I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3583 

To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for automatic continuing 

resolutions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2011 

Mr. LANKFORD (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. HENSARLING, Mrs. 

BLACK, Mr. YOUNG of Indiana, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. STUTZMAN, and Mr. 

BUCSHON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations 

A BILL 

To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for 

automatic continuing resolutions. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Government Shutdown 

5 Prevention Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 31, United 

8 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1310 

9 the following new section: 


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1 ‘‘§ 1311. Continuing appropriations 

2 ‘‘(a)(1) If any appropriation measure for a fiscal year 

3 is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year or 

4 a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not 

5 in effect, there are appropriated such sums as may be nec6 essary to continue any program, project, or activity for 

7 which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year— 

8 ‘‘(A) in the corresponding appropriation Act for 

9 such preceding fiscal year; or 

10 ‘‘(B) if the corresponding appropriation bill for 

11 such preceding fiscal year did not become law, then 

12 in a joint resolution making continuing appropria13 tions for such preceding fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), ap15 propriations and funds made available, and authority 

16 granted, for a program, project, or activity for any fiscal 

17 year pursuant to this section shall be at a rate of oper18 ations not in excess of the lower of— 

19 ‘‘(i) 99 percent of the rate of operations pro20 vided for in the regular appropriation Act providing 

21 for such program, project, or activity for the pre22 ceding fiscal year; 

23 ‘‘(ii) in the absence of such an Act, 99 percent 

24 of the rate of operations provided for such program, 

25 project, or activity pursuant to a joint resolution 


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1 making continuing appropriations for such preceding 

2 fiscal year; 

3 ‘‘(iii) 99 percent of the annualized rate of oper4 ations provided for in the most recently enacted 

5 joint resolution making continuing appropriations 

6 for part of that fiscal year or any funding levels es7 tablished under the provisions of this Act; 

8 for the period of three months. For each subsequent three9 month period during which this subsection is in effect for 

10 that fiscal year, the applicable rate of operations shall be 

11 reduced by one percentage point. No 90-day period begin12 ning in a fiscal year shall extend beyond the last day of 

13 that fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(B) The total amount of appropriations and funds 

15 made available, and authorization granted, for a program, 

16 projects, or activity, shall not exceed levels set forth in 

17 section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 

18 Deficit Control Act of 1985. 

19 ‘‘(3) Appropriations and funds made available, and 

20 authority granted, for any fiscal year pursuant to this sec21 tion for a program, project, or activity shall be available 

22 for the period beginning with the first day of a lapse in 

23 appropriations and ending with the earlier of— 

24 ‘‘(A) the date on which the applicable regular 

25 appropriation bill for such fiscal year becomes law 


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1 (whether or not such law provides for such program, 

2 project, or activity) or a continuing resolution mak3 ing appropriations becomes law, as the case may be; 

4 or 

5 ‘‘(B) the last day of such fiscal year. 

6 ‘‘(b) An appropriation or funds made available, or au7 thority granted, for a program, project, or activity for any 

8 fiscal year pursuant to this section shall be subject to the 

9 terms and conditions imposed with respect to the appro10 priation made or funds made available for the preceding 

11 fiscal year, or authority granted for such program, project, 

12 or activity under current law. 

13 ‘‘(c) Appropriations and funds made available, and 

14 authority granted, for any program, project, or activity for 

15 any fiscal year pursuant to this section shall cover all obli16 gations or expenditures incurred for such program, 

17 project, or activity during the portion of such fiscal year 

18 for which this section applies to such program, project, 

19 or activity. 

20 ‘‘(d) Expenditures made for a program, project, or 

21 activity for any fiscal year pursuant to this section shall 

22 be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or au23 thorization whenever a regular appropriation bill or a joint 

24 resolution making continuing appropriations until the end 


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1 of a fiscal year providing for such program, project, or 

2 activity for such period becomes law. 

3 ‘‘(e) This section shall not apply to a program, 

4 project, or activity during a fiscal year if any other provi5 sion of law (other than an authorization of appropria6 tions)— 

7 ‘‘(1) makes an appropriation, makes funds 

8 available, or grants authority for such program, 

9 project, or activity to continue for such period; or 

10 ‘‘(2) specifically provides that no appropriation 

11 shall be made, no funds shall be made available, or 

12 no authority shall be granted for such program, 

13 project, or activity to continue for such period.’’. 

14 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

15 of chapter 13 of title 31, United States Code, is amended 

16 by inserting after the item relating to section 1310 the 

17 following new item: 

‘‘1311. Continuing appropriations.’’. 

Æ 


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