31 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2023 Edition
Title 31 - MONEY AND FINANCE
SUBTITLE II - THE BUDGET PROCESS
CHAPTER 15 - APPROPRIATION ACCOUNTING
SUBCHAPTER II - APPORTIONMENT
Sec. 1517 - Prohibited obligations and expenditures
From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov

### §1517. Prohibited obligations and expenditures

(a) An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding—

(1) an apportionment; or

(2) the amount permitted by regulations prescribed under section 1514(a) of this title.

(b) If an officer or employee of an executive agency or of the District of Columbia government violates subsection (a) of this section, the head of the executive agency or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, as the case may be, shall report immediately to the President and Congress all relevant facts and a statement of actions taken. A copy of each report shall also be transmitted to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 932; Pub. L. 108–447, div. G, title I, §1401(b), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3192.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large)
--- | --- | ---
1517(a) | 31:665(h). | R.S. §3679(h), (i)(2)(related to (h)); Mar. 3, 1905, ch. 1484, §4(1st par.), 33 Stat. 1257; Feb. 27, 1906, ch. 510, §3, 34 Stat. 48; restated Sept. 6, 1950, ch. 896, §1211, 64 Stat. 768.
1517(b) | 31:665(i)(2)(related to (h)). |

In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words "District of Columbia government" are added because of section 9 of the Act of June 26, 1912 (ch. 182, 37 Stat. 184). In clause (1), the word "apportionment" is substituted for "apportionment or reapportionment" because of section 1512(a)(last sentence) of the revised title.

In subsection (b), the word "Mayor" is used because of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (eff. Aug. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 948) and sections 421, 422, and 771 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (Pub. L. 93–198, 87 Stat. 789, 818). The word "President" is substituted for "President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget" because sections 101 and 102(a) of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1970 (eff. July 1, 1970, 84 Stat. 2085) designated the Bureau of the Budget as the Office of Management and Budget and transferred all functions of the Bureau to the President.

#### Editorial Notes

#### Amendments

2004—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–447 inserted at end "A copy of each report shall also be transmitted to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress."