Bill Details
S.499 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-10 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Introduced Date
2025-02-10
Policy Area
Economics and Public Finance
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would create an automatic backup funding system to help prevent government shutdowns. If Congress does not pass a regular spending bill for a program by the start of a fiscal year, that program would keep getting funded automatically instead of stopping. The funding would generally start at a slightly lower level than the previous year and then slowly decrease over time if no new spending law is passed. The goal is to keep government services running while Congress finishes its budget work.
- Most programs, projects, and activities would receive funding at up to 94% of the previous year’s operating level if no new appropriation is in place.
- After the first 90 days, the funding rate would drop by 1 percentage point every 90 days for as long as the automatic funding continues.
- For certain mandatory programs, including entitlements, and for food assistance programs under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, funding would continue at the level needed to keep benefits and program operations going under current law.
- The automatic funding would last until either a regular spending bill becomes law or another continuing funding law is enacted. It would not apply if another law already provides funding or clearly says the program should not continue.
Official Summaries
Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2025
This bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if an appropriations bill for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing appropriations are not in effect.
For an initial 90-day period, the bill provides continuing appropriations at 94% of the rate for the preceding year to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year. The bill reduces the continuing appropriations by 1% after the first 90-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until the applicable appropriations legislation is enacted.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 499 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 499
To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for automatic
continuing resolutions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 10, 2025
Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Appropriations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for automatic
continuing resolutions.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Government Shutdown Prevention Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 13 of title 31, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 1310 the following new section:
``Sec. 1311. Continuing appropriations
``(a)(1) On and after the first day of each fiscal year, if an
appropriation Act for such fiscal year with respect to the account for
a program, project, or activity has not been enacted and continuing
appropriations are not in effect with respect to the program, project,
or activity, there are appropriated, at the rate for operations
specified in paragraph (2), such sums as may be necessary to continue
the program, project, or activity if funds were provided for the
program, project, or activity during the preceding fiscal year--
``(A) in the corresponding appropriation Act for such
preceding fiscal year; or
``(B) if the corresponding appropriation bill for such
preceding fiscal year did not become law, in a law making
continuing appropriations for such preceding fiscal year.
``(2)(A) Subject to subparagraph (C), appropriations and funds made
available, and authority granted, for a program, project, or activity
for any fiscal year pursuant to this section shall be at a rate of
operations not in excess of the lower of--
``(i) 94 percent of the rate of operations provided for in
the regular appropriation Act providing for such program,
project, or activity for the preceding fiscal year;
``(ii) in the absence of such an Act, 94 percent of the
rate of operations provided for such program, project, or
activity pursuant to a law making continuing appropriations for
such preceding fiscal year; or
``(iii) 94 percent of the annualized rate of operations
provided for in the most recently enacted law making continuing
appropriations for part of that fiscal year or any funding
levels established under the provisions of this section,
for the period of 90 days. After the first 90-day period during which
this subsection is in effect for that fiscal year, the applicable rate
of operations shall be reduced by 1 percentage point. For each
subsequent 90-day period during which this subsection is in effect for
that fiscal year, the applicable rate of operations shall be reduced by
1 percentage point. The 90-day period reductions shall extend beyond
the last day of that fiscal year.
``(B) If this section is in effect at the end of a fiscal year,
funding levels shall continue as provided in this section for the next
fiscal year.
``(C) For entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget
authority was provided for the previous fiscal year in appropriations
Acts, under a law other than this section providing continuing
appropriations for such previous year, or under this section, and for
activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, appropriations and
funds made available during a fiscal year under this section shall be
at the rate necessary to maintain program levels under current law,
under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable
appropriations Act.
``(3) Appropriations and funds made available, and authority
granted, for any fiscal year pursuant to this section for a program,
project, or activity shall be available for the period beginning with
the first day of a lapse in appropriations and ending with the date on
which the applicable regular appropriation bill for such fiscal year
becomes law (whether or not such law provides for such program,
project, or activity) or a continuing resolution making appropriations
becomes law, as the case may be.
``(4) During any period during which amounts are being made
available under this section, the head of each agency, office, or other
establishment to which such amounts are being made available shall
apportion such amounts in the same proportion as amounts made available
to the agency, office, or other establishment were apportioned during
the previous fiscal year.
``(b) An appropriation or funds made available, or authority
granted, for a program, project, or activity for any fiscal year
pursuant to this section shall be subject to the terms and conditions
imposed with respect to the appropriation made or funds made available
for the preceding fiscal year, or authority granted for such program,
project, or activity under current law.
``(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, for
those programs, projects, or activities that would otherwise have high
initial rates of operation or complete distribution of appropriations
at the beginning of a fiscal year for which funding is made available
under this section because of distributions of funding to States,
foreign countries, grantees, or others, such high initial rates of
operation or complete distribution shall not be made, and no grants
shall be awarded for such programs, projects, or activities funded by
this section that would impinge on final funding prerogatives.
``(d) Expenditures made for a program, project, or activity for any
fiscal year pursuant to this section shall be charged to the applicable
appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever a regular appropriation
bill or a measure making continuing appropriations until the end of a
fiscal year providing for such program, project, or activity for such
period becomes law.
``(e) This section shall not apply to a program, project, or
activity during a fiscal year if any other provision of law (other than
an authorization of appropriations)--
``(1) makes an appropriation, makes funds available, or
grants authority for such program, project, or activity to
continue for such period; or
``(2) specifically provides that no appropriation shall be
made, no funds shall be made available, or no authority shall
be granted for such program, project, or activity to continue
for such period.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections of chapter 13 of
title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 1310 the following new item:
``1311. Continuing appropriations.''.
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