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![handle is hein.gao/gaobabbtc0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERA
Report To The Congress
OF THE UNITED STATES
Funding Gaps Jeopardize
Federal Government Operations
Interruptions in Federal agency funding at the
beginning of the fiscal year and operating on
continuing resolutions have become the norm
rather than the exception. Over the past 20
years, 85 percent of the appropriations bills
for Federal agencies have passed after the start
of the fiscal year.
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During the usual deliberations process on ap-
propriations for fiscal year 1981, it became
clear that a funding gap might develop. In re-
sponse to the President's request for an opinion
of the Antideficiency Act, the Attorney Gen-
eral ruled that the Act required agencies to
terminate operations when appropriations ex-
pire, and promised to enforce the criminal
penalties of the Act in cases of future willful
violation. This resulted in substantial confu-
sion throughout the Federal Government.
GAO recommends that Congress enact per-
manent legislation to allow all agencies to
incur obligations, but not expend funds, when
appropriations expire (except where a pro-
gram's authorization has expired or Congress
has expressly indicated otherwise).
PAD-81-31
MARCH 3, 1981
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