Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Stop Government Shutdowns Act

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 resolution, there is a lapse in appropriations for any projects or activities of the Federal Government that were conducted in the previous fiscal year, and for which appropriations, 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 operations 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 appropriation Act for such fiscal year without any provision 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).

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 appropriation 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.

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 activity 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 pursuant 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 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 distribution 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 compensation 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, consistent with the applicable appropriation Act for the previous fiscal year, except that such authority provided under this section shall not be used until after the department 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 available under this Act for the pay of members of the Armed Forces, the rate of pay for such members shall not be decreased by reason of this Act. (g)

Application of certain authorization requirements

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 Authorization 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)).

Adjustment of accounts

Expenditures made pursuant to this Act 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.

Entitlements and other mandatory programs

(a)For entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget authority was provided in previous appropriation Acts, and for activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, activities shall be continued at the rate to maintain program levels under current law, under the authority and conditions provided in the applicable appropriation Act for the previous fiscal year, to be continued through the date on which appropriations for such programs 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 appropriations for such programs are made under this Act but not later than 30 days after the date on which appropriations 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.