The budget resolution adopted by Congress provides a blueprint for later authorization and appropriations measures. These measures are distinct from each other and perform different functions. Authorization acts establish, continue, or modify agencies or programs. For instance, an authorization act could establish or modify programs within a federal department. Authorization acts also authorize subsequent appropriations for specific agencies and programs, often setting spending ceilings for them. Meanwhile, appropriations acts provide new budget authority for programs, activities, and agencies that have been authorized by authorization committees.
The separation of authorization and appropriation functions are enforced through House and Senate rules that divide committee jurisdiction between authorization and appropriations bills . Points of order also prohibit certain provisions in appropriations measures. For instance, the House and Senate prohibit language in appropriations bills that provides appropriations not authorized by law, also known as unauthorized appropriations. An unauthorized appropriation is a new budget authority for agencies or programs either without authorization or where the budget authority exceeds the authorized ceiling. Language in an appropriations bill that provides legislation on the bill is additionally prohibited. In other words, language in appropriations measures cannot change existing law; legislation is solely the jurisdiction of legislative committees.
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Appropriations committees are distinct from authorization committees in principle, but the division is often imperfect in reality.
In reality, the separation between authorization and appropriation measures is imperfect. Authorization for many programs has long since expired, but these programs still receive appropriated amounts. Other authorized programs receive no appropriated funds at all. Meanwhile, the aforementioned language prohibitions in appropriations bills sometimes gets passed in the bills either because no one raised a point of order or the House and Senate waived the rules.