31 U.S.C. § 1341 : Money And Finance — The Budget Process — Appropriations — Limitations, Exceptions, And Penalties — Limitations On Expending And Obligating Amounts

(a)

(1)

An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not—

(A) make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation;

(B) involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law;

(C) make or authorize an expenditure or obligation of funds required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; or

(D) involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

(2) This subsection does not apply to a corporation getting amounts to make loans (except paid in capital amounts) without legal liability of the United States Government.

(b) An article to be used by an executive department in the District of Columbia that could be bought out of an appropriation made to a regular contingent fund of the department may not be bought out of another amount available for obligation.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 923; Pub. L. 101–508, title XIII, § 13213(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–621.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
1341(a)	31:665(a), (d)(2)(last sentence related to spending and obligations).	R.S. § 3679(a), (d)(2)(last sentence related to spending and obligations); Mar. 3, 1905, ch. 1484, § 4(1st par.), 33 Stat. 1257; Feb. 27, 1906, ch. 510, § 3, 34 Stat. 48; restated Sept. 6, 1950, ch. 896, § 1211, 64 Stat. 765.
1341(b)	31:669(words after semicolon).	Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 6(words after semicolon), 37 Stat. 414.

In subsection (b), the words “another amount available for obligation” are substituted for “any other fund” for consistency in the revised title.

References in Text

Section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(C), (D), is classified to section 902 of Title 2, The Congress.

Amendments

1990—Subsec. (a)(1)(C), (D). Pub. L. 101–508 added subpars. (C) and (D).