Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Overview of Continuing Appropriations for
October 27, 2020
FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)
James V. Saturno
This report provides an analysis of the continuing appropriations provisions included in
Specialist on Congress and
Division A (Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021, and Other Extensions Act) of P.L.
the Legislative Process
116-159. On October 1, 2020, the President signed H.R. 8337 into law as P.L. 116-159.

The law also extended the authorizations of surface transportation programs and
Kevin P. McNellis
included numerous provisions affecting the authorization and funding of federal health
Analyst on Congress and
care, nutrition, and veterans programs in Divisions B-E. This report examines only
the Legislative Process
Division A, the continuing resolution (CR) portion of the act.


Division A of P.L. 116-159 provides temporary authority for federal agencies and

programs to continue spending in FY2021. Such authority is termed a “continuing resolution” because historical y
it has often been enacted in the form of a joint resolution. The measure provides temporary funding for the
programs and activities covered by al 12 of the regular appropriations bil s, because none of them had been
enacted prior to the start of FY2021. These provisions constitute budget authority for the purposes of the projects
and activities that were funded in FY2020 by that fiscal year’s applicable regular appropriations acts, with some
exceptions. It includes both budget authority that is subject to the statutory discretionary spending limits on
defense and nondefense spending and also budget authority that is effectively exempt from those limits, such as
that designated for emergencies or “Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism.”
Funding under the terms of the CR is effective October 1, 2020, through December 11, 2020—roughly the first 10
weeks of the fiscal year.
The CR general y provides budget authority for FY2021 for most projects and activities at the rate at which they
were funded during FY2020. Although it is effective only through December 11, the cost estimate prepared by the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides an annualized projection of the discretionary budget authority
provided in the measure. As provided in P.L. 116-159, the annualized amount subject to the statutory discretionary
spending limits would be approximately $1.296 tril ion. When spending that is effectively not subject to those
limits (Overseas Contingency Operations, disaster relief, emergency requirements, and program integrity
adjustments) is also included, the CBO estimate is $1.398 tril ion.
CRs frequently include provisions that are specific to certain agencies, accounts, or programs. These include
provisions that designate exceptions to the general funding rate formula or otherwise single out a program,
activity, or purpose for which any referenced funding is extended (typical y referred to as “anomalies”), as wel as
provisions that have the effect of creating new law or changing existing law (including the renewal of expiring
provisions of law). The CR includes a number of such provisions, each of which is briefly summarized in this
report. CRS appropriations experts for each of these provisions are indicated in the accompanying footnotes , and
congressional clients may also access CRS Report R42638, Appropriations: CRS Experts.
For general information on the content of CRs and historical data on CRs enacted between FY1977 and FY2019,
see CRS Report R42647, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices.

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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6
Coverage, Duration, and Rate ........................................................................................... 7
Coverage.................................................................................................................. 7
Duration................................................................................................................... 8
Rate......................................................................................................................... 8

The CR and the Statutory Discretionary Spending Limits ...................................................... 9
Background .............................................................................................................. 9
FY2020.................................................................................................................... 9

Agency-, Account-, and Program-Specific Provisions ......................................................... 10
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies.............................................................................................................. 10
Section 116—Rural Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) Loans and Loan
Guarantees ..................................................................................................... 10
Section 117—Summer Food for Children Demonstrations ........................................ 11
Section 118—Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) ................................ 11
Section 119—Farm Loan Programs ....................................................................... 11
Section 120—Livestock Mandatory Reporting Extension ......................................... 11
Section 121—U.S. Grain Standards Act Extension .................................................. 11
Section 122—Extension of Hemp Pilot Program in 2014 Farm Bill............................ 12
Section 123—Over-the-Counter Drug Monograph User Fee Act ................................ 13
Section 173—Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) .............................................. 13

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies ....................................................... 14
Section 101(2)—Bureau of the Census .................................................................. 14
Section 124—Bureau of the Census, Periodic Censuses and Programs........................ 14

Department of Defense (DOD) .................................................................................. 14
Section 102—Prohibition on “New Starts” and Increasing Production Rates................ 14
Section 125—Funding and Authority for Columbia-Class Submarines........................ 15
Section 126—Funding for Inspector General Audits of COVID-19 Activities .............. 15
Section 140—Authority for Contractor Reimbursements .......................................... 15

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies .................................................. 16
Section 127—Ensuring Availability for the Western Area Power Administration
(WAPA) ......................................................................................................... 16
Section 128—Extension of Reclamation Drought Response Authorization .................. 16
Financial Services and General Government ................................................................ 16
Section 129—Extension of District of Columbia Voucher School Accreditation ........... 16
Section 130—District of Columbia Local Funds ..................................................... 16
Section 131—Additional Funding for Presidential Inauguration Activities .................. 17
Section 132—Increased Flexibility to Process Certain Smal Business

Administration (SBA) Loans ............................................................................. 17
Section 133—Increased Flexibility to Process SBA Disaster Loans ............................ 17
Section 134—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition Office Space ................. 17
Section 135—Increased Flexibility for Government Rental Payments......................... 18
Section 136—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition .................................... 18
Section 137—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition Archival Activities ......... 18
Section 138—Increased Flexibility for Background Check Administrative

Expenses ........................................................................................................ 18
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Section 139—Extension of Certain Bankruptcy Judgeships....................................... 18
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ................................................................... 19
Section 101(6)—Extension of Immigration Authorities ............................................ 19
Section 141—Restructured Apportionment of Continuing Appropriations for

Activities Previously Funded by the Working Capital Fund .................................... 19
Section 142—Coast Guard Pay Authority............................................................... 20
Section 143—Extend the Authorization for the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory
Committee...................................................................................................... 20
Section 144—Restructured Apportionment of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency Continuing Appropriations ........................................................ 20
Section 145—Modified Apportionment of Disaster Relief Fund Continuing
Appropriation ................................................................................................. 20
Section 146—Extension of the National Flood Insurance Program ............................. 21
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies................................................................ 21
Section 147—Land and Water Conservation Fund ................................................... 21
Section 148—Forest Service Account Restructuring ................................................ 21

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies.............................................................................................................. 22
Section 149—Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Block Grant, the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES), and Related
Funding ......................................................................................................... 22

Section 150—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Buildings and
Facilities ........................................................................................................ 22
Section 151—State Children’s Health Insurance Program’s (CHIP) Delayed
Obligation of Mandatory Funding ...................................................................... 22
Section 152—National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multi-Year Research Grants ............ 23
Section 153—Automated Personalization Computing Project (APCP) ........................ 23

Section 154—National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity
(NACIQI)....................................................................................................... 24
Section 155—Account Maintenance Fees .............................................................. 24
Section 156—Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) ................... 24

Legislative Branch ................................................................................................... 25
Section 157—Gratuity Payment............................................................................ 25
Section 158—House of Representatives................................................................. 25
Section 159—Continuation of Payments ................................................................ 25
Section 160—Library of Congress Severable Services Contracts ............................... 26
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies........................................ 26
Section 161—Compensation and Pensions ............................................................. 26
Section 162—Veterans Electronic Health Record .................................................... 26
Section 163—Canteen Service Revolving Fund ...................................................... 26

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) ............................................ 26
Section 164—Repatriation Loans Program Account................................................. 26
Section 165—Extension of Passport and Immigrant Visa Surcharge Expenditure
Authorities ..................................................................................................... 27
Section 166—Authorities to Fund Consular Operations............................................ 27
Section 167—Foreign Assistance to Sri Lanka ........................................................ 27
Section 168—U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy ................................ 28
Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related
Agencies.............................................................................................................. 28
Section 169—National Infrastructure Investments (BUILD Grants) ........................... 28
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Section 170—Ginnie Mae Increase ....................................................................... 28
Section 171—Choice Neighborhoods Extension ..................................................... 28
Section 172—Housing for the Elderly ................................................................... 28


Contacts
Author Information ....................................................................................................... 29

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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Introduction
Congress uses an annual appropriations process to fund discretionary spending, which supports
the projects and activities of most federal government agencies.1 This process anticipates the
enactment of 12 regular appropriations bil s each fiscal year.2 If regular appropriations are not
enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year (October 1), continuing appropriations may be used to
provide temporary funding until the consideration of annual appropriations measures is
completed.
Continuing appropriations acts are often referred to as “continuing resolutions” (CRs), because
historical y they have been enacted in the form of a joint resolution. CRs also contain numerous
provisions that may operate as limitations or restrictions to preserve Congress’s prerogative to
make funding decisions once the final appropriations acts are agreed to.3 Numerous exceptions
(or anomalies) are also often included in CRs to provide changes and exceptions to the general
funding rate, to address special circumstances that may result with only temporary funding, or for
other purposes.4 Rescissions or cancel ations of discretionary budget authority may also be
included in CRs.5
CRs may be enacted for a period of days, weeks, or months, and Congress and the President may
enact multiple CRs in a given fiscal year. If any of the 12 regular appropriations bil s are stil not
enacted by the time that the first CR for a fiscal year expires, further extensions might be enacted
until al regular appropriations bil s have been completed or the fiscal year ends.
None of the FY2021 regular appropriations bil s were enacted prior to the start of the new fiscal
year on October 1, 2020. On September 22, 2020, H.R. 8337 was introduced in the House to
provide continuing appropriations for projects and activities covered by al 12 of the regular
annual appropriations bil s from the beginning of the fiscal year through December 11, 2020
(Division A). The legislation also included four separate divisions to extend the authorizations of
surface transportation programs and numerous provisions affecting the authorization and funding
of federal health care, nutrition, and veterans programs. The House passed the legislation on
September 22, 2020, by a vote of 359-57. The Senate subsequently passed the legislation without
amendment by a vote of 84-10 on September 30, 2020. On October 1, 2020, the President signed
H.R. 8337 into law (P.L. 116-159).
This report provides an analysis of the continuing appropriations provisions included in the CR
(P.L. 116-159, Division A). The first two sections summarize the overal funding provided
(“Coverage, Duration, and Rate”) and budget enforcement issues associated with the statutory

1 T he federal budget process distinguishes between discretionary spending, which is controlled through annual
appropriations acts, and direct (or mandatory) spending, which is controlled through authorizing laws. For further
information on the appropriations process generally, see CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations
Process: An Introduction
.
2 Under current practice, each House and Senate Appropriations subcommittee usually drafts one regular appropriations
bill for the activities under its jurisdiction, for a total of 12 bills each fiscal year. T he full Appropriations Committee
subsequently considers and reports each bill to its respective parent chamber.
3 For instance, P.L. 116-159, as is typical for CRs under current practice, instructs that “only the most limited funding
action of that permitted in the Act shall be taken in order to provide for the continuation of projects and activities”
(§110). Similarly, any awarding of grants that would impinge on final funding prerogatives are expressly restricted
(§109).
4 For example, Section 125 of P.L. 116-159 allows the Secretary of the Navy to begin the procurement process for up to
two Columbia-class nuclear submarines.
5 For example, see Section 115 in P.L. 116-159, which provides for a continuing effect for certain prior rescissions
when calculating the level of budget authority available.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

discretionary spending limits (“The CR and the Statutory Discretionary Spending Limits”). The
third section of this report provides short summaries of the act’s provisions that are agency-,
account-, or program-specific. These summaries are organized by appropriations act title. In some
instances, background information about the history of those appropriations, and how they
operate under a CR, is provided.
Coverage, Duration, and Rate
Three components of a CR general y establish the purpose, duration, and amount of funds
provided by the act:
1. A CR’s “coverage” relates to the purposes for which funds are provided. The
projects and activities funded by a CR are typical y specified with reference to
regular (and, occasional y, supplemental) appropriations acts from the previous
fiscal year. When a CR refers to one of those appropriations acts and provides
funds for the projects and activities included in such an act, the CR is often
referred to as “covering” that act.
2. The “duration” of a CR refers to the period of time for which budget authority6 is
provided for covered activities.
3. CRs usual y fund projects and activities using a “rate for operations” or “funding
rate” to provide budget authority at a restricted level but do not prescribe a
specified dollar amount. The funding rate for a project or activity is based on the
total amount of budget authority that would be available annual y for that project
or activity under the referenced appropriations acts and is prorated based on the
fraction of a year for which the CR is in effect, but it may also be affected by
other factors that can have an effect on spending patterns over the course of a
fiscal year.
Coverage
P.L. 116-159 (§101) covers al 12 of the regular annual appropriations bil s by general y
providing continuing budget authority for FY2021 through December 11, 2020, for projects and
activities funded in FY2020.7
Budget authority is provided by the act under the same terms and conditions as the referenced
FY2020 appropriations acts (§103). Effectively, this requirement extends many of the provisions
in the FY2020 acts that stipulated or limited agency authorities during FY2020. In addition, none
of the funds are, in general, to be used to initiate or resume an activity for which budget authority
was not available in FY2020 (§104). Such provisions, as wel as many of the other provisions
discussed in the sections below, may protect Congress’s constitutional authority to determine

6 Appropriations bills provide agencies with budget authority, which is defined as authority provided by federal law to
enter into contracts or other financial obligations that will result in immediate or future expenditures (or outlays)
involving federal government funds. For explanations of these terms, see Government Accountability Office (GAO), A
Glossary of Term s Used in the Federal Budget Process
, GAO-05-734SP, September 2005, pp. 20-23.
7 Referenced appropriations acts include Divisions A-D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-93)
and Divisions A-H of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). Several programs included in
the referenced appropriations acts were exempt ed from the CR’s general coverage provision, including several U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) emergency programs, the Department of Commerce’s programs related to the
census, amounts for the Department of Homeland Security funded in T itle II of Division D of P.L. 116-93 that were
designated as being for an emergency requirement , and amounts for Department of Defense natural disaster activities
funded in T itle X of Division A of P.L. 116-93 and T itle V of Division F of P.L. 116-94.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

annual funding in the manner it chooses in whatever final appropriations measures may be
enacted.
Statutory limits on discretionary spending are in effect for FY2021, as adjusted by the Bipartisan
Budget Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-37). The CR includes both budget authority that is subject to those
limits and also budget authority that is effectively exempt from those limits—including that
designated or otherwise provided as “Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on
Terrorism” (OCO/GWOT) or “emergency requirements,” as wel as limited amounts that may be
designated as “disaster relief” or “program integrity initiatives.” Amounts previously receiving an
OCO/GWOT, emergency, or disaster relief designation for FY2020 continue to receive this
designation through the length of the CR (§114).
Duration
Section 106 provides that funding in the CR is effective through December 11, 2020—roughly a
10-week period of funding. That section also provides that, in general, budget authority for some
or al projects and activities could be superseded by the enactment of the applicable regular
appropriations act or another CR prior to December 11.8 For projects and activities funded in the
CR that a subsequent appropriations act does not fund, budget authority would immediately cease
upon such enactment, even if enactment occurs prior to December 11. However, the CR provides
some exceptions to this. For instance, the OCO/GWOT designations (§114) are specified to
remain in effect through the date specified in Section 106(c) regardless of other appropriations
actions. Section 111(b) also provides funds to pay obligations for mandatory payments required to
be made at the beginning of January 2021.
Rate
In general, the CR provides budget authority at levels provided in FY2020 appropriations acts for
the duration of the CR (through December 11). The rate is based on the actual amounts made
available in FY2020. Sections 109, 110, 111, and 112 place several additional limitations on the
continued rate of operations specified in Section 101. Section 109 prohibits actions by agencies
that would effectively “impinge on final funding prerogatives,” and Section 110 directs that “only
the most limited funding actions” are al owed under the CR to continue existing projects and
activities. Section 112 specifies that the amount available to agencies under the CR may be
apportioned at the rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs, although agencies must first
take any action necessary to reduce or delay non-personnel-related administrative expenses. For
entitlements and other mandatory spending for which budget authority is provided in regular
appropriations acts, funding is provided at the rate sufficient to maintain program levels under
current law as provided in Section 111(a).

8 T he subsequent enactment of a regular appropriations bill would also supersede the level of funding provided in the
CR. Section 107 provides that obligations and expenditures made between October 1 and the enactment of any
subsequent full-year appropriations would be a part of, and not in addition to, the final amount provided in the
applicable appropriations act for FY2021.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

The CR and the Statutory Discretionary Spending
Limits

Background
Appropriations for FY2021 are subject to statutory discretionary spending limits on categories of
spending designated as “defense” and “nondefense” spending pursuant to the Budget Control Act
of 2011 (BCA), as most recently modified by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. The defense
category includes al discretionary spending under budget function 050 (defense), and the
nondefense category includes discretionary spending in the other budget functions.9 If
discretionary spending is enacted in excess of a statutory limit in either category, the BCA
requires the level of spending to be brought into conformance through “sequestration,” which
involves primarily across-the-board cuts to non-exempt spending in the category of the limit that
was breached (i.e., defense or nondefense). Once discretionary spending is enacted, the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) evaluates that spending relative to the spending limits and
determines whether sequestration is necessary.10 For FY2021 discretionary spending, the first
such evaluation (and any necessary enforcement) is to occur within 15 calendar days after the
2020 congressional session adjourns sine die.11 For any FY2021 discretionary spending that
becomes law after the session ends, the OMB evaluation and any enforcement of the limits would
occur 15 days after enactment.
FY2020
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the budgetary effects of interim CRs on an
“annualized” basis, meaning that those effects are measured as if the CR were providing budget
authority for an entire fiscal year. According to the CBO projection, the annualized amount for
discretionary budget authority for regular appropriations subject to the BCA limits (including
projects and activities funded at the rate for operations and anomalies) would be $668.615 bil ion
for defense, which is about $2.9 bil ion below the defense limit of $671.5 bil ion, and $627.631
bil ion for nondefense, which is about $1.1 bil ion below the nondefense limit of $626.5 bil ion
for FY2021.12 The final amount available for FY2021 wil be determined through further
appropriations actions.
P.L. 116-159 specified that each amount incorporated in the legislation by reference, which was
previously designated as OCO/GWOT or disaster relief and not subject to the discretionary
spending caps, retains that same designation (§114). Thus when spending effectively not subject
to those limits—because it was designated or otherwise provided as OCO/GWOT, disaster relief,
emergency requirement, or a program integrity adjustment—is included, CBO estimates total
annualized budget authority in the CR of $1.398 tril ion for FY2021.

9 For more information on the BCA generally, see CRS Report R44874, The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked
Questions
.
10 OMB, “ Sequestration Reports and Orders,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sequestration-reports-
orders/.
11 For further information with regard to sine die adjournments of a congressional session, see CRS Report R42977,
Sessions, Adjournm ents, and Recesses of Congress.
12 T hese defense and nondefense limits are provided in P.L. 116-37, Section 101(a). See also CBO estimate for
Division A of P.L. 116-159 (discretionary spending only) at https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2020-09/H.R. 8337.pdf.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Agency-, Account-, and Program-Specific Provisions
CRs lasting multiple weeks or longer usual y include provisions that are specific to certain
agencies, accounts, or programs. These provisions are general y of two types. First, certain
provisions designate exceptions to the formula and purpose for which any referenced funding is
extended. These are often referred to as “anomalies.” They often address specific issues or
circumstances that may result from the extension of only current rates of funding. Second, certain
provisions may have the effect of creating new law or changing existing law. Most often, these
provisions are used to renew expiring provisions of law or extend the scope of certain existing
statutory requirements. Substantive provisions that establish major new policies have also been
included on occasion. Unless otherwise indicated, such provisions are temporary in nature and
expire when the CR expires.
These anomalies and provisions that change law may be included at the request of the President.
Congress could accept, reject, or modify such proposals in the course of drafting and considering
CRs.13 In addition, Congress may identify or initiate any other anomalies and provisions changing
law that it seeks to include in the CR.
This section of the report summarizes provisions in P.L. 116-159 that are agency-, account-, or
program-specific. They are alphabetical y organized by appropriations act title for the 12 regular
appropriations acts covered in Section 101. The summaries general y provide brief explanations
of the provisions. In some cases they include additional information, such as whether a provision
was requested by the President or included in prior year CRs. For additional information on
specific provisions in the CR, congressional clients may contact the CRS appropriations experts
as noted in the accompanying footnote.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies

Section 116—Rural Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) Loans and Loan
Guarantees14

Section 116 appropriates loan levels of $1.4 bil ion for direct loans and $50 mil ion for loan
guarantees under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) WWD Program. These amounts
are equal to the program’s funding levels in USDA’s FY2020 appropriation, except that the loan
subsidies differ. In FY2020, the WWD direct loan and loan guarantee programs had positive
subsidy rates (i.e., the cost of providing loans was more than estimated repayments and fees) and
required appropriated loan subsidies. For FY2021, OMB estimates that the WWD direct loan and
loan guarantee programs wil have negative subsidy rates and therefore wil not require
appropriated loan subsidies.15

13 Congressional Quarterly released documents that purport to be lists of OMB-requested appropriations anomalies and
authorization extensions. CRS has not confirmed the authenticity of this document. T his document, if authentic, might
provide insight into particular anomalies and extensions ultimately included in the CR. See Paul Krawzak, “ T rump
Requests Funds to Buttress Agencies Hurt by the Pandemic,” Congressional Quarterly, September 2, 2020,
http://www.cq.com/doc/news-5997207?0.
14 T his section was authored by Alyssa R. Casey, Analyst in Agricultural Policy.
15 OMB, President’s Budget FY 2021, “Federal Credit Supplement Spreadsheets: Direct Loans: Subsidy Rates,
Obligations, and Average Loan Size,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/supplemental-materials.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Section 117—Summer Food for Children Demonstrations16
Section 117 al ows USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to spend discretionary funds for the
Summer Food for Children Demonstrations at a rate that ensures that the projects supported by
these grants can be fully operational by May 2021, the start of summer meal service. These
projects, which include the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer demonstration, have operated in
selected states since FY2010.17 Similar provisions have been part of previous CRs.
Section 118—Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)18
Section 118 al ows the Food and Nutrition Service to spend discretionary funds for the CSFP at a
rate necessary to maintain the program’s current caseload. This program distributes food to low-
income seniors. A CSFP anomaly to maintain current operations has often been included in
previous CRs.
Section 119—Farm Loan Programs19
Section 119 al ows USDA’s Farm Service Agency to spend discretionary funds for the
Agriculture Credit Insurance Fund at a rate necessary to cover any backlog of farm ownership
loan applications that were approved but not able to be funded in FY2020.
Section 120—Livestock Mandatory Reporting Extension20
Section 120 extends the authorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, as
amended (LMR; 7 U.S.C. §§1635 et seq.) through December 11, 2020. The LMR requires buyers
of live cattle, swine, and lambs and sel ers of beef, pork, and lamb to report prices, volumes, and
other marketing characteristics to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, which makes this
information public through daily, weekly, and monthly reports to provide market transparency for
the livestock industry.
The LMR was enacted in 1999 and has been reauthorized four times. Congress last reauthorized
the LMR through September 30, 2020, in the Agriculture Reauthorizations Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-
54). LMR authority lapsed for one year in FY2006. During that time period, USDA requested
buyers and sel ers who had been subject to the LMR to voluntarily report this market information.
In response, buyers and sel ers reported an estimated 90% of the requested information.
Section 121—U.S. Grain Standards Act Extension21
Section 121 reauthorizes four expiring provisions of the U.S. Grain Standards Act of 1916, as
amended (USGSA; 7 U.S.C. §§71 et seq.). Most of the USGSA is permanently authorized,
although four provisions expired on September 30, 2020. Section 121(a) reauthorizes the USDA’s
Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) to collect administrative and supervisory fees through
December 11, 2020. Subsection (b) of the same section reauthorizes appropriations and extends
the cap on the FGIS’s administrative and supervisory fees until September 30, 2021. Without
reauthorization, the FGIS would likely have had to use any reserve funds from previously

16 T his section was authored by Kara Clifford Billings, Analyst in Social Policy.
17 For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11633, Summer Meals for Children: An Overview of Federal Aid.
18 T his section was authored by Randy Alison Aussenberg, Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy.
19 T his section was authored by Jim Monke, Specialist in Agricultural Policy.
20 T his section was authored by Joel Greene, Analyst in Agricultural Policy.
21 T his section was authored by Joel Greene, Analyst in Agricultural Policy.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

collected fees or would have required additional appropriations to offset the loss of administrative
and supervisory fees in order to continue mandatory inspections and its supervision of state and
private agencies.
Under the authority of the USGSA, the FGIS establishes quality standards that define classes and
grades of 12 categories of grains, (e.g., corn, wheat, and soybeans). To guarantee the integrity of
U.S. grain trade, the USGSA requires that al grain exports be inspected and weighed by either
the FGIS or delegated state agencies supervised by FGIS. Domestic grain inspection and
weighing services are voluntary and are conducted by designated state or private agencies under
the supervision of the FGIS.
Section 122—Extension of Hemp Pilot Program in 2014 Farm Bill22
Section 122 extends until September 30, 2021, the authorization of a 2014 farm bil (Agricultural
Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79) hemp pilot program that was set to be repealed in October 2020. This
extension al ows hemp production in some states under the pilot program instead of USDA’s
hemp program established in the 2018 farm bil (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-
334).
Prior to 2014 farm bil , hemp production in the United States was subject to the Controlled
Substances Act (P.L. 91-513) and oversight by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The 2014
farm bil established an agricultural pilot program al owing for hemp cultivation under certain
conditions and by selected producers for research purposes only and if al owed under state laws
where the hemp production is located.23 The 2018 farm bil further relaxed restrictions on U.S.
hemp production by removing hemp from the definition of marijuana, making it no longer a
Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act or subject to Drug
Enforcement Administration oversight. The 2018 farm bil established a new regulatory program
for hemp production under USDA’s jurisdiction24 and repealed the 2014 farm bil ’s pilot program
once the USDA establishes its hemp production plan.25 The USDA issued its interim final rule on
its Hemp Production Program on October 31, 2019,26 with the expectation that the 2014 farm
bil ’s pilot program would be repealed one year later in October 2020.
Concerns about USDA’s regulatory requirements have resulted in some states opting out of the
2018 farm bil program for the 2020 crop year in favor of continuing with the existing pilot
program.27 Although hemp may be grown only for research purposes under the 2014 pilot
program, producers growing hemp under USDA’s 2018 program may do so for commercial
purposes.28

22 T his section was authored by Renée Johnson, Specialist in Agricultural Policy.
23 P.L. 113-79, §7606; 7 U.S.C. §5940 note.
24 7 U.S.C. §1639o-s.
25 Section 7605 of P.L. 115-334 repeals the pilot program (7 U.S.C. §5940) effective “1 year after the date on which the
Secretary establishes a plan under section 297C of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.”
26 84 Federal Register 58522, October 31, 2019 (Docket No. AMS-SC-19-0042; SC19-990-2IR).
27 For a listing of states under the 2014 and 2018 farm bill programs, see USDA, “Status of State and T ribal Hemp
Production Plans for USDA Approval,” https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review.
For more information, see CRS Congressional Distribution memorandum, “ State Regulations and Programs Governing
Hemp Production and Processing,” June 12, 2020 (available to congressional clients upon request).
28 For comparisons of the 2014 and 2018 farm bill programs, see USDA, “Comparison of 2014 Farm Bill and 2018
Farm Bill Requirements,” https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/HempFarmBillComparison_022020.pdf .
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Section 123—Over-the-Counter Drug Monograph User Fee Act29
Section 123 provides that during the CR, over-the-counter (OTC) monograph user fees shal be
credited to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Salaries and Expenses account and remain
available until expended. The FY2020 annual appropriations for the FDA in P.L. 116-94 made the
availability of these fees “contingent upon the enactment of the Over-the-Counter Monograph
User Fee Act of 2019,” which, at the time, had not been enacted. On March 27, 2020, the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. 116-136) was signed into
law. Subtitle F of Title III of that act established the OTC Monograph User Fee Program and
provided the legal framework for FDA to assess and collect fees to support its OTC monograph
drug activities beginning in FY2021.30 However, because the FDA funding in the CR is generally
subject to the conditions that applied to that funding in P.L. 116-94, Section 123 strikes this
contingency language.31
The FDA’s budget is comprised of discretionary appropriations from two sources: (1)
appropriated funding out of the Treasury’s General Fund and (2) user fees paid by the regulated
entities (e.g., pharmaceutical companies).32 The FDA’s activities may be funded solely by
discretionary appropriations from the General Fund (e.g., as has historical y been the case with
OTC monograph drug activities); solely by user fees (e.g., in the case of tobacco product
activities); or a combination of the two (e.g., in the case of prescription drug activities). The
authorizing legislation for each user fee program (e.g., the OTC Monograph User Fee Act)
establishes the legal framework that governs the fees, while the annual appropriations acts
provide FDA the authority to collect and expend them.
Section 173—Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)33
Section 173 al ows the CCC to use funds appropriated under this act to reimburse the Treasury for
a line of credit before completion of the required audited report of its financial condition at the
close of the fiscal year.34 Many farm bil program payments—for which the CCC is the funding
source—are due on, or shortly after, October 1, 2020. The USDA has also announced plans to
make additional coronavirus relief payments from the CCC in the coming months.35 The
Administration stated that without the anomaly, the CCC could exhaust its $30 bil ion line of
credit before the expected completion of the audited financial report in November 2020.36 Once

29 T his section was authored by Agata Dabrowska, Analyst in Health Policy.
30 See Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Chapter VII, Part 10 “Fees Relating to Over -the-Counter Drugs,” as
added by CARES Act Section 3862. For additional information about regulation of OT C monograph drugs and the
changes made by the CARES Act, see the section “ Subtitle F—Over-the-Counter Drugs” in CRS Report R46334,
Selected Health Provisions in Title III of the CARES Act (P.L. 116 -136).
31 See Sections 101 and 103, P.L. 116-159 (116th Cong.).
32 For additional information, see CRS Report R44576, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Budget: Fact Sheet.
33 T his section was authored by Megan Stubbs, Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy.
34 For additional information on the CCC, see CRS Report R44606, The Commodity Credit Corporation: In Brief.
35 USDA, “USDA to Provide Additional Direct Assistance to Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by the Coronavirus,”
press release, September 18, 2020, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/09/18/usda-provide-additional-
direct-assistance-farmers-and-ranchers.
36 For more information about the Administration’s request, see Krawzak, “T rump Requests Funds to Buttress
Agencies Hurt by the Pandemic.”
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the CCC reaches its borrowing authority limit, al the corporation’s payments and activities would
cease. A similar anomaly was part of the CR in FY2017, FY2019, and FY2020.37
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies38
Section 101(2)—Bureau of the Census
Section 101(2), specifies that the Census Bureau’s funding wil continue at the rate of operations
provided by the FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-93), except that the $2.5
bil ion of emergency funding provided in that act for the bureau’s Periodic Censuses and
Programs account is no longer considered an emergency appropriation under Section
251(b)(2)(G) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Section 124—Bureau of the Census, Periodic Censuses and Programs
Section 124 specifies that the rate of operations for the bureau’s Periodic Censuses and Programs
account for the period covered by this act is $1.5 bil ion, which is $5.8 bil ion below the amount
provided for in the FY2020 appropriation. This provision also al ows the bureau to apportion
those funds at the rate needed to complete the 2020 decennial census.
Department of Defense (DOD)
Section 102—Prohibition on “New Starts” and Increasing Production Rates39
Section 102 is similar to provisions typical y included in CRs in previous years. The provision
prohibits DOD from funding either new starts—that is, procurement or research and development
of a major program for which funding was not provided in FY2020—or the acceleration of
production rate for any major program for which FY2020 procurement funding was provided.
Among the Administration’s proposed FY2021 new starts barred by this provision are the
production of Battlefield Airborne Communications Node E-11A aircraft; Stryker wheeled
combat vehicle Fire Direction Center variant; counter-improvised threat initiatives; HIV
biomedical technology and medical development programs; and Phoenix Air-to-Ground
Communication Network that is part of the nuclear command, control, and communications
system.
Among the programs for which the Administration has proposed FY2021 production rate
increases barred by this provision are Military Global Positioning System User Equipment,
AN/TPQ-53 radar antennae retrofit, contract award for the STP-S29 launch as part of the Rocket
Systems Launch Program, and KC-130J Hercules refueling tanker aircraft.

37 §118 of P.L. 114-223 (FY2017); §116 of P.L. 115-245 (FY2019); and §119 of P.L. 116-59 (FY2020).
38 T his section was authored by Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National Government.
39 T his section was authored by Brendan McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget. For more information on defense
spending under a CR, see CRS Report R45870, Defense Spending Under an Interim Continuing Resolution: In Brief.
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Section 125—Funding and Authority for Columbia-Class Submarines40
Section 125 permits procurement of the first Columbia-class bal istic missile submarine in
FY2021 under a two-boat contract. Without this provision, work on the first Columbia-class
submarine would have been prevented by the Section 102 prohibition on new starts and increases
in annual procurement rates. The provision al ows for $1.6 bil ion to be apportioned up to the rate
for operations necessary for the Ohio Replacement Submarine (Full Funding) line within the
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy appropriations account.41 The provision also authorizes the
Secretary of the Navy to enter into a contract in FY2021 to simultaneously procure up to two of
the boats using incremental funding. Under incremental funding, the cost of a weapon system is
divided into two or more annual portions, or increments.42
Section 126—Funding for Inspector General Audits of COVID-19 Activities43
Section 126 addresses the availability of certain funding for the DOD Office of the Inspector
General to conduct audits and investigations of projects and activities carried out with funds made
available in Title III of Division B of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) in response to the
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The provision rescinds unobligated FY2020
funds for such efforts and, in addition to amounts otherwise provided by the CR, appropriates an
FY2021 amount equal to the unobligated FY2020 funds.
Section 140—Authority for Contractor Reimbursements44
Section 140 extends an authority provided in Section 3610 of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) that
al ows DOD (or any agency) to reimburse contractors for paid leave, including sick leave. Such
reimbursement is intended to maintain a contractor’s ability to resume performance in a timely
manner.45 The authority is applicable to firms whose employees or subcontractors cannot perform
work due to facility closures or other restrictions and who cannot telework because their job
duties cannot be performed remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.46 As enacted, the Section
3610 authority would have expired on September 30, 2020. Section 140 of this act extends the
authority through December 11, 2020.

40 T his section was co-authored by Brendan McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget, and Ronald O'Rourke,
Specialist in Naval Affairs.
41 For more information, see CRS Report R41129, Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine
Program : Background and Issues for Congress
.
42 For more information, see CRS Report RL31404, Defense Procurement: Full Funding Policy—Background, Issues,
and Options for Congress
.
43 T his section was authored by Brendan McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget.
44 T his section was co-authored by Brendan McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget, and Heidi Peters, Analyst in
U.S. Defense Acquisition Policy.
45 DOD, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment), Implementation Guidance for
Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Freque ntly Asked Questions,
updated August 17, 2020, https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/pacc/cc/docs/covid-
19/FAQ_Implementation_Guidance_CARES_Act_Sec_3610_2020.08.17.pdf#page=4 .
46 For more information, see CRS Insight IN11288, COVID-19 and the Defense Industrial Base: DOD Response and
Legislative Considerations
.
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Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies47
Section 127—Ensuring Availability for the Western Area Power Administration
(WAPA)

Section 127 provides that for the duration of FY2020, no funding may be transferred from
WAPA’s Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund to the General Fund of the Treasury. Due
to a scorekeeping adjustment made by the Trump Administration, the prior common practice of
transferring funds from WAPA’s Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund (which receives
revenues from hydropower sales in the Colorado River Basin) to the Bureau of Reclamation’s
Upper Colorado River Basin Fund (which funds environmental mitigation responsibilities
associated with the Colorado River Storage Project, among other activities) has not been executed
in recent years. Instead, the Administration has proposed that these WAPA funds be transferred to
the General Fund of the Treasury. Some Members of Congress have opposed this proposal and
attempted to counteract it through additional appropriations to the Upper Colorado River Basin
Fund and restricting the WAPA from making transfers to the General Fund.
Section 128—Extension of Reclamation Drought Response Authorization
Section 128 of the bil extends Bureau of Reclamation authorities under the Reclamation States
Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-250) that were scheduled to expire at the end of
FY2020. These authorities provide support for eligible western states affected by drought and
have been extended on multiple prior occasions (most recently from FY2017 to FY2020).48
Financial Services and General Government
Section 129—Extension of District of Columbia Voucher School Accreditation49
Section 129 modifies District of Columbia law so that certain types of private educational
institutions participating in the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Division C of P.L.
112-10) grant program may have up to six years to complete their initial accreditation.50
Previously, these institutions had five years to complete their initial accreditation.
Section 130—District of Columbia Local Funds51
Section 130 grants congressional approval of the District of Columbia general fund and capital
budgets for FY2021, consistent with the requirements of the District of Columbia home rule act
(P.L. 93-198), which requires congressional approval of the District’s budget. This provision
grants the District the authority to expend local y raised funds only for those programs and
activities that received funding in the District’s FY2020 appropriation (the District of Columbia
Appropriations Act, 2020 [Title IV of Division C of P.L. 116-93]). This provision also al ows

47 T his section was authored by Charles Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy.
48 Section 203 of Division D, T itle II of P.L. 115-141 extended the authority through FY2020. See 43 U.S.C. §2214
note for a legislative history of prior extensions.
49 T his section was authored by Joseph V. Jaroscak, Analyst in Economic Development Policy.
50 Section 38—1853.07(a)(5)(A)(i)(II)(bb) of the District of Columbia Official Code.
51 T his section was authored by Joseph V. Jaroscak, Analyst in Economic Development Policy.
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District officials to obligate local y raised funds at the rate set forth in the Fiscal Year 2021 Local
Budget Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-408).
Section 131—Additional Funding for Presidential Inauguration Activities52
Section 131 provides an additional $13 mil ion for the District of Columbia’s emergency
planning and security costs related to the upcoming presidential inauguration. This amount is in
addition to amounts that have already been appropriated by Section 101 of this act for presidential
inauguration planning and security operations. The provision is similar to previous inauguration-
related funding anomalies that were provided in past CRs that preceded presidential
inaugurations.
Section 132—Increased Flexibility to Process Certain Small Business
Administration (SBA) Loans53

Section 132 reduces funding for loan credit subsidies in the SBA 7(a) loan guarantee program
from $99 mil ion to $15 mil ion. The 7(a) loan guarantee program provides loans to smal
businesses that might not otherwise find financing, and it is one of the SBA’s primary programs.
The funding provided by this provision may be apportioned at the rate necessary to meet
demand.54 The SBA is also authorized by this provision to accommodate increased demand for
commitments to guarantee loans for debentures under the Smal Business Investment Company
program.55
Section 133—Increased Flexibility to Process SBA Disaster Loans56
Section 133 al ows amounts made available by Section 101 for Smal Business Administration—
Disaster Loans Program Account to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to
accommodate increased demand for commitments for disaster administrative expenses.57
Section 134—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition Office Space58
Section 134(a) provides the General Services Administration (GSA) with $9.9 mil ion to carry out
the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (P.L. 88-277, as amended). The appropriation is for
purposes related to the presidential election and is in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated
for the GSA. Section 134(b) explicitly states that funding for the GSA’s Pre-Election Presidential
Transition account is not provided under this act.

52 T his section was authored by Joseph V. Jaroscak, Analyst in Economic Development Policy.
53 T his section was authored by Robert Jay Dilger, Senior Specialist in American National Government.
54 For more information, see CRS Report R41146, Small Business Administration 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program .
55 For more information, see CRS Report R41456, SBA Small Business Investment Company Program .
56 T his section was authored by Robert Jay Dilger, Senior Specialist in American National Government.
57 For more information, see CRS Report R41309, The SBA Disaster Loan Program: Overview and Possible Issues for
Congress
.
58 T his section was authored by Garrett Hatch, Specialist in American National Government .
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Section 135—Increased Flexibility for Government Rental Payments59
Section 135 provides that amounts made available by Section 101 for the General Services
Administration Real Property Activities—Federal Buildings Fund—Limitations on Availability of
Revenue may be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary for monthly rental of space
operations.
Section 136—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition60
Section 136 would provide, in addition to amounts appropriated by Section 101, $8 mil ion for
the Office of Administration’s Presidential Transition Administrative Support account for
expenses to carry out the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (P.L. 88-277, as amended) and
similar expenses. This provision also al ows funds to be transferred to other accounts that provide
funding for offices within the Executive Office of the President and the Office of the Vice
President.
Section 137—Additional Funding for Presidential Transition Archival
Activities61

Section 137 provides, in the event of a presidential transition, $18 mil ion to the National
Archives to carry out the presidential transition responsibilities under the Presidential Records
Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. §§2201-2207).62 This amount is in addition to amounts otherwise
appropriated by this act for the National Archives.
Section 138—Increased Flexibility for Background Check Administrative
Expenses63

Section 138 provides that amounts made available by Section 101 for Office of Personnel
Management (OPM)—Salaries and Expenses, including amounts to be transferred from the
appropriate OPM trust funds, can be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to offset
any administrative expenses related to transferring the functions of the National Background
Investigations Bureau to DOD.
Section 139—Extension of Certain Bankruptcy Judgeships64
Section 139 extends the term of office for a temporary federal bankruptcy judgeship in the
Eastern District of Tennessee from five years to nine years.65 This modification further extends a
temporary U.S. bankruptcy judgeship for the Eastern District of Tennessee that was original y
created in 1992 (P.L. 102-361).

59 T his section was authored by Garrett Hatch, Specialist in American National Government .
60 T his section was authored by Barbara L. Schwemle, Analyst in American National Government .
61 T his section was authored by Meghan M. Stuessy, Analyst in Government Organization and Management .
62 For more information, see CRS Report R46129, The Presidential Records Act: An Overview.
63 T his section was authored by Barbara L. Schwemle, Analyst in American National Government.
64 T his section was authored by Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National Government .
65 T his provision modifies Section 2(b)(2)(C)(i) of the T emporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2012 (28
U.S.C. §152 note; P.L. 112-121).
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS)66
Section 101(6)—Extension of Immigration Authorities
Section 101(6) extends the authorities of five immigration programs.
Four of these extensions were requested by the Administration in the event authorizing legislation
was not enacted prior to the end of the fiscal year. These four authorities have been extended
through the appropriations process each year since FY2016 through a variety of mechanisms. In
the FY2018 consolidated appropriation, those immigration extensions were shifted out of the text
of the DHS appropriations act into a different division of the consolidated act.67 In the FY2019
CR, they were included by reference in the first section of the CR.68 This pattern of extension in
CRs by reference to a year-end extensions division in the first section has continued since. The
four authorities are:
1. E-Verify Program—Section 401(b) of P.L. 104-208, Division C, as amended,
codified as part of 8 U.S.C. §1324a note;
2. Authority to Grant Special Immigrant Status to Religious Workers Other than
Ministers—8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(27)(C)(i )(II) and (III);
3. Waiver of Foreign Residence Requirements for Physicians Working in
Underserved Areas (“Conrad State 30” Program)—Section 220(c) of P.L. 103-
416, codified as part of 8 U.S.C. §1182 note; and
4. Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Regional Center Program—Section 610(b) of P.L.
102-395, codified as part of 8 U.S.C. §1153 note.
One additional provision that had been carried in the FY2020 CR and annual DHS appropriations
act was not requested by the Administration—an expansion of the H-2B visa program. This was
the only provision of the five immigration extensions from the FY2020 consolidated
appropriations bil that was included in the House-reported version of the FY2021 DHS
appropriations act.69
Section 141—Restructured Apportionment of Continuing Appropriations for
Activities Previously Funded by the Working Capital Fund

Section 141 provides flexibility for the Administration in al ocating funds within the DHS
management accounts. In its FY2021 budget request, the Administration proposed restructuring
some management accounts—including dissolving the DHS Working Capital Fund. In its request
for CR anomalies, OMB asked for authority to act as if those changes had been approved by
Congress so that manual administrative adjustments to obligations and disbursements would not
be required.70

66 T his section was authored by William L. Painter, Specialist in Homeland Security and Appropriations.
67 P.L. 115-141, Division M.
68 P.L. 115-245, Division C, §101.
69 H.R. 7669, §414.
70 T his is the third year in a row that such an anomaly was provided. T he first FY2018 CR (P.L. 115-56, Division D,
§125) and FY2019 CR (P.L. 115-245, Division C, §128) both carried an almost identical provision related to
restructuring funding for activities that had been paid for by the Working Capital Fund. For detail about the
Administration’s anomalies request, see Krawzak, “ T rump Requests Funds to Buttress Agencies Hurt by the
Pandemic.”
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Section 142—Coast Guard Pay Authority
Section 142 extends authority provided in the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) that al ows appropriated
Operations and Support funding to pay salaries and benefits of several pools of Coast Guard
personnel that are usual y supported by fees and operating revenues from activities that have been
disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The supported programs include Coast Guard Yard
employees; Vessel Documentation personnel; Non-Appropriated Funds personnel; and the
Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.71 The Administration indicated that it was requesting
this anomaly in the event the issue is not addressed in pandemic-related legislation.
Section 143—Extend the Authorization for the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory
Committee

Section 143 extends the authorization for the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee, which
would have expired at the end of FY2020, through the period covered by this act.72 The
committee’s authorization was last extended in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L.
111-281). The Administration requested this extension.
Section 144—Restructured Apportionment of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency Continuing Appropriations

The Administration proposed modifying the budget structure within the appropriations for the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in their FY2021 budget request and has
asked for a CR anomaly that would al ow CISA to not only execute appropriations within the new
structure but also reprogram funding within that new structure. OMB indicates that these
modifications would reduce the potential administrative burden on DHS if the budget
modifications are approved by Congress.73 Section 144 does not enact these requested changes
and instead directs DHS to follow the budget structure and direction provided for CISA in the
FY2021 DHS Appropriations Act ordered reported by the House Appropriations Committee and
in the accompanying report.74
Section 145—Modified Apportionment of Disaster Relief Fund Continuing
Appropriation

Section 145 al ows OMB to apportion funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s
Disaster Relief Fund to meet the response and recovery needs of disaster-affected states. While
the Administration did not request this provision, an identical one has been included in CRs since
FY2018.75

71 P.L. 116-136, Division B, §16004(a).
72 T he original authorization and expiration are found in 46 U.S.C. §9307.
73 For more information about the Administration’s request, see Krawzak, “T rump Requests Funds to Buttress
Agencies Hurt by the Pandemic.”
74 H.R. 7669; H.Rept. 116-458.
75 P.L. 115-56, Division D, §129; P.L. 115-245, Division C, §124; P.L. 116-59, §133.
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Section 146—Extension of the National Flood Insurance Program
Section 146 provides an extension of the authority for the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP) to continue to issue new policies that would have otherwise expired at the end of the
FY2020. This extension, as requested by the Administration, is through the end of FY2021, not
just the length of the CR.
The authority for the NFIP has been extended in CRs each year since FY2018,76 but similar
language has appeared periodical y in CRs starting in FY1998, taking different forms.77 Short-
and long-term reauthorizations of the NFIP have also been enacted separately from the
appropriations process.78
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Section 147—Land and Water Conservation Fund79
P.L. 116-152, the Great American Outdoors Act, enacted on August 4, 2020, made the $900
mil ion in annual deposits to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) available as
mandatory spending beginning in FY2021.80 Prior to P.L. 116-152, appropriations laws for
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies typical y included discretionary appropriations
derived from the LWCF for several activities and programs, including land acquisition by federal
land management agencies, an outdoor recreation grants to states program, and other programs.
Given that LWCF activities and programs are funded through mandatory spending, Section 147
provides that the discretionary appropriations for most of those activities and programs are not
continued in FY2021. However, the section continues discretionary funding, derived from the
LWCF, for land acquisition by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a rate of operations of $7.6
mil ion, a reduction from the $70.7 mil ion provided in FY2020. It also continues the $10.0
mil ion in FY2020 LWCF funding for the Department of the Interior’s Appraisal and Valuation
Services Office, apportioned at rates necessary to fund the activities of the office. Section 147
also continues most, but not al , provisions in the FY2020 law that rescind varying amounts of
unobligated prior year funds.
Section 148—Forest Service Account Restructuring81
The FY2020 appropriations law directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a new budget
account structure for Forest Service (FS) no later than the end of FY2020 and to submit a report
detailing the account adjustments to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.82 The new
budget structure is required to include the establishment of a new account and may also include
new budget activities to cover specified salary and expenses within several accounts. Section 148
authorizes the FS to obligate funds for FY2021 based on the new account structure, which the

76 P.L. 115-56, Division D, §130; P.L. 115-298, which added a new §136 to P.L. 115-245, Division C; P.L. 116-59,
§134.
77 P.L. 105-46, §118.
78 For additional information on what expiration of the program might mean, see CRS Insight IN10835, What Happens
If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?

79 T his section was authored by Carol Hardy-Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy.
80 For a summary of changes to the LWCF made by P.L. 116-152, see CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American
Outdoors Act, P.L. 116-152
.
81 T his section was authored by Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resource Policy.
82 P.L. 116-94, Division D, §435.
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Secretary of Agriculture is to include in the report to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees. Because the new structure involves the shifting of some salary and expenses
between FS accounts and programs, Section 148 al ows for funding in one FS account to be
available for the salary and expenses of employees who carry out functions funded by other FS
accounts. It further provides that this funding can be apportioned at rates necessary to fund those
operations.
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education,
and Related Agencies

Section 149—Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) Block Grant, the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES), and Related
Funding83

Under provisions in the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136), funding and program authority for the TANF
block grant, the CCES, the TANF contingency fund, Healthy Marriage and Responsible
Fatherhood grants, and matching grants to the territories for TANF and child welfare activities
was scheduled to end on November 30, 2020. In general, Section 149 extends funding and
program authority for these programs through December 11, 2020. However, Section 149 also
specifies that CCES payments are to be issued on the same basis as TANF block grants, which are
issued in quarterly instal ments pursuant to Section 405(a) of the Social Security Act. These
payments are expected to be provided through the first full quarter of FY2021 (i.e., December 31,
2020). Section 149 would seem to al ow CCES grant payments to be issued for the full first
quarter of FY2021 as wel .84
Section 150—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Buildings and
Facilities85

Section 150 addresses the availability of certain CDC Buildings and Facilities funding to replace
the Lake Lynn Experimental Mine and Laboratory in Pennsylvania. Specifical y, the provision (1)
rescinds certain unobligated budget authority for this project that was set to expire at the end of
FY2020 and (2) appropriates an equivalent amount of budget authority for the same purposes to
remain available through FY2025. The rescinded budget authority had original y been
appropriated in the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113).
Section 151—State Children’s Health Insurance Program’s (CHIP) Delayed
Obligation of Mandatory Funding86

Section 151(a) rescinds $1.2 bil ion of mandatory spending of the $24.8 bil ion appropriated for
the FY2021 CHIP al otments to states that were unobligated as of September 25, 2020. Section

83 T his section was authored by Karen Lynch, Specialist in Social Policy, and Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Policy.
84 See related discussion on p. 5 of the section-by-section summary of H.R. 8337 released by the House Appropriations
Committee at
https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/FINAL%20Continuing%20Appropriati
ons%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf.
85 T his section was authored by Kavya Sekar, Analyst in Health Policy.
86 T his section was authored by Alison Mitchell, Specialist in Health Care Financing.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

151(b) makes $11.0 bil ion of the funding deposited in the CHIP Child Enrollment Contingency
Fund prior to the beginning of FY2020, and income derived from investment of those funds,
unavailable for obligation in FY2021.87 Similar provisions have been part of previous CRs.
Section 152—National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multi-Year Research Grants88
Section 152 provides the NIH director with the authority to delay, through the end of FY2021, the
cancel ation of certain FY2015 funds that have been obligated, but not yet expended, for multi-
year research grants. The NIH director may postpone the cancel ation of such funds if he
determines that “the project suffered interruption of activities attributable to” COVID-19. In
general, NIH awards numerous types of extramural multi-year research grants to research
institutions (e.g., universities) for a period of up to five years.89 Per Title 31, Section 1552, of the
United States Code, al federal agencies shal close fixed year appropriations accounts at the end
of the fifth fiscal year after the funds expire and cancel any remaining budget authority
(regardless of whether it is unobligated or obligated).90 According to the NIH grant policy
statement, this has the effect of limiting NIH’s authority to extend the final budget period when
an entire project period is funded by a single award.91 Actions taken in response to the COVID-19
pandemic, such as stay-at-home orders and closures of universities and other research institutions,
have affected researchers’ ability to carry out NIH-funded research projects—particularly those
that require laboratory or clinical research components.92 NIH has exercised various
administrative flexibilities in response to these chal enges, such as by al owing certain grantees to
continue to charge for salaries and benefits when researchers are unable to work due to the effects
of the pandemic.93
Section 153—Automated Personalization Computing Project (APCP)94
Section 153 delays until the end of FY2021 the cancel ation of funds that were made available for
the APCP in P.L. 113-76 to al ow for the liquidation of valid obligations incurred in FY2014 or
FY2015. Per Title 31, Section 1552, of the U.S. Code, al federal agencies shal close fixed-year
appropriations accounts at the end of the fifth fiscal year after the funds expire and cancel any
remaining budget authority (regardless of whether it is unobligated or obligated). Absent Section
153, the balances in this account would have been canceled at the end of FY2020.95
The APCP is a competitive grant program administered by the Rehabilitation Services
Administration at the Department of Education. The purpose of the APCP is to improve outcomes

87 For more information about CHIP financing, see CRS Report R43949, Federal Financing for the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
.
88 T his section was authored by Kavya Sekar, Analyst in Health Policy.
89 See CRS Report R41705, The National Institutes of Health (NIH): Background and Congressional Issues.
90 See GAO, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law, ch. 2, p. 2-29, “Account Closing,”
https://www.gao.gov/assets/680/675709.pdf.
91 NIH, “5.3 Funding,” NIH Grants Policy Statement,
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/html5/section_5/5.3_funding.htm.
92 See CRS Report R46309, Effects of COVID-19 on the Federal Research and Development Enterprise.
93 NIH, “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding,”
https://grants.nih.gov/policy/natural-disasters/corona-virus.htm.
94 T his section was authored by Kyrie Dragoo, Analyst in Education Policy, and Benjamin Collins, Analyst in Labo r
Policy.
95 See GAO, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law, ch. 2, p. 2-29, “Account Closing.”
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

for individuals with disabilities by increasing access to information and communication
technologies through automatic personalization of needed assistive technology.
Section 154—National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity (NACIQI)96

Section 154 extends the duration of NACIQI through December 11, 2020. NACIQI assesses the
process of accreditation and the institutional eligibility and certification of institutions of higher
education to participate in federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended).97 If this provision had not been enacted,
under Section 114(f) of the HEA, NACIQI would have terminated on September 30, 2020.
In general, Section 422 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)98 automatical y adds one
additional fiscal year to the authorization for most programs administered by the Department of
Education. This automatic extension would occur only if Congress and the President do not enact
legislation extending the program by the beginning of the terminal fiscal year of a program’s
authorization. However, Section 422(d) of GEPA explicitly states that the automatic one-year
extension does not apply to the authorization of appropriations for, or the duration of, committees
that are required by statute to terminate on a specific date. Thus, the automatic one-year extension
does not apply to NACIQI, and NACIQI would have terminated on September 30, 2020, had it
not been extended.
Section 155—Account Maintenance Fees99
Section 155 extends mandatory budget authority for the Secretary of Education to pay account
maintenance fees to guaranty agencies under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program
through December 11, 2020. Under the program, state or national nonprofit guaranty agencies
administer the federal loan insurance that protects holders of those loans against losses arising
from borrower defaults or loan discharges due to a borrower’s death or disability and provide a
variety of administrative services to lenders. Section 458(a)(4) of the HEA provides mandatory
budget authority to pay account maintenance fees to guaranty agencies as compensation for
various tasks related to administering the federal loan guarantees. Account maintenance fees are
equal to 0.06% of the original principal balance of outstanding FFEL program loans and are paid
quarterly by the Secretary of Education to guaranty agencies. Although authority to originate new
FFEL loans terminated on July 1, 2010, many FFEL program loans remain outstanding, and, thus,
guaranty agencies continue to perform administrative tasks associated with those loans.
Section 156—Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)100
According to the House Appropriations Committee, the purpose of Section 156 is to correct “a
drafting error in the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) related to funding availability for CNCS.”101

96 T his section was authored by Alexandra Hegji, Analyst in Social Policy.
97 For additional information on NACIQI, see CRS Report R43826, An Overview of Accreditation of Higher Education
in the United States
.
98 GEPA contains a broad array of statutory provisions that are applicable to the majority of federal education programs
administered by the Department of Education. 20 U.S.C. §§1221 et seq.
99 T his section was authored by Alexandra Hegji, Analyst in Social Policy.
100 T his section was authored by Joselynn Fountain, Analyst in Education Policy.
101 See House Appropriations Committee, “H.R. 8337, Continuing Approp riations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Specifical y, Section 156(d) provides that Section 3514(b) of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136),
which was intended to extend the availability of CNCS budget authority that would have
otherwise expired at the end of FY2020, is to be treated as it if were never enacted. Additional y,
the provision (1) rescinds the remaining unobligated budget authority for CNCS that was set to
expire at the end of FY2020 and (2) appropriates an equivalent amount of budget authority for the
same purposes to remain available through FY2021.
Legislative Branch102
Section 157—Gratuity Payment
Section 157 provides one gratuity payment to the beneficiary of a deceased Member of the
House.
A gratuity equal to one year’s salary has long been given to the heirs or beneficiaries of Members
of Congress who die in office.103 The payment is general y included in the next legislative branch,
supplemental, or continuing appropriations act following the death.
Section 158—House of Representatives
Section 158 changes the amount available for House of Representatives—Salaries and Expenses
account for FY2021 to $1.384 bil ion, an increase from the $1.366 bil ion appropriated in
FY2020. This account funds al activities of the House, but it does not fund salaries of Members
of Congress.
Section 159—Continuation of Payments
Section 159 continues certain authorities for payments or reimbursements original y provided by
the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) until the termination of the public health emergency. It includes
subsections to address the authority of the Library of Congress to reimburse the Little Scholars
Child Development Center for salaries, the authority of the Government Accountability Office to
reimburse the Tiny Findings Child Development Center for salaries, and the authority of the
Architect of the Capitol to continue payments for service contracts if the contractors’ employees
are “furloughed or otherwise unable to work during closures, stop work orders, or reductions in
service arising from or related to the impacts of coronavirus” (see Section 19005 of P.L. 116-
136).

of 2020 Section-by-Section Summary of Bipartisan Continuing Resolution,” p. 5,
https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/FINAL%20Continuing%20Appropriati
ons%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf .
102 T his section was authored by Ida Brudnick, Specialist on the Congress.
103 For the Senate, see Floyd M. Riddick, Riddick’s Senate Procedure: Precedents and Practices, S.Doc. 101-28, 101st
Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1992), p. 1254, which footnotes Congressional Record debate from 1892; and U.S.
Senate, United States Senate Handbook, p. I-92. For the House of Representatives, see Clarence Cannon, Cannon’s
Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States
(Washington: GPO, 1935-1941), vol. VI, p. 380; and
Lewis Deschler, Deschler’s Precedents of the United States House of Representatives, vol. II, H.Doc. 94-661, 94th
Cong., 2nd sess. For additional information, see CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum, Gratuity Paym ents for
Mem bers of Congress Who Die in Office: Historical Practice
, November 8, 2013, by Ida Brudnick, R. Eric Petersen,
and Jennifer Manning (available to congressional clients upon request).
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Section 160—Library of Congress Severable Services Contracts
Section 160 al ows for the extension of Library of Congress’s severable service contracts by up to
12 months if the performance or delivery of services is delayed or otherwise affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies104
Section 161—Compensation and Pensions105
Section 161 makes a technical correction to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020 (Division F of P.L. 116-94), related to the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation and Pensions account. This provision authorizes advance
appropriations for the Compensation and Pensions account provided in P.L. 116-94 that became
available on October 1, 2020, to remain available until expended. This change would also al ow
unobligated carryover appropriations and funds in this account to remain available beyond
FY2021.
Section 162—Veterans Electronic Health Record106
Section 162 provides authority to the VA to apportion funds up to the rate of operations necessary
for activities related to the implementation, preparation, development, management, rollout, and
maintenance of the veterans electronic health record system, including salaries and expenses of
VA employees associated with the development and deployment of the system.
Section 163—Canteen Service Revolving Fund107
Section 163 provides authority to the VA during FY2021 to transfer up to $140 mil ion of
unobligated balances provided by the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) for the Medical Services
account to the Canteen Service Revolving Fund. Operations of the Canteen Service Revolving
Fund are general y financed by collections from the sale of meals, merchandise, and services at
VA medical facilities. However, due to a decline in collections as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, the Administration requested this transfer authority to offset these losses.
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)108
Section 164—Repatriation Loans Program Account
Section 164 authorizes the Department of State (DOS) to obligate funds made available by
Section 101 of this act for the Repatriation Loans Program account at a rate necessary to
accommodate any increased demand for repatriation loans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The

104 For more information on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies’ FY2021 appropriations,
see CRS Report R46459, Departm ent of Veterans Affairs FY2021 Appropriations.
105 T his section was authored by Sidath Panangala, Specialist in Veterans Policy, and Heather Salazar, Analyst in
Veterans Policy.
106 T his section was authored by Sidath Panangala, Specialist in Veterans Policy.
107 T his section was authored by Sidath Panangala, Specialist in Veterans Policy.
108 T his section was authored by Cory R. Gill, Analyst in Foreign Affairs.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Repatriation Loans Program, authorized by Section 4 of the State Department Basic Authorities
Act of 1956 (P.L. 84-885, as amended), provides emergency direct loans for temporary
subsistence and transportation to assist destitute U.S. citizens abroad who have no other source of
funds to return to the United States.109
Section 165—Extension of Passport and Immigrant Visa Surcharge
Expenditure Authorities

Section 165 extends authority provided in Section 21009 of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) for
the DOS to obligate passport and immigrant visa security surcharge col ections from any fiscal
year for the cost of providing consular services broadly. The DOS was previously authorized to
expend these fees only for “consular services in support of enhanced border security.”110 As
international travel has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the DOS has
experienced a significant decline in receipts from other fees that traditional y offset the cost of
consular services.
Section 166—Authorities to Fund Consular Operations
Section 166, subsection (a) authorizes the DOS to obligate receipts from Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative (WHTI) surcharge to offset the costs of providing consular services broadly.111
The DOS was previously authorized to expend such fees only to meet the costs associated with
increased passport demand and the WHTI. The WHTI was first implemented in calendar year
2008, and it requires al U.S. citizens entering the United States from another country to present a
passport or other accepted secure document prior to entry.
Subsection (b) authorizes the DOS to transfer SFOPS funding made available by Section 101 of
this act under the Administration of Foreign Affairs heading and unobligated balances made
available by previous SFOPS appropriations laws under such heading to the Consular and Border
Security Programs account in order to sustain consular operations. Subsection (b) further provides
that no amounts may be transferred under this section that have been designated for OCO or other
emergency requirements.
Subsection (c) authorizes the DOS to expend SFOPS funding made available by Section 101 of
this act for the Diplomatic Programs account at the rate necessary to sustain consular operations.
This account is the principal operating account of the DOS.
Section 167—Foreign Assistance to Sri Lanka
Section 167 provides that several certification and reporting requirements related to the provision
of certain forms of foreign assistance for the central government of Sri Lanka shal not apply to
the funds made available in this act and P.L. 116-94. Those forms of assistance include those
related to disaster relief; the protection of human rights; locating and identifying missing persons;
assisting victims of torture; promoting justice, accountability, and reconciliation; enhancing
maritime security; and international military education and training.112

109 22 U.S.C. §2671.
110 8 U.S.C. §1714.
111 T he WHT I surcharge is authorized pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §214(b).
112 T hose restrictions were provided in Section 7044(e)(2) of Division G of P.L. 116-94.
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2021 (P.L. 116-159)

Section 168—U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
Section 167 extends the sunset provision for the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
from October 1, 2020, to October 1, 2021.113 This body is responsible for appraising U.S.
government activities intended to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics and to
increase understanding of, and support for, such activities.114
Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and Related Agencies

Section 169—National Infrastructure Investments (BUILD Grants)115
Section 169 extends, through the end of FY2021, the availability of funds in the Department of
Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program
that were awarded to grantees in FY2017 and FY2018 and have not yet been obligated. Without
this provision, the availability of this budget authority would have lapsed at the end of FY2020.
The Administration did not request this change.
Section 170—Ginnie Mae Increase116
Section 170 more than doubles the volume of mortgage-backed securities that can be guaranteed
by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”). The Administration
requested an increase in commitment authority, citing increasing mortgage demand as a result of
low-interest rates.117
Section 171—Choice Neighborhoods Extension118
Section 171 prevents the expiration of unspent FY2013 Choice Neighborhoods grant funds by
extending their availability through FY2021. The Choice Neighborhoods is a competitive grant
program that funds the redevelopment of distressed public and other housing assisted by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Section 172—Housing for the Elderly119
Section 172 al ows the Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase the rate of
obligation for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program to both meet increased rental
assistance renewal costs and continue a supportive housing demonstration. The Administration
requested this provision.120


113 22 U.S.C. §6553.
114 DOS, “U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy,” https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-
for-public-diplomacy-and-public-affairs/united-states-advisory-commission-on-public-diplomacy/.
115 T his section was authored by David Randall Peterman, Analyst in T ransportation Policy.
116 T his section was authored by Kat ie Jones, Analyst in Housing Policy.
117 Krawzak, “T rump Requests Funds to Buttress Agencies Hurt by the Pandemic.”
118 T his section was authored by Maggie McCarty, Specialist in Housing Policy.
119 T his section was authored by Libby Perl, Specialist in Housing Policy.
120 Krawzak, “T rump Requests Funds to Buttress Agencies Hurt by the Pandemic.”
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Author Information

James V. Saturno
Kevin P. McNellis
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process




Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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Congressional Research Service
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