Appropriations bill definition
An appropriations bill is legislation that authorizes federal agencies to spend money from the U.S. Treasury for specific purposes, usually for one fiscal year.
An appropriations bill is a type of legislation Congress passes to grant budget authority from the US Treasury, allowing federal agencies and programs to incur sending obligations and make payments for specific purposes over a set period (typically one federal fiscal year).
Appropriations bills are a key part of the discretionary spending process. They determine how much funding each department, agency, or program receives and under what conditions.
Congress has 12 appropriations subcommittees, and each is responsible for drafting one annual appropriations bill covering its area of government. Sometimes, instead of being passed individually, these 12 bills are packaged together into a single measure called an omnibus appropriations bill.
Appropriations bills are part of the government budget process. Before appropriations bills are drafted, the President annually submits a budget request to Congress, which informs the budget resolution and appropriations process.
After both chambers of Congress pass an appropriations bill, it is sent to the President for approval. If signed, it becomes law and provides funding authority.
Federal finances
What happens if an appropriations bill fails?
If Congress does not pass an appropriations bill, it must pass a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government.
If Congress fails to pass an appropriations bill or a continuing resolution by the start of the fiscal year (October 1), the government shuts down. During a government shutdown, many federal agencies must stop non-essential functions.
Can the president veto an appropriations bill?
Yes, the president can veto an appropriations bill. An appropriations bill, once passed by both the House and Senate, becomes law only if the president signs it.
The president does not have a line-item veto for federal appropriations bills. That means the president cannot pick and choose individual spending items to veto; the veto is for the bill in its entirety.
Keep exploring
- How does the government budget process work? - Congress hasn't passed a full budget on time since 1997. How is the government getting funded?
- What are congressional appropriations (spending) bills and how are they approved? - Appropriation bills are proposed laws, put forth by 12 subcommittees, that authorize different government agencies to spend money.
- How much does the US federal government spend?
- How much have major White House renovations cost over the past 100 years? - USAFacts reviewed historical budgets and records to put the cost of the new White House ballroom in context.
