Appropriation Bills

Legislative bills that allocate local, state, or federal government funds for a specific purpose. At the federal level, the power of the government to appropriate funds is delineated in Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution, which allows “appropriations made by law.” There are at least 11 appropriation bills each year, which together fund the federal government; these bills need to be enacted prior to October 1, the date of the new federal fiscal year.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees draft legislation that allocates these funds; this is then presented to Congress for its approval each fiscal year. The Committees are also empowered to draft supplemental spending bills that are designed to address emergency situations that may arise during the fiscal year. The term pork-barrel is used to describe appropriations gained by representatives for their district to enhance their popularity among constituents.