Changes

Legislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.

Legislation in the form of a [[joint resolution]] enacted by [[Congress]] after waiver of the Budget Act of 1974 by consensus for the new fiscal year, to provide [[spending authority]] for Federal agencies, programs and [[entitlements]] to continue. The regular [[appropriation]]s [[acts]] can then be circumvented or ignored.<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/continuing_resolution.htm US Senate Reference]</ref> 

 

Under the Budget Act, if the president does not sign an [[appropriations bill]] by midnight September 30, Congress then passes a Continuing Resolution to avoid a shutdown that keeps current spending levels going to states and localities and other recipients until an agreement is reached and the president signs the bill.<ref>http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/policy/federal/Budgetbackgrounder.pdf</ref> In some cases, continuing resolutions have kept the government operating for years along a previously established baseline without agreement on a formal budget for the current year.