I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1471 
To prevent Government shutdowns by providing for the automatic 
continuation of Federal funding during a lapse in appropriations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2011 
Mr. KILDEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Appropriations 
A BILL 
To prevent Government shutdowns by providing for the auto-
matic continuation of Federal funding during a lapse 
in appropriations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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 resolu-
tion, there is a lapse in appropriations for any projects 
or activities of the Federal Government that were con-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
ducted in the previous fiscal year, and for which appro-
priations, 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 oper-
ations 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 ap-
propriation Act for such fiscal year without any pro-
vision 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). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
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 appro-
priation 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 ac-
tivity 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 pursu-
ant 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 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
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 distribu-
tion 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 com-
pensation 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, con-
sistent with the applicable appropriation Act for the pre-
vious fiscal year, except that such authority provided 
under this section shall not be used until after the depart-
ment 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 avail-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
able under this Act for the pay of members of the Armed 
Forces, the rate of pay for such members shall not be de-
creased by reason of this Act. 
(g) APPLICATION OF CERTAIN AUTHORIZATION RE-
QUIREMENTS.—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 Au-
thorization 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 author-
ization whenever a bill in which such applicable appropria-
tion, fund, or authorization is contained is enacted into 
law. 
SEC. 6. ENTITLEMENTS AND OTHER MANDATORY PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) For entitlements and other mandatory payments 
whose budget authority was provided in previous appro-
priation Acts, and for activities under the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008, activities shall be continued at the rate 
to maintain program levels under current law, under the 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
authority and conditions provided in the applicable appro-
priation Act for the previous fiscal year, to be continued 
through the date on which appropriations for such pro-
grams 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 appro-
priations for such programs are made under this Act but 
not later than 30 days after the date on which appropria-
tions 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. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:03 Apr 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1471.IH
H1471
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS