To prevent Government shutdowns by providing for the automatic continuation of Federal funding during a lapse in appropriations.

Summary: Stop Government Shutdowns Act - Appropriates amounts for continuing federal projects and activities at the current rate for operations and under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable appropriation Act or Acts that provided funds for them for the previous fiscal year if, as a result of a failure to enact a regular or continuing appropriation Act or joint resolution, there is a lapse in appropriations for such projects or activities.

 Makes appropriations, funds, and authority granted in this Act available until the earliest of: (1) the enactment into law of an appropriation for the project or activity concerned, (2) the enactment into law of the applicable appropriation Act for such fiscal year without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) the last day of the fiscal year for which such appropriations and funds are made available or such authority is granted for such project or activity.

Prohibits appropriations or funds made available or authority granted pursuant to this Act from being used to initiate or resume any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available during the previous fiscal year.

Authorizes the use of appropriations or funds made available or authority granted without regard to specified time limitations for submission and approval of apportionments requirements; but declares that nothing in this Act may be construed to waive any other provision of law governing the apportionment of funds.

Prescribes requirements for: (1) denial of high rates for operation or complete distribution of appropriations in the lapsed-appropriations period, (2) the most limited funding action for continuation of projects and activities, and (3) apportionment of funds for civilian personnel compensation and benefits as necessary to avoid furloughs. Prohibits any decrease in the pay for members of the Armed Forces during a lapsed-appropriations period.

Requires expenditures made pursuant to this Act to be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever an appropriations bill is subsequently enacted into law.

Continues at a specified maintenance rate, through the date on which appropriations for such programs under this Act expires, certain activities with respect to entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget authority was provided in previous appropriations Acts, as well as for activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Government Shutdowns Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC CONTINUATION OF FEDERAL FUNDING.

    (a) In General.--If, as a result of a failure to enact a regular or 
continuing appropriation Act or joint resolution, there is a lapse in 
appropriations for any projects or activities of the Federal Government 
that were conducted in the previous fiscal year, and for which 
appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in such 
fiscal year, there is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury 
not otherwise appropriated, and out of applicable corporate or other 
revenues, receipts, and funds, such amounts as may be necessary for 
continuing such projects or activities (including the costs of direct 
loans and loan guarantees), at the current rate for operations and 
under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable 
appropriation Act or Acts that provided funds for the project or 
activity for the previous fiscal year.
    (b) Continuation Period.--Appropriations and funds made available 
and authority granted for a project or activity pursuant to this Act 
shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs:
            (1) the enactment into law of an appropriation for such 
        project or activity;
            (2) the enactment into law of the applicable appropriation 
        Act for such fiscal year without any provision for such project 
        or activity; or
            (3) the last day of the fiscal year for which such 
        appropriations and funds are made available or such authority 
        is granted for such project or activity pursuant to subsection 
        (a).

SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.

    (a) Extent and Manner.--Appropriations made by section 2(a) shall 
be available to the extent and in the manner that would be provided by 
the applicable appropriation Act.
    (b) Coverage.--Appropriations made and authority granted pursuant 
to this Act shall cover all obligations or expenditures incurred for 
any project or activity during the period for which funds or authority 
for such project or activity are available under this Act.

SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS.

    (a) No New Starts.--No appropriation or funds made available or 
authority granted pursuant to section 2(a) shall be used to initiate or 
resume any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or 
other authority were not available during the previous fiscal year.
    (b) Apportionment Timing.--Appropriations made and funds made 
available by or authority granted pursuant to this Act may be used 
without regard to the time limitations for submission and approval of 
apportionments set forth in section 1513 of title 31, United States 
Code, but nothing in this Act may be construed to waive any other 
provision of law governing the apportionment of funds.
    (c) High Rates for Operation.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this Act, except section 2(b), for those programs that would 
otherwise have high rates for operation or complete distribution of 
appropriations in the period for which appropriations for such programs 
are made available under this Act because of distributions of funding 
to States, foreign countries, grantees, or others, such high initial 
rates for operation or complete distribution shall not be made, and no 
grants shall be awarded for such programs funded by this Act that would 
impinge on final funding prerogatives.
    (d) Limited Funding Actions.--This Act shall be implemented so that 
only the most limited funding action of that permitted in the Act shall 
be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and 
activities.
    (e) Prevention of Furloughs.--Amounts made available under section 
2(a) for civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each 
department and agency may be apportioned up to the rate for operations 
necessary to avoid furloughs within such department or agency, 
consistent with the applicable appropriation Act for the previous 
fiscal year, except that such authority provided under this section 
shall not be used until after the department or agency has taken all 
necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related 
administrative expenses.
    (f) Pay for Members of the Armed Forces.--During a period in which 
appropriations are made available under this Act for the pay of members 
of the Armed Forces, the rate of pay for such members shall not be 
decreased by reason of this Act.
    (g) Application of Certain Authorization Requirements.--Funds 
appropriated by this Act may be obligated and expended notwithstanding 
section 10 of Public Law 91-672 (22 U.S.C. 2412), section 15 of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2680), 
section 313 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 
1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 6212), and section 504(a)(1) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 414(a)(1)).

SEC. 5. ADJUSTMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

    Expenditures made pursuant to this Act shall be charged to the 
applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever a bill in 
which such applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization is 
contained is enacted into law.

SEC. 6. ENTITLEMENTS AND OTHER MANDATORY PROGRAMS.

    (a) For entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget 
authority was provided in previous appropriation Acts, and for 
activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, activities shall 
be continued at the rate to maintain program levels under current law, 
under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable 
appropriation Act for the previous fiscal year, to be continued through 
the date on which appropriations for such programs under this Act 
expire (as specified in section 2(b)).
    (b) Notwithstanding section 2(b)(3), obligations for mandatory 
payments due on or about the first day of any month that begins after 
the first month in which appropriations for such programs are made 
under this Act but not later than 30 days after the date on which 
appropriations for such programs under this Act expire (as specified in 
section 2(b)(3)) may continue to be made, and funds shall be available 
for such payments.