Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes.
PL 104-69 (H.J.Res.136), enacted 12/22/1995

PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
109 STAT. 767 
Public Law 104-69 
104th Congress 
Joint Resolution 
Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1996, and for other 
Dec. 22, 1995 
purposes. 
[H.j. Res. 136] 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
TITLE I 
AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN AND 
FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE 
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money 
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of applicable 
corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, for the several 
departments, agencies, corporations, and other organizational units 
of Grovemment for the fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes, 
namely: 
SEC. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
authority and conditions provided in the applicable appropriations 
Act for the fiscal year 1995 for continuing the following projects 
or activities including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees 
(not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution) 
which were conducted in the fiscal year 1995: 
All projects and activities funded under the account head-
ing "Family support payments to States" under the Administra-
tion For Children and Families in the Department of Health 
and Human Services; 
All projects and activities funded under the account head-
ing "Payments to States for foster care and adoption assistance" 
under the Administration For Children and Families in the 
Department of Health and Human Services; and 
All administrative activities necessary to carry out the 
projects and activities in the preceeding two paragraphs: 
Provided, That whenever the amount which would be made avail-
able or the authority which would be granted under an Act which 
included funding for fiscal year 1996 for the projects and activities 
listed in this section is greater than that which would be available 
or granted under current operations, the pertinent project or activity 
shall be continued at a rate for operations not exceeding the current 
rate. 
(b) Whenever the amount which would be made available or 
the authority which would be granted under the Act which included 
funding for fiscal year 1996 for the projects and activities listed 
in this section as passed by the House as of the date of enactment 
of this joint resolution, is different from that which would be avail-
109 STAT. 768 
PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
able or granted under such Act as passed by the Senate as of 
the date of enactment of this joint resolution, the pertinent project 
or activity shall be continued at a rate for operations not exceeding 
the current rate or the rate permitted by the action of the House 
or the Senate, whichever is lower, under the authority and condi-
tions provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal 
year 1995. 
(c) Whenever an Act which included funding for fiscal year 
1996 for the projects and activities listed in this section has been 
passed by only the House or only the Senate as of the date of 
enactment of this joint resolution, the pertinent project or activity 
shall be continued under the appropriation, fund, or authority 
granted by the one House at a rate for operations not exceeding 
the current rate or the rate permitted by the action of the one 
House, whichever is lower, and under the authority and conditions 
provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal year 
1995. 
SEC. 102. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be available 
to the extent and in the manner which would be provided by 
the pertinent appropriations Act. 
SEC. 103. No appropriation or funds made available or authority 
granted pursuant to section 101 shall be used to initiate or resume 
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or other 
authority were not available during the fiscal year 1995. 
SEC. 104. No provision which is included in the appropriations 
Act enumerated in section 101 but which was not included in 
the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal year 1995 and which 
by its terms is applicable to more than one appropriation, fund, 
or authority shall be applicable to any appropriation, fund, or 
authority provided in this joint resolution. 
SEC. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted pursuant 
to this title of this joint resolution shall cover all obligations or 
expenditures incurred for any program, project, or activity during 
the period for which funds or authority for such project or activity 
are available under this joint resolution. 
Termination 
SEC. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of this 
date. 
joint resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act, appropria-
tions and funds made available and authority granted pursuant 
to this title of this joint resolution shall be available until (a) 
enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity 
provided for in this title of this joint resolution, or (b) the enactment 
into law of the applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without 
any provision for such project or activity, or (c) January 3, 1996, 
whichever first occurs. 
SEC. 107. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
joint resolution 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. 108. No provision in the appropriations Act for the fiscal 
year 1996 referred to in section 101 of this joint resolution that 
makes the availability of any appropriation provided therein 
dependent upon the enactment of additional authorizing or other 
legislation shall be effective before the date set forth in section 
106(c) of this joint resolution. 
SEC. 109. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
authority granted pursuant to this title of this joint resolution 
PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
109 STAT. 769 
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 herein shall be construed 
to waive any other provision of law governing the apportionment 
of funds. 
TITLE II 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of the general 
fund and enterprise funds of the District of Columbia for the District 
of Columbia for the fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes, namely: 
SEC. 201. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
authority and conditions provided in the applicable appropriations 
Act for the fiscal year 1995 for continuing projects or activities 
including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees (not other-
wise specifically provided for in this title of this joint resolution) 
which were conducted in the fiscal year 1995 and for which appro-
priations, funds, or other authority would be available in the follow-
ing appropriations Act: 
The District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1996: 
Provided, That whenever the amount which would be made avail-
able or the authority which would be granted in this Act is greater 
than that which would be available or granted under current oper-
ations, the pertinent project or activity shall be continued at a 
rate for operations not exceeding the current rate. 
(b) Whenever the amount which would be made available or 
the authority which would be granted under the Act listed in 
this section as passed by the House as of the date of enactment 
of this joint resolution, is different from that which would be avail-
able or granted under such Act as passed by the Senate as of 
the date of enactment of this joint resolution, the pertinent project 
or activity shall be continued at a rate for operations not exceeding 
the current rate or the rate permitted by the action of the House 
or the Senate, whichever is lower, under the authority and condi-
tions provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal 
year 1995: Provided, That where an item is not included in either 
version or where an item is included in only one version of the 
Act as passed by both Houses as of the date of enactment of 
this joint resolution, the pertinent project or activity shall not 
be continued except as provided for in section 211 or 212 under 
the appropriation, fund, or authority granted by the applicable 
appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1995 and under the authority 
and conditions provided in the applicable appropriations Act for 
the fiscal year 1995. 
SEC. 202. Appropriations made by section 201 shall be available 
to the extent and in the manner which would be provided by 
the pertinent appropriations Act. 
SEC. 203. No appropriation or funds made available or authority 
granted pursuant to section 201 shall be used to initiate or resume 
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or other 
authority were not available during the fiscal year 1995. 
SEC. 204. No provision which is included in the appropriations 
Act enumerated in section 201 but which was not included in 
the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal year 1995 and which 
by its terms is applicable to more than one appropriation, fund, 
109 STAT. 770 
PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
Termination 
date. 
Abortion. 
or authority shall be applicable to any appropriation, fund, or 
authority provided in this title of this joint resolution. 
SEC. 205. Appropriations made and authority granted pursuant 
to this title of this joint resolution shall cover all obligations or 
expenditures incurred for any program, project, or activity during 
the period for which funds or authority for such project or activity 
are available under this title of this joint resolution. 
SEC. 206. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of this 
joint resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act, appropria-
tions and funds made available and authority granted pursuant 
to this title of this joint resolution shall be available until (a) 
enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity 
provided for in this title of this joint resolution, or (b) the enactment 
into law of the applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without 
any provision for such project or activity, or (c) January 3, 1996, 
whichever first occurs. 
SEC. 207. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
of this joint resolution, except section 206, none of the funds appro-
priated under this title of this joint resolution shall be expended 
for any abortion except where the life of the mother would be 
endangered if the fetus were carried to term or where the pregnancy 
is the result of an act of rape or incest. 
SEC. 208. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
joint resolution 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. 209. No provision in the appropriations Act for the fiscal 
year 1996 referred to in section 201 of this title of this joint 
resolution that makes the availability of any appropriation provided 
therein dependent upon the enactment of additional authorizing 
or other legislation shall be effective before the date set forth 
in section 206(c) of this joint resolution. 
SEC. 210. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
authority granted pursuant to this title of this joint resolution 
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 herein shall be construed 
to waive any other provisicm (rf law governing the apportionment 
of funds. 
SEC. 211. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
of this joint resolution, except section 206, whenever the Act listed 
in section 201 as passed by both the House and Senate as of 
the date of enactment of this joint resolution, does not include 
funding for an ongoing project or activity for which there is a 
budget request, or whenever the rate for operations for an ongoing 
project or activity provided by section 201 for which there is a 
budget request would result in the project or activity being signifi-
cantly reduced, the pertinent project or activity may be continued 
under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable appro-
priations Act for the fiscal year 1995 by increasing the rate for 
operations provided by section 201 to a rate for operations not 
to exceed one that provides the minimal level that would enable 
existing activities to continue. No new contracts or grants shall 
be awarded in excess of an amount that bears the same ratio 
to the rate for operations provided by this section as the number 
of days covered by this resolution bears to 366. For the purposes 
PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
109 STAT. 771 
of this title of this joint resolution the minimal level means a 
rate for operations that is reduced from the current rate by 25 
percent. 
SEC. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
of this joint resolution, except section 206, whenever the rate for 
operations for any continuing project or activity provided by section 
201 or section 211 for which there is a budget request would 
result in a furlough of Government employees, that rate for oper-
ations may be increased to the minimum level that would enable 
the furlough to be avoided. No new contracts or grants shall be 
awarded in excess of an amount that bears the same ratio to 
the rate for operations provided by this section as the number 
of days covered by this resolution bears to 366. 
SEC. 213. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
of this joint resolution, except sections 206, 211, and 212, for those 
programs that had high initial rates of operation or complete dis-
tribution of funding at the beginning of the fiscal year in fiscal 
year 1995 because of distributions of funding to States, foreign 
countries, grantees, or others, similar distributions of funds for 
fiscal year 1996 shall not be made and no grants shall be awarded 
for such programs funded by this title of this resolution that would 
impinge on final funding prerogatives. 
SEC. 214. This title of this joint resolution shall be implemented 
so that only the most limited funding action of that permitted 
in this title of this resolution shall be taken in order to provide 
for continuation of projects and activities. 
SEC. 215. The provisions of section 132 of the District of Colum-
bia Appropriations Act, 1988, Public Law 100-202, shall not apply 
for this title of this joint resolution. 
SEC. 216. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title Domestic 
of this joint resolution, except section 206, none of the funds appro- partners. 
priated under this title of this joint resolution shall be used to 
implement or enforce any system of registration of unmarried, 
cohabiting couples whether they are homosexual, lesbian, hetero-
sexual, including but not limited to registration for the purpose 
of extending employment, health, or governmental benefits to such 
couples on the same basis that such benefits are extended to legally 
married couples; nor shall any funds made available pursuant to 
any provision of this title of this joint resolution otherwise be 
used to implement or enforce D.C. Act 9-188, signed by the Mayor 
of the District of Columbia on April 15, 1992. 
TITLE III 
VETERANS AFFAIRS 
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money 
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of applicable 
corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, for the several 
departments, agencies, corporations and other organizational units 
of Government for the fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes, 
namely: 
SEC. 301. ENSURED PAYMENT DURING FISCAL YEAR 1996 OF VETER-
ANS' BENEFITS IN EVENT OF LACK OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) PAYMENTS REQUIRED.—In any case during fiscal year 1996 
in which appropriations are not otherwise available for programs. 
109 STAT. 772 
PUBLIC LAW 104-69—DEC. 22, 1995 
projects, and activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall nevertheless ensure that— 
(1) payments of existing veterans benefits are made in 
accordance with regular procedures and schedules and in 
accordance with eligibility requirements for such benefits; and 
(2) payments to contractors of the Veterans Health 
Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs are made 
when due in the case of services provided that directly relate 
to patient health and safety. 
(b) FUNDING.—There is hereby appropriated such sums as may 
be necessary for the payments pursuant to subsection (a), including 
such amounts as may be necessary for the costs of administration 
of such pa3mients. 
(c) CHARGING OF ACCOUNTS WHEN APPROPRIATIONS MADE.— 
In any case in which the Secretary uses the authority of subsection 
(a) to make payments, applicable accounts shall be charged for 
amounts so paid, and for the costs of administration of such pay-
ments, when regular appropriations become available for those 
purposes. 
(d) EXISTING BENEFITS SPECIFIED.—For purposes of this section, 
existing veterans benefits are benefits under laws administered 
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that have been adjudicated 
and authorized for payment as of— 
(1) December 15, 1995; or 
(2) if appropriations for such benefits are available (other 
than pursuant to subsection (b)) after December 15, 1995, the 
last day on which appropriations for payment of such benefits 
are available (other than pursuant to subsection (b)). 
Termination 
SEC. 302. Section 301 shall cease to be effective on 
date. 
January 3, 1996. 
Approved December 22, 1995. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.J. Res. 136: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 141 (1995): 
Dec. 22, considered and passed House and Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 31 (1995): 
Dec. 22, Presidential statement.