Duration of Continuing Resolutions in
Recent Years
Jessica Tollestrup
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
April 28, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL32614
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent Years

Summary
Continuing appropriations acts (commonly known as continuing resolutions or CRs), which
provide interim funding in the event that regular appropriations have not been enacted, have been
an integral component of the annual appropriations process for decades. Whenever action on one
or more of the regular appropriations acts for a fiscal year is incomplete, an issue that arises is the
appropriate duration of any period for which continuing resolutions will be used.
Continuing resolutions may have a relatively short duration in the expectation that action on the
regular appropriations acts will be concluded within several days or weeks. Alternatively,
continuing resolutions may have a longer duration to postpone final action on appropriations
decisions until after elections, or through the beginning of the next congressional session. Finally,
a continuing resolution may provide funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The duration of a continuing resolution refers to the period for which budget authority is provided
for covered projects and activities. The period ends either upon enactment of the applicable
regular appropriations act or on an expiration date specified in the continuing resolution,
whichever occurs first. Based upon their duration, continuing resolutions may be classified as
either interim or full-year measures. Interim (or temporary) continuing resolutions provide
funding for periods usually measured in days or weeks (but sometimes months), while full-year
continuing resolutions provide funding through September 30, the last day of the fiscal year.
Over the past half century, the timing patterns for congressional action on regular appropriations
acts have varied considerably, but tardy enactment has been a recurring problem. During 24-year
period covering FY1952-FY1976, when the fiscal year began on July 1, at least one regular
appropriations bill was enacted after the start of the fiscal year. Continuing resolutions were used
in all fiscal years during this period except FY1953, despite the fact that only one regular
appropriations bills was enacted before the start of that fiscal year. From FY1977 to FY2011,
after the start of the fiscal year was moved to October 1, all of the regular appropriations acts
were enacted on time in only four instances (FY1977, FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997). No
continuing resolutions were enacted for three of these fiscal years, but continuing resolutions
were enacted for FY1977 to fund certain unauthorized programs whose funding had been
dropped from the regular appropriations acts.
Full-year continuing resolutions provide funding for one or more of the regular appropriations
acts for the remainder of the fiscal year. While Congress has employed full-year continuing
resolutions on many occasions, it has not done so consistently over time. For each of the 11 fiscal
years covering FY1978-FY1988, Congress enacted a full-year continuing resolution to provide
funding for programs and activities covered by at least one regular appropriations act. Three years
later, Congress enacted another full-year continuing resolution, for FY1992. Most recently, a full-
year continuing resolution was enacted for FY2011.
During the past 14 fiscal years (FY1998-FY2011), Congress provided funding under continuing
resolutions for an average of over four months (129.6 days). The period for which continuing
appropriations were provided in these 14 years ranged from 21 days to 365 days. On average,
each of the 87 continuing resolutions enacted during this period lasted for about 30 days; 42 of
these were for seven days or less.

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Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent Years

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Features of Continuing Resolutions ............................................................................................. 1
Persistent Need for Continuing Resolutions................................................................................. 3
Use of Full-Year Continuing Resolutions..................................................................................... 4
Recent Congressional Practices (FY1998-FY2011) ..................................................................... 7

Figures
Figure 1. Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1998-FY2011 ................................................. 9

Tables
Table 1. Full-Year Continuing Resolutions: FY1977-FY2011 ...................................................... 5
Table 2. Number and Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1998-FY2011 ............................... 7
Table 3. Number, Length, and Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1977-FY2011 ............... 10

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 19
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 19

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Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent Years

Introduction
Continuing appropriations acts (commonly known as continuing resolutions or CRs), which
provide interim funding in the event that regular appropriations have not been enacted, have been
an integral component of the annual appropriations process for decades. Whenever action on one
or more of the regular appropriations acts for a fiscal year is incomplete, an issue that arises is the
appropriate duration of any period for which continuing resolutions will be used.
Continuing resolutions may have a relatively short duration, based on the expectation that action
on the regular appropriations acts will be concluded within several days or weeks. Alternatively,
continuing resolutions may have a longer duration to postpone final action on appropriations
decisions until after elections, or through the beginning of the next congressional session. Finally,
a continuing resolution may provide funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
This report provides information on congressional practices with respect to the duration of
continuing resolutions, including the use of full-year measures, and focuses particularly on the
period covering FY1998-FY2011.
Features of Continuing Resolutions
The routine activities of most federal agencies are funded by means of annual appropriations
provided in one or more of the regular appropriations acts.1 When action on the regular
appropriations acts is delayed, Congress may use one or more continuing appropriations acts to
provide stop-gap funding.2 In the absence of regular appropriations, the failure to enact
continuing appropriations in a timely manner results in a funding gap.3 If a funding gap occurs,
federal agencies are typically required to being a “shutdown” of the affected projects and
activities, which includes the prompt furlough of non-excepted personnel.4
Continuing appropriations acts commonly are referred to as continuing resolutions (or CRs)
because usually they provide continuing appropriations in the form of a joint resolution rather
than a bill. Occasionally, however, continuing appropriations are provided in bill form.
In most of the years in which continuing resolutions have been used, a series of two or more have
been enacted into law. Continuing resolutions may be designated by their order (e.g., first

1 The number of regular appropriations acts has varied between 11 and 14 during the past half century, but was fixed at 13 for
the period covering FY1968-FY2005. Realignment of the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees at the beginning of
the 109th Congress reduced the number of regular appropriations acts, beginning with FY2006, to 11; further realignment at the
beginning of the 110th Congress changed the number to 12, beginning with FY2008.
2 For general information, see CRS Report RL30343, Continuing Resolutions: Latest Action and Brief Overview of
Recent Practices, by Sandy Streeter.
3 Additional information on this topic is provided in CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview,
by Jessica Tollestrup.
4 The Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341-1342, 1511-1519) generally bars agencies from continued operation in the
absence of appropriations. Exceptions are made under law so that activities for certain authorized purposes, such as
protecting property and the safety of human life, may continue during a funding gap.
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continuing resolution, second continuing resolution) or, after the initial continuing resolution has
been enacted, designated merely as a further continuing resolution.
The duration of a continuing resolution refers to the period for which budget authority is provided
for the covered projects and activities.5 The period ends either upon the enactment of the
applicable regular appropriations act, or on an expiration date specified in the continuing
resolution, whichever occurs first. The duration of a continuing resolution may vary for different
agencies covered thereunder as an agency’s regular appropriations act is enacted, and its coverage
under the continuing resolution ceases. For example, Section 107 of P.L. 108-84 (117 Stat. 1043),
the first continuing resolution for FY2004, set the duration of the measure at 31 days:
Sec. 107. Unless otherwise provided for in this joint resolution or in the applicable
appropriations Act, appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant
to this joint resolution shall be available until (a) enactment into law of an appropriation for
any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution, or (b) the enactment into law of
the applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without any provision for such project or
activity, or (c) October 31, 2003, whichever first occurs.
A continuing resolution may also contain an expiration date for one or more agencies or programs
that differs from the one that applies generally to the covered agencies and programs.
If action on the regular appropriations acts is not complete by the time the first continuing
resolution expires, subsequent continuing resolutions will often simply replace the expiration date
in the preceding continuing resolution with a new one. For example, Section 1 of the second
continuing resolution for FY2004, P.L. 108-104 (117 Stat. 1200), stated that “Public Law 108-84
is amended by striking the date specified in Section 107(c) and inserting ‘November 7, 2003’.”
This action extended the duration of the preceding continuing resolution by seven days.
Based upon their duration, continuing resolutions may be classified as either interim or full-year
measures. Interim (or temporary) continuing resolutions provide funding for periods usually
measured in days or weeks (but sometimes months), while full-year continuing resolutions
provide funding through September 30, the last day of the fiscal year. By enacting a series of
interim continuing resolutions, Congress secures additional increments of time for itself to
complete action on some or all of the remaining regular appropriations acts. The duration of any
further continuing resolutions may be shortened, sometimes to a single day, to keep pressure on
legislators to conclude their business, or may be lengthened to weeks to accommodate lengthy
negotiations or congressional recesses. In some cases, continuing resolutions have carried over
into the next session when Congress wanted to postpone making difficult political or policy
decisions. Finally, when the separate enactment of one or more of the regular appropriations bills
for a fiscal year does not seem likely to occur, a full-year continuing resolution may be used to
complete legislative action.
Continuing resolutions usually fund activities under a formula-type approach that provides
spending at a restricted level, such as “at a rate for operations not exceeding the current rate,”
which is generally equivalent to the total amount of appropriations provided for the prior fiscal
year. Exceptions to the formula, sometimes referred to as “anomalies,” which provide a specific
amount of budget authority for certain accounts or activities, can also be provided. The amount of

5 Legislative provisions, as opposed to funding provisions, contained in a continuing resolution may remain in effect
for a longer period, even as permanent law.
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funding available for particular activities previously provided based on a rate (or as an anomaly)
can be increased or decreased when the relevant regular appropriations act is subsequently
enacted. Congress is not bound by these conventions in determining funding levels, however, and
there have been several variations in practice over the years in how the funding for projects and
activities under a continuing resolution has been provided.
Continuing resolutions generally do not allow new activities to be initiated. Instead, funding is
usually available only for activities conducted during the past year, and existing conditions and
limitations on program activity are typically retained by language contained within the
resolution’s text.
Persistent Need for Continuing Resolutions
Over the past half century, the timing patterns for congressional action on regular appropriations
acts have varied considerably, but tardy enactment has been a recurring problem. During 24-year
period covering FY1952-FY1976, when the fiscal year began on July 1, at least one regular
appropriations bill was enacted after the start of the fiscal year. From FY1977 to FY2011, after
the start of the fiscal year was moved to October 1, all of the regular appropriations acts were
enacted on time in only four instances (FY1977, FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997). No continuing
resolutions were enacted for three of these fiscal years, but continuing resolutions were enacted
for FY1977 to fund certain unauthorized programs whose funding had been dropped from the
regular appropriations acts.6
During the 25 fiscal years covering FY1952-FY1976, Congress did not once enact all of the
regular appropriations acts on time. As a result, one or more continuing resolutions were enacted
each year during this period, except for FY1953.7
In an effort to reduce the reliance on continuing resolutions, the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 (P.L. 93-344; 88 Stat. 297) effectively lengthened the time available for Congress to act on
annual appropriations measures by moving the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1.8
Procedures under the act were fully implemented beginning in FY1977, and this change in the
start of the fiscal year yielded immediate results—all of the regular appropriations acts for
FY1977 were enacted on time.9 This initial success, however, was short-lived, and congressional
reliance on continuing resolutions has persisted in the ensuing years.
As was previously noted, after FY1977, all of the regular appropriations acts were enacted on
time in only three other instances—for FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997. Consequently, one or
more continuing resolutions were needed each year during this period. In total, 156 continuing

6 Section 1414 of P.L. 82-547 (66 Stat. 661) made regular appropriations enacted late available as of July 1, 1952 (the
first day of FY1953) and ratified any obligations incurred before their enactment.
7 Although regular appropriations measures for FY1953 were enacted into law after the start of the fiscal year on July
1, 1952, no continuing appropriations were provided. Section 1414 of P.L. 82-547 (July 15, 1952), a supplemental
appropriations measure for FY1953, resolved the legalities arising from the tardy enactment of appropriations for that
year.
8 Section 501 (88 Stat. 321) of P.L. 93-344; July 12, 1974. This section later was replaced by the Federal Credit Reform
Act of 1990, but the start of the fiscal year remains October 1 (see 31 U.S.C. 1102).
9 Despite this achievement, two continuing resolutions were enacted to fund certain unauthorized programs that had
been excluded from the regular appropriations acts.
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resolutions were enacted into law during the period covering FY1977-FY2011, ranging from zero
to 21 in any single fiscal year. On average, about four continuing resolutions were enacted each
fiscal year during this interval (see Table 3, at the end of the report, for further information on all
CRs enacted between FY1977 and FY2011).
Use of Full-Year Continuing Resolutions
Full-year continuing resolutions provide funding for one or more of the regular appropriations
acts for the remainder of the fiscal year (through June 30 for FY1976 and prior years, and through
September 30 for FY1977 and subsequent years). They represent a determination by Congress to
abandon any further efforts to enact separately the remaining unfinished regular appropriations
acts for the fiscal year, and to bring the annual appropriations process for that year to a close
(except for the later consideration of supplemental appropriations acts).
While Congress has employed full-year continuing resolutions on many occasions, it has not done
so consistently over time. Prior to the full implementation of the Budget Act in FY1977, full-year
continuing resolutions were used occasionally. Full-year continuing resolutions, for example,
were enacted into law for four of the six preceding fiscal years (FY1971, FY1973, FY1975, and
FY1976).10 Following the successful completion of action on the regular appropriations acts for
FY1977, Congress returned to the use of full-year continuing resolutions for more than a decade.
For each of the 11 fiscal years following FY1977, covering FY1978-FY1988, Congress enacted a
full-year continuing resolution covering at least one regular appropriations act. Three years later,
Congress enacted another full-year continuing resolution, for FY1992. Most recently, a full-year
continuing resolution was enacted for FY2011.
Full-year continuing resolutions may provide appropriations in different ways, including (1) by
formulaic provisions (e.g., “at a rate for operations not in excess of the current rate or the rate
provided in the budget estimate, whichever is lower”), in which the amounts available for
individual projects and activities must be determined by comparing two or more alternatives; (2)
by incorporating the full text of the applicable regular appropriations acts (including
incorporation by cross-reference to other measures), thereby obviating the need to make any
funding determinations;11 or (3) by a combination of the two. For example, P.L. 112-10, the full-
year continuing resolution for FY2011, provided full text budget authority for the Department of
Defense in Division A, while Division B provided formulaic funding (with anomalies) for all
other agencies and activities for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Table 1 identifies the 14 full-year continuing resolutions enacted for the period covering FY1977-
FY2011. Eight of the measures included at least one formulaic funding provision, while the
remaining six did not.

10 The full-year continuing resolution for FY1976, P.L. 94-254, provided funding through the end of the fiscal year
(June 30, 1976) as well as through the end of a “transition quarter” (September 30, 1976) made necessary by the change
in the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1.
11 From a functional perspective, full-year continuing resolutions that do not include any formulaic provisions, but
instead provide appropriations using the full text of acts (including by cross-reference), are sometimes regarded as
omnibus appropriations acts rather than continuing resolutions, even if they are entitled an act “making continuing
appropriations” or “making further continuing appropriations.”
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Nine of the 14 full-year continuing resolutions during this period were enacted in the first quarter
of the fiscal year—three in October, two in November, and four in December. The five remaining
measures, however, were enacted during the following session, between February 15 and June 5.
As Table 1 shows, full-year continuing resolutions enacted during the first five years of this
period were relatively short measures, ranging in length from one to four pages in the Statutes-at-
Large. Beginning with FY1983 and extending through FY1988, however, the measures became
much lengthier, ranging in length from 19 to 451 pages (averaging 244 pages).
The greater page length of full-year continuing resolutions enacted for the period covering
FY1983-FY1988 may be explained by two factors. First, full-year continuing resolutions enacted
prior to FY1983 generally established funding levels by a formulaic reference to pending regular
appropriations acts. With regard to a specific appropriations act, for example, funding levels may
have been keyed to the lesser of the amounts provided in the House-passed or Senate-passed
versions of the act. Beginning with FY1983, however, Congress largely abandoned the use of
formulaic references to establish funding levels. Instead, the full text of some or all of the covered
regular appropriations acts usually was incorporated into the full-year continuing resolution,
thereby increasing its length considerably. Secondly, the number of regular appropriations acts
covered by full-year continuing resolutions increased significantly during the FY1983-FY1988
period. For the period covering FY1978-FY1982, the number of regular appropriations acts
covered by continuing resolutions for the full fiscal year ranged from one to eight (averaging
four). Beginning with FY1983 and extending through FY1988, the number of covered acts
ranged from five to 13 (averaging 9.25).
In the above respect, P.L. 112-10 (the full-year continuing resolution for FY2011) provided
funding in a similar manner to the FY1983-FY1988 full-year CRs. P.L. 112-10 provided budget
authority for a total of 12 regular appropriations act by incorporating the full text of one
appropriations bill (the FY2011 Department of Defense Appropriations Act) while also providing
for the other 11 regular appropriations bills through formulaic provisions and specific anomalies.
Table 1. Full-Year Continuing Resolutions: FY1977-FY2011
Page Length
Included
Number of
Fiscal Year
Public Law
Enactment
Formulaic
Appropriations
Number
Date
(Statutes-
at-Large)
Funding
Acts Covered
Provision(s)?
1977 [none] —
—
—
—
1978 P.L.
95-205
12-09-1977
2
No
2
1979 P.L.
95-482
10-18-1978
4
No
1
1980 P.L.
96-123
11-20-1979
4
Yes
5
1981 P.L.
97-12
06-05-1981 2a Yes 8a
1982 P.L.
97-161
03-31-1982
1
Yes
4b
1983 P.L.
97-377
12-21-1982 95
Yes
7
1984 P.L.
98-151
11-14-1983 19
Yes
5
1985 P.L.
98-473
10-12-1984 363
No
9
1986 P.L.
99-190
12-19-1985 142
No
8
1987 P.L.
99-591
10-30-1986 391
No
13
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Included
Number of
Page Length
Fiscal Year
Public Law
Enactment
Formulaic
Appropriations
Number
Date
(Statutes-
at-Large)
Funding
Acts Covered
Provision(s)?
1988 P.L.
100-202
12-22-1987 451
No
13
1989 [none] —
—
—
—
1990 [none] —
—
—
—
1991 [none] —
—
—
—
1992 P.L.
102-266
04-01-1992
8
Yes
10c
1993-2006 [none]
—
—
—
—
2007 P.L.
110-5
02-15-2007 53
Yes
9d
2008 [none] —
—
—
—
2009 [none] —
—
—
—
2010 [none] —
—
—
—
2011 P.L.
112-10
04-15-2011 98
Yes
12
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from (1) the Legislative Information System;
(2) Congressional Research Service, Appropriations Status Tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/
Pages/appover.aspx; and (3) various other sources.
a. This ful year continuing resolution was contained within the FY1981 Supplemental Appropriations and
Rescissions Act 1981 (H.R. 3512, see Title IV, “Further Continuing Appropriations”). Title IV extends
through the end of the fiscal year the expiration of P.L. 96-536, which included appropriations for the
Legislative Branch; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies; District of Columbia; Department of
Housing and Urban Development-Independent Agencies; Department of Interior and Related Agencies;
Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies; Department of Defense.
b. This ful year continuing resolution extended through the end of the fiscal year the expiration date of P.L.
97-92, which included appropriations for Treasury, Postal Service and General Government; Department of
Transportation and Related Agencies; Department of Housing and Urban Development Independent
Agencies; Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary.
c. This ful year continuing resolution extended through the end of FY1992 the expiration date of P.L. 102-
163, which included appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies; Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary; Department of Defense;
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs; Department of the Interior and Related
Agencies; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies; Military
Construction; Department of Transportation and Related Agencies; Treasury, Postal Service, and General
Government; Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent
Agencies.
d. During the 109th Congress, the House and Senate appropriations subcommittee jurisdictions were not
entirely parallel. As a result, the forms in which the initial pieces of appropriations legislation were
considered differed between the chambers. Ultimately, spending authority provided in the full-year
continuing resolution was designated in Section 101 as nine appropriations Acts as fol ows: Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development;
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs; Department of the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies;
Legislative Branch; Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs; Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and
Related Agencies; Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, Judiciary, District of
Columbia, and Independent Agencies.
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Recent Congressional Practices (FY1998-FY2011)
Continuing resolutions have been a significant element of the annual appropriations process
during the last 14 fiscal years, covering FY1998-FY2011.12 As shown in Table 2, a total of 87
continuing resolutions were enacted into law during the period. While the average number of
such measures enacted per year was about six (6.2), the actual number enacted ranged from two
measures (for FY2009 and FY2010) to 21 (for FY2001).
Table 2. Number and Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1998-FY2011
Number of
Total
Average
Final
Fiscal Year
Continuing
Duration
Duration for
Expiration
Resolutions
in Daysa
Each Act
Date
1998 6
57
9.5
11-26-1997
1999 6
21
3.5
10-21-1998
2000 7
63
9.0
12-02-1999
2001 21
82
3.9
12-21-2000
2002 8
102
12.8
01-10-2002
2003 8
143
17.9
02-20-2003
2004 5b 123
24.6
01-31-2004
2005 3
69
23.0
12-08-2004
2006 3
92
30.7
12-31-2005
2007 4
365
91.3
09-30-2007
2008 4
92
23.0
12-31-2007
2009
2
162
81.0
03-11-2009
2010
2
79
39.5
12-18-2009
2011
8
365
45.6
9-30-2011
Total
87
1,815
—
—
Annual Average
6.2
129.6
29.7
—
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from (1) the Legislative Information System;
(2) Congressional Research Service, Appropriations Status Tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/
Pages/appover.aspx; and (3) various other sources.
a. Duration is measured, in the case of the initial continuing resolution for a fiscal year, from the first day of
the year (October 1). For subsequent continuing resolutions for a fiscal year, duration is measured from the
expiration date of the preceding continuing resolution.
b. The fifth continuing resolution for FY2004 did not change the expiration date of January 31, 2004,
established in the preceding continuing resolution.
During these last 14 fiscal years, Congress provided funding by means of a continuing resolution
for an average of over four months (129.6 days) each fiscal year. Taking into account the total
duration of continuing resolutions enacted for each fiscal year, the period for which continuing

12 FY1997 was the most recent year for which no continuing resolutions were needed.
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appropriations were provided ranged from 21 days to 365 days. On average, each of the 87
continuing resolutions enacted lasted for almost 30 (29.7) days; 42 of these were for seven days
or less.13 Two full-year continuing resolutions were used during this period, for FY2007 and
FY2011.
In the first four instances (FY1998-FY2001), the expiration date in the final continuing resolution
was set in the first quarter of the fiscal year, on a date occurring between October 21 and
December 21. The expiration date in the final continuing resolution for the next three fiscal years
(FY2002-FY2004), however, was set in the following session on a date occurring between
January 10 and February 20. While the expiration dates in the final continuing resolutions for four
of the next six fiscal years (FY2005, FY2006, FY2008, and FY2010) were in the first quarter of
the fiscal year on a date occurring between December 8 and December 31, the final continuing
resolution for FY2009 carried an expiration date of March 11, 2009. The final continuing
resolutions for FY2007 and FY2011 provided funding through the remainder of the fiscal year.
Figure 1 presents a representation of both the number and duration of continuing resolutions for
FY1998-FY2011. As the figure shows, there is no significant correlation between these two
variables. For example, six continuing resolutions were enacted for both FY1998 and FY1999,
but the same number of measures lasted for a period of 57 days for FY1998 and only 21 days for
FY1999. The largest number of continuing resolutions enacted for a single fiscal year during this
period—21 for FY2001—covered a period lasting 82 days, at an average duration of 3.9 days per
act. The smallest number enacted—two each for FY2009 and FY2010—covered 162 days and 79
days, respectively, at an average duration of 81 days and 40 days per act.
Figure 1 also shows considerable mix in the use of shorter-term and longer-term continuing
resolutions for a single fiscal year. For example, for FY2001, 21 continuing resolutions covered
the first 82 days of the fiscal year. The first 25 days were covered by a series of four continuing
resolutions lasting between five and eight days each. The next 10 days, a period of intense
legislative negotiations leading up to the national elections on November 7, 2000, were covered
by a series of 10 one-day continuing resolutions. The next 31 days were covered by two
continuing resolutions, the first lasting 10 days and the second lasting 21 days. The first of these
two continuing resolutions was enacted into law on November 4, the Saturday before the election,
and extended through November 14, the second day of a lame-duck session. The second
continuing resolution was enacted into law on November 15 and expired on December 5, which
was 10 days before the lame-duck session ended. The remaining five continuing resolutions,
which ranged in duration from one to six days, covered the remainder of the lame-duck session
and several days beyond (as the final appropriations legislation passed by Congress was being
processed for the President’s approval).
Table 3 provides more detailed information on the number, length, and duration of continuing
appropriations acts enacted for FY1977-FY2011. As indicated previously, this represents the
period during which the congressional budget process as established by the Budget Act has been
in effect, that is, since the change in the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1.

13 The fifth continuing resolution enacted for FY2004, P.L. 108-185, did not change the expiration date of January 31,
2004, set in the preceding continuing resolution.
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Figure 1. Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1998-FY2011
1998
57
1999
21
2000
63
2001
82
2002
102
ar 2003
143
e
Y 2004
123
al 2005
69
sc 2006
92
Fi 2007
365
2008
92
2009
162
2010
79
2011
365
0
100
200
300
400
Number of Days

Note: Each segment of a bar for a fiscal year represents the duration of one continuing resolution. The left-most segment represents the first continuing resolution,
effective beginning on October 1 (the start of the fiscal year). Duration is measured, in the case of the initial continuing resolution for a fiscal year, from the first day of the
year through the expiration date. For subsequent continuing resolutions for a fiscal year, duration is measured from the expiration date of the preceding continuing
resolution.
CRS-9

Table 3. Number, Length, and Duration of Continuing Resolutions: FY1977-FY2011
Number of
Number of
Fiscal
Acts by
Acts
Public Law
Statutes-at-Large
Page
Enactment
Expiration
Duration
Year
Fiscal Year
Cumulatively
Number
Citation
Length
Date
Date
in Daysa
1977
1
1
P.L. 94-473
90 Stat. 2065-2067
3
10-11-1976
03-31-1977
183

2
2
P.L. 95-16
91 Stat. 28
1
04-01-1977
04-30-1977
30
1978
1
3
P.L. 95-130
91 Stat. 1153-1154
2
10-13-1977
10-31-1977
31

2
4
P.L. 95-165
91 Stat. 1323-1324
2
11-09-1977
11-30-1977
30

3
5
P.L. 95-205
91 Stat. 1460-1461
2
12-09-1977
09-30-1978
304
1979
1
6
P.L. 95-482
92 Stat. 1603-1605
3
10-18-1978
09-30-1979
365
1980
1
7
P.L. 96-86
93 Stat. 656-663
8
10-12-1979
11-20-1979
51

2
8
P.L. 96-123
93 Stat. 923-926
4
11-20-1979
09-30-1980
315
1981
1
9
P.L. 96-369
94 Stat. 1351-1359
9
10-01-1980
12-15-1980
76

2
10
P.L. 96-536
94 Stat. 3166-3172
7
12-16-1980
06-05-1981
172
3 11
P.L.
97-12b 95
Stat.
95-96
2 06-05-1981 09-30-1981
117
1982
1
12
P.L. 97-51
95 Stat. 958-968
11
10-01-1981
11-20-1981
51

2
13
P.L. 97-85
95 Stat. 1098
1
11-23-1981
12-15-1981
22

3
14
P.L. 97-92
95 Stat. 1183-1203
21
12-15-1981
03-31-1982
106

4
15
P.L. 97-161
96 Stat. 22
1
03-31-1982
09-30-1982
183
1983
1
16
P.L. 97-276
96 Stat. 1186-1205
20
10-02-1982
12-17-1982
78

2
17
P.L. 97-377
96 Stat. 1830-1924
95c 12-17-1982 09-30-1983
287
1984
1
18
P.L. 98-107
97 Stat. 733-743
11
10-01-1983
11-10-1983
41

2
19
P.L. 98-151
97 Stat. 964-982
19
11-10-1983
09-30-1984
325
1985
1
20
P.L. 98-441
98 Stat. 1699-1701
3
10-03-1984
10-03-1984
3

2
21
P.L. 98-453
98 Stat. 1731
1
10-05-1984
10-05-1984
2

3
22
P.L. 98-455
98 Stat. 1747
1
10-06-1984
10-09-1984
4

4
23
P.L. 98-461
98 Stat. 1814
1
10-10-1984
10-11-1984
2

5
24
P.L. 98-473
98 Stat. 1837-1976
140d 10-12-1984 09-30-1985
354
CRS-10

Number of
Number of
Fiscal
Acts by
Acts
Public Law
Statutes-at-Large
Page
Enactment
Expiration
Duration
Year
Fiscal Year
Cumulatively
Number
Citation
Length
Date
Date
in Daysa
2010 1
147
P.L.
111-68n
123 Stat. 2043-2053
11
10-01-2009
10-31-2009
31
2 148
P.L.
111-88o
123 Stat. 2972-2974
3
10-30-2009
12-18-2009
48
2011
1
149
P.L. 111-242
124 Stat. 2607-2616
10
09-30-210
12-03-2010
64

2
150
P.L. 111-290
124 Stat. 3063
1
12-04-2010
12-18-2010
15

3
151
P.L. 111-317
124 Stat. 3454
1
12-18-2010
12-21-2010
3

4
152
P.L. 111-322p
124 Stat. 3518-3521
4
12-22-2010
03-04-2011
73

5
153
P.L. 112-4
125 Stat. 6-13
8
03-02-2011
03-18-2011
14

6
154
P.L. 112-6
125 Stat. 23-30
8
03-18-2011
04-08-2011
21

7
155
P.L. 112-8
124 Stat. 34-35
2
04-09-2011
04-15-2011
7

8
156
P.L. 112-10q
125 Stat. 102-199
98
04-15-2011
09-30-2011
168
Sources: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from: (1) the Legislative Information System; (2) Congressional Research Service, Appropriations
Status Tables (various fiscal years), available at http://crs.gov/Pages/appover.aspx; and (3) various other sources.
a. Duration is measured, in the case of the initial continuing resolution for a fiscal year, from the first day of the year (October 1) through the expiration date. For
subsequent continuing resolutions for a fiscal year, duration is measured from the expiration date of the preceding continuing resolution. In several instances, as
appropriate, the number of days reflects an extra day in a leap year (every fourth year beginning with calendar year 1976).
Several continuing resolutions provided continuing appropriations for mixed periods of time. For example, three continuing resolutions—P.L. 96-86 (for FY1980), P.L.
97-51 (for FY1982), and P.L. 97-276 (for FY1983)—were enacted in November or December of the applicable year for periods covering 51 days, 51 days, and 78 days,
respectively, but they also included continuing appropriations for the remainder of that fiscal year for activities covered by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act.
(See also the discussion of actions for FY1996 under footnote “j.”) In these instances, the “Duration in Days” column reflects the time period that applied to the
greatest number of activities funded by the measure.
b. Title IV (95 Stat. 95-96) of P.L. 97-12, the Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission Act for FY1981, provided continuing appropriations for FY1981; the other titles
of the act (95 Stat. 14-95) are excluded from the page count.
c. P.L. 97-377 incorporated the ful text of various regular appropriations acts.
d. Title I (98 Stat. 1837-1976) of P.L. 98-473 provided continuing appropriations for FY1985; the other title, Title II (98 Stat. 1976-2199), set forth the Comprehensive
Crime Control Act of 1984, and is excluded from the page count.
e. P.L. 99-190 incorporated the ful text of various regular appropriations acts.
f.
P.L. 99-591 superseded P.L. 99-500 and corrected enrollment errors in the earlier act; both laws originated as H.J.Res. 738.
g. P.L. 100-202 incorporated the ful text of various regular appropriations acts.
CRS-16

h. Title I (104 Stat. 867-870) of P.L. 101-403 provided continuing appropriations for FY1991; Titles II and III (104 Stat. 871-874) provided supplemental appropriations and
are excluded from the page count.
i.
Section 106(c) of P.L. 102-145 provided that, as an exception to the general expiration date, continuing appropriations for the Foreign Operation Appropriations Act
would expire on March 31, 1992 (a duration of 154 days).
j.
A total of 13 continuing resolutions were enacted for FY1996 (and one was vetoed) during a period of heightened confrontation over budgetary legislation between
Congress and President Bill Clinton. Two funding gaps occurred, the first in mid-November 1995 and the second from mid-December 1995 until early January 1996.
The continuing resolutions for this year may be divided into two categories depending on whether their coverage general y was comprehensive or selective. Nine of
the continuing resolutions enacted for FY1996 general y provided short-term funding for al activities under the regular appropriations acts that had not yet been
enacted, while the other four provided funding only for selected activities within certain acts. The four acts in the latter category included the following:
(1) P.L. 104-69, which funded the Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) and Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs, programs of the District of
Columbia, and certain veterans’ programs;
(2) P.L. 104-90, which funded programs of the District of Columbia;
(3) P.L. 104-91, Title I, which funded a variety of programs, including ones pertaining to the Peace Corps, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, trade adjustment assistance benefits, and the National Institutes of Health, among others; and
(4) P.L. 104-92, which funded a variety of programs, including ones pertaining to nutrition services for the elderly, visitor services in the National Park System, certain
veterans’ programs, and programs of the District of Columbia, among others.
Activities under two of the regular appropriations acts for FY1996 were funded through the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 1996) in continuing resolutions: (1)
Title IV of P.L. 104-92 provided such funding for activities covered by the District of Columbia Appropriations Act; and (2) Title III of P.L. 104-99 provided such
funding for activities covered by the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. In addition, other selected activities were funded through the remainder of the fiscal year
in P.L. 104-91, P.L. 104-92, and P.L. 104-122. Action on the regular appropriations acts for FY1996 was concluded with the enactment of P.L. 104-134, the Omnibus
Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996, on April 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 1321 through 1321-381), which provided funding for the remainder of the fiscal
year for activities covered by five of the regular appropriations acts.
Three of the continuing resolutions had mixed periods of duration. The duration shown in the table was determined as follows:
(1) most of the funding provided in P.L. 104-92 was for the remainder of the fiscal year, so a duration of 290 days was used;
(2) while the funding provided in P.L. 104-99 for activities covered by the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act was for the remainder of the fiscal year, the funding
provided for activities covered by four other regular appropriations acts was through March 15, 1996, so a duration of 49 days was used; and
(3) most of the funding provided in P.L. 104-122 was through April 24, while only one account was funded through the remainder of the fiscal year, so a duration of 26
days was used.
In the case of P.L. 104-91, a measure requiring the Secretary of Commerce to convey to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the National Marine Fisheries Service
laboratory located on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Title I (110 Stat. 10-14) of the act provided continuing appropriations for selected activities for
the remainder of FY1996; Section 1 (110 Stat. 7-10) and Title II (110 Stat. 14-15) pertained to other matters and are excluded from the page count. Section 110 of the
act made the funding effective as of December 16, 1995.
k. P.L. 108-185 contained provisions affecting funding levels for two specified programs, but did not contain a provision affecting the expiration date of January 31, 2004,
established in the preceding continuing resolution (P.L. 108-135).
l.
Continuing appropriations for FY2007 were provided by Division B (120 Stat. 1311-1316) of P.L. 109-289, the Defense Appropriations Act for FY2007; the other
portions of the act (120 Stat. 1257-1311) are excluded from the page count.
m. Continuing appropriations for FY2008 were provided by Division B (121 Stat. 1341-1344) of P.L. 110-116, the Defense Appropriations Act for FY2008; the other
portions of the act (121 Stat. 1295-1341) are excluded from the page count.
n. Continuing appropriations for FY2010 were provided by Division B (123 Stat. 2043-2053) of P.L. 111-68, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for FY2010; the
other portions of the act (123 Stat. 2023-2043) are excluded from the page count.
CRS-17

o. Continuing appropriations for FY2010 were provided by Division B (123 Stat. 2972-2974) of P.L. 111-88, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act for FY2010; the other portions of the act (123 Stat. 2904-2972) are excluded from the page count.
p. Continuing appropriations for FY2011 were provided by Division A (124 Stat. 3518-3521) of P.L. 111-322, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation
Extensions Act for 2011; the other portions of the act (124 Stat. 3522-3531) are excluded from the page count.
q. Full-year continuing appropriations for FY2011 were provided by Division B (125 Stat. 102-199) of P.L. 112-10, the Department of Defense and Ful -Year Continuing
Appropriations Act for 2011; the other portions of the act (125 Stat. 38-102, 199-212) are excluded from the page count.
CRS-18

Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent Years

Author Contact Information

Jessica Tollestrup

Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
jtollestrup@crs.loc.gov, 7-0941

Acknowledgments
The original version of this report was written by Robert Keith, formerly a Specialist in American National
Government at CRS. The listed author has revised and updated this report and is available to respond to
inquiries on the subject.

Congressional Research Service
19