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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 142

To prevent Government shutdowns.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 6, 1999

Mr. GEKAS (for himself, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. WYNN, Mr. COX, Mr.

ISTOOK, Mr. PITTS, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, and Mr.

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

A BILL

To prevent Government shutdowns.

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’’.

6 SEC. 2. CONTINUING FUNDING.

7 (a) If any regular appropriation bill for fiscal year

8 2000 does not become law prior to the beginning of fiscal

9 year 2000 or a joint resolution making continuing appro10 priations is not in effect, there is appropriated, out of any

11 moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and
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1 out of applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and

2 funds, such sums as may be necessary to continue any

3 program, project, or activity for which funds were provided

4 in fiscal year 1999.

5 (b) Appropriations and funds made available, and au6 thority granted, for a program, project, or activity for fis7 cal year 2000 pursuant to this Act shall be at 100 per

8 cent of the rate of operations that was provided for the

9 program, project, or activity in fiscal year 1999 in the cor10 responding regular appropriation Act for fiscal year 1999.

11 (c) Appropriations and funds made available, and au12 thority granted, for fiscal year 2000 pursuant to this Act

13 for a program, project, or activity shall be available for

14 the period beginning with the first day of a lapse in appro15 priations and ending with the earlier of—

16 (1) the date on which the applicable regular ap17 propriation bill for fiscal year 2000 becomes law

18 (whether or not that law provides for that program,

19 project, or activity) or a continuing resolution mak20 ing appropriations becomes law, as the case may be;

21 or

22 (2) the last day of fiscal year 2000.

23 SEC. 3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

24 (a) An appropriation of funds made available, or au25 thority granted, for a program, project, or activity for fis-
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1 cal year 2000 pursuant to this Act shall be made available

2 to the extent and in the manner which would be provided

3 by the pertinent appropriations Act for fiscal year 1999,

4 including all of the terms and conditions and the appor5 tionment schedule imposed with respect to the appropria6 tion made or funds made available for fiscal year 1999

7 or authority granted for the program, project, or activity

8 under current law.

9 (b) Appropriations made by this Act shall be available

10 to the extent and in the manner which would be provided

11 by the pertinent appropriations Act.

12 SEC. 4. COVERAGE.

13 Appropriations and funds made available, and au14 thority granted, for any program, project, or activity for

15 fiscal year 2000 pursuant to this Act shall cover all obliga16 tions or expenditures incurred for that program, project,

17 or activity during the portion of fiscal year 2000 for which

18 this Act applies to that program, project, or activity.

19 SEC. 5. EXPENDITURES.

20 Expenditures made for a program, project, or activity

21 for fiscal year 2000 pursuant to this Act shall be charged

22 to the applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization

23 whenever a regular appropriation bill or a joint resolution

24 making continuing appropriations until the end of fiscal
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1 year 2000 providing for that program, project, or activity

2 for that period becomes law.

3 SEC. 6. INITIATING OR RESUMING A PROGRAM, PROJECT,

4 OR ACTIVITY.

5 No appropriation or funds made available or author6 ity granted pursuant to this Act shall be used to initiate

7 or resume any program, project, or activity for which ap8 propriations, funds, or other authority were not available

9 during fiscal year 1999.

10 SEC. 7. PROTECTION OF OTHER OBLIGATIONS.

11 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to effect Gov12 ernment obligations mandated by other law, including obli13 gations with respect to Social Security, Medicare, Medic14 aid, and veterans benefits.

15 SEC. 8. DEFINITION.

16 In this Act, the term ‘‘regular appropriation bill’’

17 means any annual appropriation bill making appropria18 tions, otherwise making funds available, or granting au19 thority, for any of the following categories of programs,

20 projects, and activities:

21 (1) Agriculture, rural development, and related

22 agencies programs.

23 (2) The Departments of Commerce, Justice,

24 and State, the judiciary, and related agencies.

25 (3) The Department of Defense.
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1 (4) The government of the District of Columbia

2 and other activities chargeable in whole or in part

3 against the revenues of the District.

4 (5) The Departments of Labor, Health and

5 Human Services, and Education, and related agen6 cies.

7 (6) The Departments of Veterans Affairs and

8 Housing and Urban Development, and sundry inde9 pendent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations,

10 and offices.

11 (7) Energy and water development.

12 (8) Foreign assistance and related programs.

13 (9) The Department of the Interior and related

14 agencies.

15 (10) Military construction.

16 (11) The Department of Transportation and re17 lated agencies.

18 (12) The Treasury Department, the U.S. Postal

19 Service, the Executive Office of the President, and

20 certain independent agencies.

21 (13) The legislative branch.

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