Overview of Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 2028)

Summary

This report is an analysis of the provisions in H.R. 2028, which provides further continuing appropriations for FY2017 through April 28, 2017. The measure also included appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year for Overseas Contingency Operations in the Security Assistance Appropriations Act (Division B). On December 10, 2016, the President signed H.R. 2028 into law (P.L. 114-254).

Division A of H.R. 2028 was termed a “continuing resolution” (CR) because it provided temporary authority for federal agencies and programs to continue spending in FY2017 in the same manner as a separately enacted CR. It provides temporary funding for the programs and activities covered by the remaining 11 regular appropriations bills that had not been enacted previously. These provisions provide continuing budget authority for projects and activities funded in FY2016 by that fiscal year’s regular appropriations acts, with some exceptions. Funding under the terms of the CR is effective from enactment on December 10, 2016, through April 28, 2017—a period of 20 weeks.

The CR generally provides budget authority for FY2017 for projects and activities at the rate at which they were funded during FY2016. Most projects and activities funded by the CR, however, are also subject to an across-the-board decrease of 0.1901% for the period covered (pursuant to Section 101(2) of Division A).

According to the cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the total amount annualized budget authority for the 11 regular appropriations covered in Division A that are subject to the statutory discretionary spending limits totals to approximately $987,273 million. When spending in the act that is effectively not subject to those limits (Overseas Contingency Operations, disaster relief, emergency requirements and program integrity adjustments) is included in the CBO estimate, the annualized total is $1,083,798 million.

In addition to the general provisions that establish the coverage, duration, and rate of spending, CRs usually include provisions that are specific to certain agencies, accounts, or programs. These include provisions that designate exceptions to the formula and purpose for which any referenced funding is extended (referred to as “anomalies”) as well as provisions that have the effect of creating new law or changing existing law (often used to renew expiring provisions of law). The CR includes a number of such provisions, each of which is briefly summarized in this report. CRS appropriations process experts for each of these provisions are listed in Table 1.

For information on the first CR for FY2017, see CRS Report R44653, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 5325), coordinated by James V. Saturno. For general information on the content of CRs and historical data on CRs enacted between FY1977 and FY2016, see CRS Report R42647, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Recent Practices, by James V. Saturno and Jessica Tollestrup.