When Congress and the President fail to reach timely agreement on the annual appropriations bills, federal government activities dependent on such funding are threatened with being shutdown for lack of funding. To address this, S. 558 provides for an automatic appropriation (in the form of a continuing resolution) to fund government operations, thereby eliminating the threat of a government shutdown. Enactment of S. 558 would ensure that agencies continue to receive funding at the level of the previous year’s appropriation or the amount contained in the President’s budget request.

S. 558 was ordered to be reported as an original bill from the Committee on Governmental Affairs on March 4, 1999 by a roll call vote of 6 years to 4 nays. A written report (S. Rept. 106-15) on S. 558 was filed on March 16, 1999, and the bill was placed on the Senate legislative calendar on March 8, 1999.

The provision for an automatic continuing resolution was included in the reforms considered in the January 27, 1999 joint hearing by the Committees on Governmental Affairs and the Budget.