Stat. 1499

12-03-2021

02-18-2022

77

3

196

P.L. 117-86

136 Stat. 15

02-18-2022

03-11-2022

21

4

197

P.L. 117-95

136 Stat. 33

03-11-2022

03-15-2022

4

1

198

P.L. 117-180

136 Stat. 2114

09-30-2022

12-16-2022

77

2

199

P.L. 117-229

136 Stat. 2308

12-16-2022

12-23-2022

7

3

200

P.L. 117-264

136 Stat. 4167

12-23-2022

12-30-2022

7

Fiscal
Year

Number of
Acts by Fiscal
Year

Number
of Acts
Cumulatively

2024

1

201

P.L. 118-15

2

202

3

2025

Public Law
Number

Statutes-at-Large
Citation

Enactment Date

Expiration Date

Duration
in Daysa

137 Stat. 71

09-30-2023

11-17-2023

48

P.L. 118-22

137 Stat. 112

11-17-2023

01-19-2024
02-02-2024

63
77

203

P.L. 118-35

138 Stat. 3

01-19-2024

03-01-2024
03-08-2024

42
35

4

204

P.L. 118-40

138 Stat. 17

03-01-2024

03-08-2024
03-22-2024

7
14

1

205

P.L. 118-83

138 Stat. 1524

09-26-2024

12-20-2024

81

2

206

P.L. 118-158

138 Stat. 1722

12-21-2024

03-14-2025

84

3

207

P.L. 119-4

139 Stat. 9

03-15-2025

09-30-2025

200

Source: Prepared by CRS using data from the Legislative Information System; CRS, appropriations status tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/Pages/
appover.aspx; and various other sources.
Notes:
a. Duration in days is measured, in the case of the initial CR for a fiscal year from the first day of the fiscal year (October 1) through the expiration date. For
subsequent CRs for a fiscal year, duration in days is measured from the day after the expiration of the preceding CR. In several instances, as appropriate, the
number of days reflects an extra day in a leap year (every fourth year beginning with calendar year 1976). The duration of CRs that ended a lapse in appropriations
includes the period of that funding gap and is calculated from the first full day after the final day that budget authority was provided through the expiration date of
the CR. Several CRs provided continuing appropriations for mixed periods of time. For example, three CRs—P.L. 96-86 (for FY1980), P.L. 97-51 (for FY1982), and
P.L. 97-276 (for FY1983)—were enacted in November or December of the applicable year for periods covering 51 days, 51 days, and 78 days, respectively, but they
also included continuing appropriations for the remainder of that fiscal year for activities covered by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. (See also the
discussion of actions for FY1996 under footnote j.) In these instances, the “Duration in Days” column reflects the time period that applied to the greatest number of
activities funded by the measure. For FY2024, three of the CRs established two groups with separate expiration dates. Although the expiration dates and duration
indicated in the table reflects this dual, “laddered” approach, successive appropriations for both groups were enacted before the expiration dates for the earlier
group (consisting of the group with funds provided in the Agriculture, Energy & Water, Military Construction & Veterans’ Affairs, and Transportation & Housing and
Urban Development appropriations acts).
b. Title IV (95 Stat. 95-96) of P.L. 97-12, the Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission Act for FY1981, provided continuing appropriations for FY1981.
c. P.L. 97-377 incorporated the full text of various regular appropriations acts.
d. Title I (98 Stat. 1837-1976) of P.L. 98-473 provided continuing appropriations for FY1985.
e. P.L. 99-190 incorporated the full text of various regular appropriations acts.

CRS-27

f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

k.
l.
m.

CRS-28

P.L. 99-591 superseded P.L. 99-500 and corrected enrollment errors in the earlier act. Both laws originated as H.J.Res. 738.
P.L. 100-202 incorporated the full text of various regular appropriations acts.
Title I (104 Stat. 867-870) of P.L. 101-403 provided continuing appropriations for FY1991.
Section 106(c) of provided that, as an exception to the general expiration date, continuing appropriations for the Foreign Operation Appropriations Act would
expire on March 31, 1992 (a duration of 154 days).
A total of 13 CRs were enacted for FY1996 (and one was vetoed). Two funding gaps occurred, the first in mid-November 1995 and the second from mid-December
1995 until early January 1996. The CRs for this year may be divided into two categories depending on whether their coverage was generally comprehensive or
partial. Nine of the CRs enacted for FY1996 generally provided short-term funding for all activities under the regular appropriations acts that had not yet been
enacted, while the other four provided funding only for selected activities within certain acts. The four acts in the latter category included the following:
(1) P.L. 104-69, which funded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs, programs of the District of
Columbia, and certain veterans’ programs;
(2) P.L. 104-90, which funded programs of the District of Columbia;
(3) P.L. 104-91, Title I, which funded a variety of programs, including ones pertaining to the Peace Corps, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, trade adjustment assistance benefits, and the National Institutes of Health, among others; and
(4) P.L. 104-92, which funded a variety of programs, including ones pertaining to nutrition services for the elderly, visitor services in the National Park System,
certain veterans’ programs, and programs of the District of Columbia, among others.
Activities under two of the regular appropriations acts for FY1996 were funded through the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 1996) in CRs: (1) Title IV of P.L.
104-92 provided such funding for activities covered by the District of Columbia Appropriations Act; and (2) Title III of P.L. 104-99 provided such funding for
activities covered by the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. In addition, other selected activities were funded through the remainder of the fiscal year by P.L.
104-91, P.L. 104-92, and P.L. 104-122. Action on the regular appropriations acts for FY1996 was concluded with the enactment of P.L. 104-134, the Omnibus
Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996, on April 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 1321 through 1321-381), which provided funding for the remainder of the
fiscal year for activities covered by five of the regular appropriations acts.
Three of the CRs had mixed periods of duration. The duration shown in the table was determined as follows:
(1) Most of the funding provided in P.L. 104-92 was for the remainder of the fiscal year, so a duration of 290 days was used, and it also provided retroactive budget
authority beginning on December 16, 1995;
(2) While the funding provided in P.L. 104-99 for activities covered by the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act was for the remainder of the fiscal year, the
funding provided for activities covered by four other regular appropriations acts was through March 15, 1996, so a duration of 49 days was used; and
(3) Most of the funding provided in P.L. 104-122 was through April 24, while only one account was funded through the remainder of the fiscal year, so a duration of
26 days was used.
In the case of P.L. 104-91, a measure requiring the Secretary of Commerce to convey to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the National Marine Fisheries Service
laboratory located on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, MA, Title I (110 Stat. 10-14) of the act provided continuing appropriations for selected activities for the
remainder of FY1996. Section 110 of the act made the funding effective as of December 16, 1995. The act also provided retroactive budget authority starting on
December 16, 1995.
In the case of P.L. 104-54, retroactive budget authority was provided starting on November 14, 1995, and in the case of P.L. 104-94, retroactive budget authority
was provided starting on December 16, 1995.
P.L. 108-185 included provisions affecting funding levels for two specified programs but did not include a provision affecting the expiration date of January 31, 2004,
established in the preceding CR (P.L. 108-135).
Continuing appropriations for FY2007 were provided by Division B (120 Stat. 1311) of P.L. 109-289, the Defense Appropriations Act for FY2007.
Continuing appropriations for FY2008 were provided by Division B (121 Stat. 1341) of P.L. 110-116, the Defense Appropriations Act for FY2008.

n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.

t.
u.
v.

w.

CRS-29

Continuing appropriations for FY2010 were provided by Division B (123 Stat. 2043) of P.L. 111-68, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for FY2010.
Continuing appropriations for FY2010 were provided by Division B (123 Stat. 2972) of P.L. 111-88, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act for 2010.
Full-year continuing appropriations for FY2011 were provided by Division B (125 Stat. 102) of P.L. 112-10, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing
Appropriations Act for 2011.
Continuing appropriations for FY2012 were provided by Division D (125 Stat. 710) of P.L. 112-55, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for
2012.
In P.L. 113-6, both the full text (Divisions A-E) and continuing (Division F) appropriations were for the entire fiscal year (FY2013) and superseded the continuing
appropriations provided by P.L. 112-175
A total of four CRs were enacted for FY2014. This count includes two CRs that provided funding for only specific programs and activities during the FY2014 funding
gap. The Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39) was enacted on September 30, 2013, and provided funding for FY2014. The Department of Defense Survivor Benefits
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (P.L. 113-44), was enacted on October 10, 2013, and expired on December 15, 2013. However, the funding provided
by both of these CRs was terminated on October 17, 2013, through the enactment of a third CR, P.L. 113-46, which broadly funded the previous fiscal year’s
activities through January 15, 2014. The funding provided by this third CR was extended through January 18 by the enactment of a fourth CR (P.L. 113-73). Section
118 of P.L. 113-46 provided that the time covered by that act was to have begun on October 1, 2013. For the purposes of this table, the duration in days for the
first two CRs is considered to have ended on October 17, 2013. The third CR is considered to have begun on October 1, 2013, and expired on January 15, 2014.
For further information on the FY2014 funding gap and congressional action on associated CRs, see CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview, by
James V. Saturno.
Continuing appropriations for FY2017 were provided through December 9, 2016 by Division C (130 Stat. 908) of P.L. 114-223, the Continuing Appropriations and
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act.
Continuing appropriations for FY2018 were provided through December 8, 2017 by Division D (131 Stat 1129) of P.L. 115-56, the Continuing Appropriations Act,
2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017.
Section 2003 of the fourth CR for FY2018 provided that the time covered by previous CRs was to have included a funding gap from January 20, 2018 to January 22,
2018. For the purposes of this table, the duration in days is considered consecutive from the start of the fiscal year. For further information on the FY2018 funding
gap, see CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview, by James V. Saturno.
In addition to providing continuing appropriations through February 15, 2019, Section 102 of this CR provided that continuing appropriations were considered to
cover the funding gap from December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019. For further information on the FY2019 funding gap, see CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding
Gaps: A Brief Overview, by James V. Saturno.

Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices

Author Information
James V. Saturno, Coordinator
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process

Drew C. Aherne
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process

Megan S. Lynch
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process

Justin Murray
Senior Research Librarian

Bill Heniff Jr.
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service

R46595 · VERSION 7 · UPDATED

30

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/crs%3AR46595. Public record. Not legal advice.
